auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 hey guys just a newb from MT here. I am looking into getting a cutter to make windshield banners. For myself and my club. I am really only intersted in automotive appliactions. What machine and software would you all suggest? I am computer literate and used to programs like Corel, Photoshop, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 for a value cutter look at the sc series - if you want ot step up to a servo motor unit that is smoother and quieter look at the titan2 or 3 - then the top of the line in my book the graphtec - depends on your budget and how much you think you will use it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 Thanks for the response. I am trying to stay fairly cheap. Honestly I dont know how much I will use it. I am usually pretty good about drumming up business for stuff so its hard to say. I can probably find a way to get $500-$1,000 for machine and materials to start. Is that enough? I do know that I want a Servo motor for the fine details. I am okay with paying more for something that is quality and will last with little input from me for years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 honestly if you can swing it I would go with the titan2 for 850 - would be a big step up and get you into a servo machine right off the bat - smooth and quiethttp://www.uscutter.com/TITAN-2-Vinyl-Cutter-28-53-68-inch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 the titan3 table top is only 649 but that really limits you on width - if you don't plan on doing anything bigger then here is that onehttp://www.uscutter.com/Refurbished-TITAN-3-ARMS-15in-Table-Vinyl-Cutter but betting you will want the 24" capability real soonskip the starter packs and get the vinylmaster software - putting more money into the hardware now will be your biggest leg up - order just the colors as you need them - with cars a start of white black and red is safe and for window banners the oracal 651 is a very solid choice - along with some app tape , a squeegee and off you go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 So what youre saying is I should just bite the bullet and buy the Graphtec CE6000-60 so I can have 24" cutting surface and be able to do most things... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 The only Oracal 351 I see is metalized? http://www.uscutter.com/index/page/search?FullText=Search+by+Product+%23+or+Keyword&FullText=oracal+351 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 any whats is the difference in punched and not punched? Looking at Oracal 751 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 somewhere I must have had another typo= oracal 651 is what i ment and the graphtec is what the majority of old timers end up with - we have some dedicated titan, roland and summa fans on here but the graphtec owners dwarf them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 punched is for the old tractor feed plotters like the old gerbers - it doesn't hurt anything to run it thru the pinch feed machines just not necessary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 somewhere I must have had another typo= oracal 651 is what i ment and the graphtec is what the majority of old timers end up with - we have some dedicated titan, roland and summa fans on here but the graphtec owners dwarf them So the Titan2 will work just as well as the Graphtec CE6000-60? Im putting together a shopping cart haha. What backing tape do you suggest? Oracal as well? Im nipping at $1,000 with 3 colors, the Titan, and the color chart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwp99 283 Posted December 10, 2015 Hello and Welcome. I don't know much about the Titan or the SC cutters. I bought a used Summa D60 for my first cutter 8 years ago and I'm still using it. I've been happy with it and only had to replace the power supply which I found on eBay for $26.00. I use 951 Oracal vinyl for most everything. I live about 1 mile from a vinyl supplier and they sell it by the yard so I don't need to have a big supply on hand. Once you get your cutter and word gets out that you are making decals you'll start to get busy. Photoshop won't help out much for cutting vinyl but Corel will you need to make vector files so just export as a EPS file. I use Flexisign for my design and cutting program. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 try the RTape ApliTape 4075 - for app tape - stay away from the clear stuff as it will not do the curves as well and isn't comparable if someone wants to use the wet application method . I used a titan 2 for a couple of months and it worked very well - I still prefer my graphtec but for the money the titan2 is hard to beat and does a great job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 Hello and Welcome. I don't know much about the Titan or the SC cutters. I bought a used Summa D60 for my first cutter 8 years ago and I'm still using it. I've been happy with it and only had to replace the power supply which I found on eBay for $26.00. I use 951 Oracal vinyl for most everything. I live about 1 mile from a vinyl supplier and they sell it by the yard so I don't need to have a big supply on hand. Once you get your cutter and word gets out that you are making decals you'll start to get busy. Photoshop won't help out much for cutting vinyl but Corel will you need to make vector files so just export as a EPS file. I use Flexisign for my design and cutting program. I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?! I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material... Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator. That just seems kinda crazy. I mean people give those stickers out. Am I missing something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted December 10, 2015 I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?! I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material... Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator. That just seems kinda crazy. I mean people give those stickers out. Am I missing something? think you are comparing cut vinyl to printed - printed decals are cheaper to produce - especially in several colors. there is more work involved in cut decals but the color goes all the way thru and has proven over the years to be very very durable - printed has different ranges of durablity depending on the 6 month water based ink stuff to 3+ years for solvent or latex unlaminated and 6+ years laminated. then there is the foil film printers that with clear coat last very well. you can't compare the pricing between the types the foil printed is the most expensive with the cut probably next = then drop down a little to printed and lamianted on solvent/latex and finally the cheapest is the solvent no lam. now to do the printed you are looking at close to $8-13K for a 20"-30" machine or even cheaper are the press printed on high speed machine that is produced in the thousands of decals at a time for pennies compared to the rest - but that isn't a do it out of a small business type of set up. makes sense though for someone like sunoco that produces several thousands to give out free Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwp99 283 Posted December 10, 2015 I am looking at rates... People really pay this much for stickers?!?! I mean I guess they arent the small stickers, but I am looking at the bumper sticker type that I get when i order loads of parts, that is a vinyl cut unless I am highly mistaken and it would cost me $3 to make a 3 inch by 12 inch sticker... Thats just material... Id have to charge like $7.25 according to this calculator. That just seems kinda crazy. I mean people give those stickers out. Am I missing something? I can get 11 cut decals out of a yard of 15 " wide vinyl. a yard of 951 15" wide costs me about $8.95 if i divide 8.95 by 11 i come up with $0.81 per decal for the vinyl alone I don't know where you are getting your vinyl but it seems you're paying $33.00 per yard. You also mentioned that you want to make windshield banners. they would cost more to make so you could charge more for them. hey guys just a newb from MT here. I am looking into getting a cutter to make windshield banners. For myself and my club. I am really only intersted in automotive appliactions. What machine and software would you all suggest? I am computer literate and used to programs like Corel, Photoshop, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 try the RTape ApliTape 4075 - for app tape - stay away from the clear stuff as it will not do the curves as well and isn't comparable if someone wants to use the wet application method . I used a titan 2 for a couple of months and it worked very well - I still prefer my graphtec but for the money the titan2 is hard to beat and does a great job youre right at almost 1/2 the price it would be hard to beat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auto-mafia 6 Posted December 10, 2015 Maybe I messed up in my math...yup I did... I was using inches and forgot to change my yards to inches! $24.49 for a 10 yard roll of my color... Equates to $0.0028 roughly per sq inch for the vinyl and $0.0009 per sq inch of app tape. Total of $0.0037 sq inch cost or $3.22 per 24" wide 1 Yard long... OK thats MUCH better haha. Cost me $1.12 to make a 4"x48" windshield banner then. Ok I am getting how you guys can make a profit. Math > me apparently tonight.. So I can pay for all of the gear I want to buy with 29 windshield banners if I am charging $40 per.. Seems to be the standard rate too.. I got it Thanks fellas! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrfibble 77 Posted December 14, 2015 welcome everyone will give you great info but if your just using it for car windshields and rear windows 24" is over kill .... seriously measure 2 ft down from the top of your window and you will be past the legal size for shield decals i use a silhouette cameo its cheap loud and dows a great job Yes a more expensive machine would be faster and quieter there is no arguing that but there is no point bloawing a fortune and then you find out you spent all your monies on somethig to gather dust AGAIN everyone has offered great advice but id avoid a huge outlay for your first machine matey David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites