Looking to print for contour cutting

[iamandy 20]

I've only been making vinyl decals for about a year. A client has asked me if I can print their logo onto vinyl. While I know I can do a layered vinyl, they don't want that. What is a good, inexpensive printer that would get me started in the world of printing and contour cutting? I'm ordering a Graphtech CE-6000 in a few min to upgrade from my Mk721. 

 

Any advice would be great!

 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

There is no such animal or almost every one of us here would already have one. I have seen used or refurbished machines in the $8,000 range but they were usually older machines that may have had tech support or parts issues. Most that I have seen were well above the $10,000 range.

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

Roland Versacamm. Prints and cuts and your looking at 18,000 to 22,000 theres also the Roland BN-20 its just a 20" print and cut.

[OWJones 1,981]

Unless you're willing to make that kind of financial commitment - not to mention the time and maintenance commitment - you're far better off subbing out work to someone here on the forums, or someone you find locally.  There are desktop printers, like the Roland BN-20, and SignWarehouse sells a desktop printer, but they are still several thousands of dollars just to get started and they all require regular printing and maintenance to keep them running.  You would need a printer and a laminator plus your cutter to be able to make vinyl to stand up to lengthy outdoor exposure...

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

they pretty well summed it up - there are vinyls that are coated to take desktop ink but you will run into 2 things - it will fade faster and the problem is the coating on the vinyl will be where it will fail over time even when laminated - with solvent, latex, or thermo resin it actually bites into the vinyl (the reason they are so cheap)  when someone comes up with a printer that can withstand this type of ink in a desktop version they will be very very rich.  I personally have a solvent based printer and the solvents actually become one with the vinyl - this is apparent if you ever try to apply a coro right after printing - it is like applying wet newspaper for a couple hours!  nothing else really gets into the vinyl