Big Rich 8 Posted July 24, 2008 Okay.. I am new here.. I really appreciate the welcome on the 'intro' board... Now.. My goal is to begin my journey in this industry. What I want to know is what do you suggest that a newbie do first.. I want to learn from you guys that have made the mistakes.. If you could tell your child.. This is what you need to do, to get this business started right... You need to get "xxxxx" brand vinyl, and "xxx" brand backing.. etc.... Do not get "xxxx" thickness or "xx" software.... Get This thickness because it averages to be cheaper.. etc.. I have scoured the forums and some people have really given great information on certain topics.. I wanted to see if I can put some of this together... Maybe some of you can reply with a list of answers and a brief blurb of why and how you learned this... For myself, I purchased the 24" Laserpoint Uscutter with stand and some extra blades. I understand your answers do not need to be tailored to that... Oh and I can take any criticism if that was a bad choice... My goal and it seems many of us here want to start this as a nice part time or full time business that we can start and grow as far as our creativity can takes us... So if we can get your feedback on some of these questions.... please add any others.... I really appreciate if some of you can give us your expertise and professional input... What Plotter / Cutter ? Where do you get Vinyl? Why? What thickness vinyl? What colors to initially buy when getting started? How much? Sizes? What accessories do you suggest? Large papercutter? What type of backing material? Applicators..? Types...? What am I missing...? Graphics...? (I found some surfing the net) Other good links that you have bookmarked..? Thanks again... and when I can help contribute, I will where I can..... Big Rich Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firemalt 10 Posted July 24, 2008 What Plotter / Cutter ? I purchased the 24" pcut as my first cutter. I went with the pcut cause it was the middle of the road machine that uscutter offered. At the time, I knew nothing about vinyl decals, how to make them, or anything about cutters. I didn't want to spend too much money on something I had no idea about, and on something I didn't know if I was going to like doing or not. Where do you get Vinyl? Why? Currently, I buy 95% of my material from Fellers for a few reasons. They have serveral locations throughout the states(2 in my city), they offer free shipping on orders over $75, from my experience their customer service is great and was extremely helpful the first time I called to place an order as a complete newb, and something I recently found out... they will match price anything as long as you fax in a copy of the cheaper price(and then it's kept on your file, so you get that cheap for life!) What thickness vinyl? I don't know... whatever thickness Oracal 651 is, I think it's 2.5 or 3mil What colors to initially buy when getting started? How much? Sizes? My first order, I bought just a handful of basic colors(blue, red, black, white, yellow). I typically stick to 15"x10yard rolls, but I've purchased some 24" rolls for bigger jobs. I think on the colors I use most often, I going to start going with 50 yard rolls to take advantage of the price break. What accessories do you suggest? Large papercutter? Good quality tools, spend a little extra up front... this will make your life so much easier as time goes on. Weeding tools, metal ruler, cutting mat, several different type & sized squeegees, spray bottles, cutter & extra blades, tape measures are just a few tools. What type of backing material? Depends on what you plan on doing. If you're mainly just going to be single color decals, you can get away with regualr app tape(you'll have to try a few different brands to find out which one you like). I personally like R-tape conform paper app tape. If you plan on doing multi layered work... clear app tape is a MUST! I recently purchased some R-tape clear choice(I think it's AT-60), and I have had nothing but good things to say about it. Applicators..? Types...? Personal choice... over time, you'll learn what you like and don't like. Good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dellrose Custom Lighting 0 Posted July 24, 2008 What Plotter / Cutter ? 24" Laserpoint. One of the main reasons that I got this unit is because of the basket that came with it, as I was working out of a shop where we also work on tractors, trucks, and whatever else needed fixin. Where do you get Vinyl? Why? So far, I have ordered most of my vinyl from signwharehouse.com. They have been the cheapest that I could find so far. But now that I know feller's will match prices, I will probably use them until uscutter starts selling 15" rolls. What thickness vinyl? Never thought about the thickness before. I have a few different brands, and I can tell a difference when I use it for sand blasting. What colors to initially buy when getting started? How much? Sizes? Like firemalt said, start with just your basic colors (white, black, blue, red, and maybe yellow.) As for the size, the only thing that I have in 24" is a 50 yd roll of black, and I use it a quite a bit, signs, shadows on banners, and what have you. Everything else that I have is 15" x 10 yd rolls. What accessories do you suggest? Large papercutter? Firemalt said it best. A few hobby knives, a couple a pair of good scissors, cutting mat, tape measures, rulers, and I am probably forgetting something. What type of backing material? I am using R-tape right now. I dont know what type it is as it came in a starter kit that bought when I first bought my cutter. Never tried the clear tape yet. Applicators..? Types...? Personal preference. But just use the 4" squeegees, and never had any problems on large graphics. Graphics? This forum has been one of my greatest resources for graphics. And one other thing that you need is plenty of work space, especially when doing some of the larger stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Rich 8 Posted July 24, 2008 And one other thing that you need is plenty of work space, especially when doing some of the larger stuff. Im waiting for the plotter to arrive and I set up a makeshift area in my bedroom. This isn't going to work. Do you suggest a large folding table? I guess I can make some room in my basement. I did not think of a real large work area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted July 24, 2008 I'm also a Newbie to the cutters but have already added a refine rh-1351 to my P-cut. For the work surface I use the kids air hockey table with a cutting mat on it - it's large and flat and multi purpose !! from what I have found this is by far the best/ freindliest forum adn an incredible source of information Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Rich 8 Posted July 25, 2008 I'm also a Newbie to the cutters but have already added a refine rh-1351 to my P-cut. For the work surface I use the kids air hockey table with a cutting mat on it - it's large and flat and multi purpose !! from what I have found this is by far the best/ freindliest forum adn an incredible source of information What is a refine rh-1351...? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dkhochhalter 1 Posted July 25, 2008 Congrats and welcome! I'm a newby too, but I know what its like to ned specific answers. So, heres my two cents. What Plotter / Cutter ? Creation Pcut 24". It was the cheapest 24" I think, and my business caters around Vinyl wall Lettering. (www.vinylvineyard.com) Where do you get Vinyl? Why? I get mine from www.SignWarehouse.com because its the cheapest I've found. I buy LG Hi-Cal (in gloss). I buy mostly 15" rolls because rarely someone wants a quote that is 24 inches wide, however I have a few rolls of that as well. I'd like to start ordering matte vinyl, but since they don't offer it in LG Hi Cal, I'll have to find another distributor.... What thickness vinyl? Whatever LG HI Cal is...theres probably easier ways, but for me, trial and error was the best way to find what "pressure" adjustment on the plotter worked best. Also, some colors cut better than others. White is definitely not my fav. to weed unless I've adjusted the pressure. What colors to initially buy when getting started? This depends on your business. Since my vinyl is intended to go on walls, my best sellers are neutral colors like black, white, beige, wine red, olive green, gold, and brown. Think about who you are catering to before you pick colors. My customers wouldn't exactly love Neon Yellow, for example. What accessories do you suggest? My office has a small desk to hold the computer, next to that is my plotter (which currently I also use to transfer, but my husband is building me one that will attach to my work table so I dont have to bend over anymore). Next to the plotter is my work table for weeding. You'll need a great lamp so you can see what you're weeding, too. What type of backing material? I use Sign Warehouse's cheapest tape there, too. It was been w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l. I got a few different sizes (not all at one time) so you try to eliminate waste. I have 16", 12" 5" in regular and a 3" in regular for small double layering instances. Don't buy clear for single layer jobs. Yuck. I dont like it, some people do. At least, don't buy a whole bunch til you have seen what you prefer. Utinsels- All I use is the small white squeegee to smooth the transfer tape, and one very sharp exacto knife. But again, your business will determine what you'll need. What am I missing: Biggest advice: Keep your orders small until you know what you like, and what your customers will like. Don't buy a huge amount of anything...wait it out. Start small, and then buy another couple of rolls, and then another, and then another. This way, you'll gain a large inventory in a short amount of time without depleteing your budget in the first month. Just humble advice from a newby...I'm shutting up now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
