Inexpensive cutter for reflective heat transfer

[tjjunior 0]

Hi all,

 

I have a client looking for some garments that include reflective heat transfers, the high end stuff like the 3M reflective.  Not huge quantities, 25-30 garments but a couple of transfers per garment.  I reached out to a couple of vendors and, given the pricing they gave me, I'm thinking it might be comparable to buy a cutter and do them myself, and then I end up with a nearly-paid-for-by-the-project cutter after the project is over.  My big challenge is one of the characters has some pretty fine detail.  If I went with a USC MH series cutter, could I cut at this level of detail?  Several vendors said they couldn't do this level of detail in a reflective vinyl transfer (but a different logo with only slightly thicker lines they said they could).

 

Would love any feedback or thoughts, as I have no experience cutting vinyl, I've always ordered them from vendors in the past but the 3M reflective has a huge markup apparently.

 

 

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I don't see a mh doing it that small, at least not w/o a ton if headaches. I'd say copam maybe or really graphtec or roland. Reflective gets expensive wasting it on bad cuts

[OWJones 1,981]

3M heat transfer vinyl starts at around $5 per square foot - you don't want a lot of "oops" moments when cutting stuff that expensive.

 

Also, reflective material is tougher to cut than non-reflective and some of the bargain basement cutters just don't have the necessary cutting force - it may not be as bad as regular reflective vinyl, but the stuff they add to make it reflective requires a sharp blade.

 

You could probably buy a reasonably inexpensive cutter, software, accessories and learn how to create vector graphics and get them into a format suitable for cutting and then pay $5 per square foot to make your own,  but it will almost certainly be much cheaper for you to out source the cutting to someone who already has the equipment and knows how.  If you can't find someone to cut you 50-70 reflective transfers for less than the cost of a cutter, software, and materials, then let me know - I'll do it for that price!  Every day of the week and 2x on Sunday!

[galaxygraphics 26]

I have cut smaller with my LP II, but not with the reflective vinyl. I guess that is pretty hard to cut?

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I know my old LP1 would handle it. My LP2 has been used for reflective vinyl w/o issues but never tried reflective heat transfer. I know my Graphtec will do it no problem.

[Jay2703 704]

Look on the big auction site for a Craft Robo Pro. It's a 15" Graphtec. I've seen some on there for 5 or 6 hundred. Great little machines if you don't need anything bigger.

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=craft+robo+pro

 

There was one on our local Craigslist for 500. I thought that was a bargain.