Encad Novajet 700 60" Wide

[Techman]

You mean to tell us that you paid $720 for 20 coro yard signs? You think #36 bux is way too much? Is that 2 sided?
You won't save much doing them yourself with a printer. All you will be doing is taking work from an honest man.

Its called economies of scale. The sign man can do it for that and make a little profit because wh is set up to do it himself. You will never break even on this doing them yourself. Especially with a large format printer. The first 5 peices you ruin will eat up all your advantage. And you will ruin that many. You will use up material priming your system every time. You will ruin material when your cartridge runs dry. you will ruin jobs all the time. ITs a fact of life.
Who wil teach you how to lay the prints?. Who will teach you how to lam the prints?

Best bet is to keep the sign man you have and let him worry about the overhead. If you get your own printer you wil be taking bread from your sign mans table.

 

[JMDigital]

I know I shouldn't say this...but...it kind of bothers me that there are consumers of signs sniffing around a professional sign forum looking for ways to save money (read that take money out of ours). I wish that there was a mandatory form for people to fill out prior to viewing our posts, of course some people would lie and see it anyway but the majority would just go elsewhere for the minor inconvenience. If in this post alone we have 2 end users sniffing around how many are lurking behind the scenes? Sadly I think we really need to think before we reply.

(Sorry if this is a little rant... but I agree with dswanson)

I was waiting for someone to say that. I gave up a long time ago (when I was a computer tech for a mom and pop computer store) . The same thing happened with the computer industry. I used to complain that the "computer wholesale industry" would sell parts to my customers?!?!? How many people here build their own computers? I came from an industry where all computers were custom built by little shops. The next thing I know I have to learn to network computers together because everyone is buying parts and building the PC's I was building? So now I have to be a network guy because they are new and no one knows how to do it and so on and so on.. I will bet that most people here that have a network installed it. Wireless? No problem! I can get a router from CompUSA and do it myself I don’t need a network guy!

The big joke with network admins or computer techs is a t-shirt that says
"Will fix your computer for food" I was 18 years old pulling in an easy 2k per week building custom pc's at a mom and pop shop! Now im lucky to make 800.00 a week ??

So here we are in the sign industry about to suffer the same fate. Joe Public will buy all our used equipment because we went bigger and faster to keep one step in front of them. Microsoft will continue to make the OS that much more plug and play so anyone can install any hardware or software, Printer companies will continue to make Wide and Grand format printers easy to setup and run. and WalMart will sell the first 24in printer I am sure of it.

Church , School, Small Business will always look for a "DO IT YOURSELF" option rather than pay someone to do it. Look at Avery; they make a pre-done paper for everything from Business Cards to Birthday cards to Wedding Invitations! All ready for your inkjet printer... No Talent required.

Anyway I hope to find the next thing I have to learn before I can get ink and paper for my 54in Printer cutter from WalMart !

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

The OP's attempt and objective is nothing new. Here in Florida, at least it seems, a good number of churches are looking to cut out the sign shop and purchasing their own equipment. Some of the churches have HUGE parishes and can usually not only justify the cost of NEW (not used worn out junk) but also keep their machines running on a constant basis AND truly invest in what is necessary. These churches are more about controlling the delivery date than saving money - which they have lots of. They do NOT save any money and they know it.

In my opinion, excluding the very few large churches, this is just an additional area where churches are looking for the cheapest way out, the key being cheap. Not to offend anybody or any religious organizations that they are affiliated with, this one real pet peeve. The moment someone mentions the words "church", "god", "lord", they are shown the door. We will help schools and certain charities but we do not assist the churches. Churches, at least here, have one of the worst reputations as customers - as bad, if not worse, than individual realtors. Absolutely no regard for any locally supported business other than what can be had for free. Hypocritical IMO!

It is all okay. What goes around comes around. "The Lord works in mysterious ways" really holds true. We do not worry when the smaller churches attempt this, ESPECIALLY with used equipment because they always end up with junk equipment and junk output. All of us here also know that used equipment ALWAYS requires additional money to make the the machinery operational and if by chance they are smart enough to buy new, they machines still suffer an ill fate because again we all know that they need to run EVERYDAY!

The point is let them, and anybody else go right ahead and make the attempt. It never works and we know it. As for asking professionals on how to go about circumventing another professional - no way - not unless we can all get guaranteed passes into heaven (in writing and notarized) :Big Laugh :Big Laugh

Southepointe - Keep doing what you are doing and don't try to dance with the devil - he's mean! :Big Laugh

 

[Cadmn]

Pro soooo right churches feed off of those that have the businesses they are trying to cut out Most of the time churches don't pay for their signs any way ask most sign, auto repair, or other shops & many will show you unpaid bills from churches. The preacher shows up in a limo lives in gated community all off the backs of the working guy. So yea churches Have Money for what they can't get free & they're Tons of huge churches in Florida. I know behind the scenes at lots of churches. The secrets I can tell about some of the biggies that travel world wide. sorry for my rant guys but BTDT