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Thinking of buying the SignWarehouse Vehicle Wrap Kit
- Thread starter tomld
- Start date
JBarraxSW
New Member
Oops indeed! I meant 54" banners of course .
Sign_Boy
New Member
They're not as pretty as we are, but hey, nobody's perfect.
That's funny
Jerry - Thanks for the response.
I do understand the smaller media thing.
It was more or less a question on who other than SW sell media for a 48" printer.
As stated before not trying to be nasty or anything.
SignManiac
New Member
It's all a mute point about the printer information. The guy has a company and wants to do his own signs in house to avoid paying a sign making professional the true costs and value of his own advertising.
He has no intentions of operating a sign company. He deserves no help from those of us who have busted our asses learning this business and paid a hundred times over for the knowledge we have.
He needs to find out this stuff on his own which I'm quite sure he will, but not with my help or blessings.
He has no intentions of operating a sign company. He deserves no help from those of us who have busted our asses learning this business and paid a hundred times over for the knowledge we have.
He needs to find out this stuff on his own which I'm quite sure he will, but not with my help or blessings.
Sign_Boy
New Member
No problem Sign Boy.
btw, that's a cool avatar. I'm jealous.
Thanks - you need an avatar
Sorry for being a
Sign_Boy
New Member
Kind of why I recommended outsourcing to a MM.
Well the mod has spoken and I respect that.
I do truly thank everyone who provided valuable feedback. I will digest this information and continue my research before making a purchase.
If I'm able I'll would very much like to come back with updates on our decision and our projects as we complete them. I am sure then, many will see our intentions were genuine and that we simply wanted to learn and make the best decision for our business.
I do truly thank everyone who provided valuable feedback. I will digest this information and continue my research before making a purchase.
If I'm able I'll would very much like to come back with updates on our decision and our projects as we complete them. I am sure then, many will see our intentions were genuine and that we simply wanted to learn and make the best decision for our business.
FatCat
New Member
The whole 48" argument is total BS.
As the owner of a Mutoh VJ 1204 I have found solutions and lots of media to fit my needs. My Fellers rep initially told me tales of woe about finding 48" media, which simply insn't true. Actually, he's singing a different tune after I asked why they would be so negative against a 48" printer when there are literally thousands of them out there? (Not real smart to totally ignore a market segment so large.) I told him, "Well, guess I will order more from Signwarehouse then."
So, he did some research and found out my favorite vinyl manufacturer (Oracal) actually manufactures many of their more popular items in 50" rolls. These are NOT special order items that need to be cut down, only less common for vendors like Fellers to stock. So, after some quick checking I can get 3641, 3651, 3551 RA, 3951 and even most of their laminates in a 50" roll. Fellers just places the order to Oracal's main hub in Florida and it is shipped to me with no add'l charges.
Here is a complete line-up of Oracal's vinyl.
http://www.oracal.com/products/_docs/qrg/QRG_solvent.pdf
You'll see many of their most popular products are made as 50" rolls. So, don't let your Fellers rep tell you having a 48" machine is a problem.
*Also, 3M makes many of their products in a 48" size including IJ-180 and matching lams.
As the owner of a Mutoh VJ 1204 I have found solutions and lots of media to fit my needs. My Fellers rep initially told me tales of woe about finding 48" media, which simply insn't true. Actually, he's singing a different tune after I asked why they would be so negative against a 48" printer when there are literally thousands of them out there? (Not real smart to totally ignore a market segment so large.) I told him, "Well, guess I will order more from Signwarehouse then."
So, he did some research and found out my favorite vinyl manufacturer (Oracal) actually manufactures many of their more popular items in 50" rolls. These are NOT special order items that need to be cut down, only less common for vendors like Fellers to stock. So, after some quick checking I can get 3641, 3651, 3551 RA, 3951 and even most of their laminates in a 50" roll. Fellers just places the order to Oracal's main hub in Florida and it is shipped to me with no add'l charges.
Here is a complete line-up of Oracal's vinyl.
http://www.oracal.com/products/_docs/qrg/QRG_solvent.pdf
You'll see many of their most popular products are made as 50" rolls. So, don't let your Fellers rep tell you having a 48" machine is a problem.
*Also, 3M makes many of their products in a 48" size including IJ-180 and matching lams.
Stealth Ryder
New Member
cdiesel
New Member
While we stop helping this guy (I now see he's banned), I'm sure SW will still sell him a printer. This is perhaps the largest part of the problem.
We had a local dealer wrap his truck with a "Start your own sign shop" theme. As soon as I saw this (he was at my place delivering about $5k in ink), I called them up and told him that truck is not allowed on my property, and I would not be ordering anything else from them until they remove the wrap and stop encouraging the "garage shop lowballers" or end user participation. It was removed immediately. I'm not in any way saying people who work from their homes are not running legit businesses. I know of a lot of very reputable, honest shops that are run out of people's homes. Heck, we print for a lot of them. It's the lowballers who are running cheap equipment, selling for little to no profit, operating without insurance/licenses, etc that are concerning.
I don't think that the dealers and distributors realize how much it hurts their core businesses when they sell to end users and unqualified "shops". Personally, as a dealer, I'd rather deal with people who are going to order constantly, expand their business, than those that are going to run "a thousand yards of vinyl".
We do work for some of the largest corporations around, as do many others here. Somehow, with the hundreds of thousands, if not millions they spend in printing & installation each year, they don't go buy a ValueJet and save a few bucks. I wonder why.
We had a local dealer wrap his truck with a "Start your own sign shop" theme. As soon as I saw this (he was at my place delivering about $5k in ink), I called them up and told him that truck is not allowed on my property, and I would not be ordering anything else from them until they remove the wrap and stop encouraging the "garage shop lowballers" or end user participation. It was removed immediately. I'm not in any way saying people who work from their homes are not running legit businesses. I know of a lot of very reputable, honest shops that are run out of people's homes. Heck, we print for a lot of them. It's the lowballers who are running cheap equipment, selling for little to no profit, operating without insurance/licenses, etc that are concerning.
I don't think that the dealers and distributors realize how much it hurts their core businesses when they sell to end users and unqualified "shops". Personally, as a dealer, I'd rather deal with people who are going to order constantly, expand their business, than those that are going to run "a thousand yards of vinyl".
We do work for some of the largest corporations around, as do many others here. Somehow, with the hundreds of thousands, if not millions they spend in printing & installation each year, they don't go buy a ValueJet and save a few bucks. I wonder why.
GAC05
Quit buggin' me
"We do work for some of the largest corporations around, as do many others here. Somehow, with the hundreds of thousands, if not millions they spend in printing & installation each year, they don't go buy a ValueJet and save a few bucks. I wonder why."
This is not always the case.
I used to to a ton of work for 2 local beer distributors - they both have their own art departments now and offer free banners to just about anyone. They do the main signs for the mom & pop stores at no charge as long as they do the layout and one of their products is featured.
A very high end shopping boutique (Duty Free Shoppers) does all their own in store printing.
One out of the 3 fuel providers has their own printing department (they have the same printer as I do - 1304) for their retail stations.
Not sure if this is a trend on the increase or decline but it is happing - at least here.
wayne k
guam usa
This is not always the case.
I used to to a ton of work for 2 local beer distributors - they both have their own art departments now and offer free banners to just about anyone. They do the main signs for the mom & pop stores at no charge as long as they do the layout and one of their products is featured.
A very high end shopping boutique (Duty Free Shoppers) does all their own in store printing.
One out of the 3 fuel providers has their own printing department (they have the same printer as I do - 1304) for their retail stations.
Not sure if this is a trend on the increase or decline but it is happing - at least here.
wayne k
guam usa
signcrafters london
New Member
I don't know if it's becoming more common or not. My brother's first job in the sign industry was hand lettering banners and screenprinting in 1988 for Ashland Oil. They did all the signs in-house for Valvoline and their regional Speedway gas stations.
cdiesel
New Member
I really don't see it as a trend so much... there are always going to be those people who "try" to save every penny. Many of them will end up spending much more money in the long run.
The beer distributors are one group who actually seems to do this the right way. A lot of the Vegas casinos also run their own in-house print shops.
We had a local clown that inquired about wrapping caskets. Yes, caskets. We quoted the job, and he decided it was too expensive. Fast forward about six months, and he now has his own printer. We have a 2nd location, that is now physically closed, but we maintain our lease, and signs promoting our new location. The old place may be opened back up when sales increase again. The casket clown approached our landlord (with whom we have a strong, personal relationship with) and offered to pay twice what we are paying. When she declined, the casket clown got loud and started yelling at her. I was told that he actually had to be told to leave the property. Gotta love the professionalism.
The beer distributors are one group who actually seems to do this the right way. A lot of the Vegas casinos also run their own in-house print shops.
We had a local clown that inquired about wrapping caskets. Yes, caskets. We quoted the job, and he decided it was too expensive. Fast forward about six months, and he now has his own printer. We have a 2nd location, that is now physically closed, but we maintain our lease, and signs promoting our new location. The old place may be opened back up when sales increase again. The casket clown approached our landlord (with whom we have a strong, personal relationship with) and offered to pay twice what we are paying. When she declined, the casket clown got loud and started yelling at her. I was told that he actually had to be told to leave the property. Gotta love the professionalism.
Pat Whatley
New Member
When I was debating buying my shop I had a standing offer to become "the art department" for a gas station chain. Their plan was to set me up in their office to do the sign, graphics, and marketing work for all 40 locations.
Mainframe
New Member
Fred Weiss
Merchant Member
He just doesn't get it!
Well, maybe he does. This message was received from tomld a sort time ago and is worth a read ...
