JohnnyChopps1 1 Posted February 21, 2014 Hello all, my name is John and I live in Southern Cali. I worked in a screen printing/vinyl shop as a teenager and am now ready to start venturing forth on my own. I have absolute zero knowledge of plotters aside from online research and even with that, you don't know until you get your hands dirty. I am in construction right now and have realized that cheap tools usually fail and you end up buying better ones when they burn out. I am expecting a tax return any day now and I have set my mind on starting a graphics company to eventually support my family and not have to be out of town for weeks on end. Long story short, if I buy a copam or similar model, will I regret not buying a Roland or graph tec model? I am not pro yet but I also don't want to buy a half good piece of machinery and find out I am limited or end up frustrated by poor quality. Size is also a question. I have maybe two grand to spend on a plotter and I don't want a tiny one but I don't want to have a big one that can't do quality work if I need it to. My soon to be wife is an awesome artist capable of anything on illustrator and I am the business minded one so together I think we will make a good shop. Should I save more and get a top dollar one or could I start with something not so hot but not too shabby and work my way up? I don't want to be disappointed with my very first buy so any input would be helpful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted February 21, 2014 buy the graphtec first and you won't have to upgrade down the road . . . .personally have had a 50" amchine but went back to a quality 24" as most elements even on a big sign are not that large. on a 4x8 sheet I prefer to do in segments anyways Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted February 21, 2014 I have heard the Copam is actually a pretty good cutter. I don't want to steer you away from a graphtec though. The difference is in the motors and the higher end cutters are real nice. On your budget be aware that there are other expenses that will be involved too like app tape and some tools but I would not recommend going and buying a whole bunch of vinyl right off the bat which is what I did. You will be fine to buy some white and black but for colors I would order per the job. You probably should consider an affordable heat press too. You will have the ability to cut Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) and can garner a lot of work from that side of things, more than you'd think. I started with a P-Cut which is several steps off the bottom but also several below the Copam I think. I used it for 2-1/2 years and built my business up and then upgraded. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a quality cutter so looking back I wish I would have just bought it right up front, I just didn't know if the whole thing would be a lark or a money maker. I pretty much guaranty you can do enough to pay off a quality cutter fairly easily even if the business never gets all that big so if you have the coin up front for a good cutter then maybe go that route. Size, I wouldn't worry about getting anything bigger than a 30inch and you can actually do just fine with a 24" machine and tile the bigger stuff. Tiling is also much more spot on with the higher quality cutter so the size is less of a concern. My P-Cut was 48in and I never cut anything above 30" so when I upgraded I went down to a 30" machine. I actually went to a Summa but they are a lot more money than you'll be able to snag a graphtec for. I might have wnet to a 24" machine but the Summa only goes down to 30" as their small cutter. I just decided if I was going to upgrade I wanted to go with the best knowing that it will probably be my last purchase unless I get crazy and go huge with a printer etc and at that point I'll have a whole bunch more decisions to make. I work road construction by day so I know where you are coming from on that end. There is great money in vinyl. I just do it as a side thing for extra cash, I have too many kids! Some day I hope to retire into just doing this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyChopps1 1 Posted February 21, 2014 Thank you for your reply. I will probably purchase a 24 inch to start. I have been debating the size thing in my head and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to sub out what I can't handle until I get a good grip on things. Is graph tec better than Roland, are they about equal or is it a snap-on vs. matco preference difference? I don't know much except what the dealers say on various websites but does anyone have on hand info? Sorry if I am starting an off-topic thread, this is a tad more than an introduction now... I am new to the forum on an iPad while on our way home from up north so I'm kinda chatting it up. Sorry, long drive... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwp99 283 Posted February 22, 2014 Hello and Welcome from Florida. Both Roland and Graphtec are good machines. I've got a Summa D-60 that I bought used and haven't had a problem with it in the 6 years that I've owned it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mabscotthandyman 1,410 Posted February 23, 2014 Hello Johnny I run a handyman service in southern West Virginia and do a few signs and install a crap load of flat signs,lighted ,signs, plastic formed letters, channel letters and digital displays. If you price right there is good money in signs and banners and working in construction you already have a potential customer base the contractors, plumbers, electricans, hvac and landscape guys and the list goes on. Buy the very best you can afford that being said the co-pam is a decent mid grade cutter and everything I have read about them has been positive. one of our members Rodger ( I havent seen him on here in a while ) has two and has had good things to say about them. From what I have read they track well and can cut fairly small. The Roland would be my first choice then the graphtec but if I could not afford them the co-pam should be a good starter machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyChopps1 1 Posted February 24, 2014 Hello Johnny I run a handyman service in southern West Virginia and do a few signs and install a crap load of flat signs,lighted ,signs, plastic formed letters, channel letters and digital displays. If you price right there is good money in signs and banners and working in construction you already have a potential customer base the contractors, plumbers, electricans, hvac and landscape guys and the list goes on. Buy the very best you can afford that being said the co-pam is a decent mid grade cutter and everything I have read about them has been positive. one of our members Rodger ( I havent seen him on here in a while ) has two and has had good things to say about them. From what I have read they track well and can cut fairly small. The Roland would be my first choice then the graphtec but if I could not afford them the co-pam should be a good starter machine.i had similar thoughts myself. Do you buy metal and plastic and frame the signs yourself? This has been an interest of mine ever since retrofitting LED signs in multiple locations. In a sense it would be similar to building thin cabinets wouldn't it? Although permits may be required for outdoor solid base installs that may be an awesome thing to advertise. Most outdoor signs I see are fairly old and could use upgrades. . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
