What are you cutting stickers with?

[splizaat]

So this question has come up in the shop quite a bit -- we get 1000, 2000, 5000 sticker orders...

Right now our process is to Print/Cut on the printer, take the sheet to our big table trimmer and trim all four edges off the sheet of stickers. Then cut them into rows of stickers, and take them over to our little desktop guillotine cutter (we got for $30 at office supply store) and cut the strips into individual stickers one by one.

Problem is this is taking a long time for the larger orders. So now that we're getting into bigger orders, a lot more frequently, we are looking for a cost effective way to streamline this process....

What is everyone else doing to fulfill larger quantity sticker orders?

Matt

 

[splizaat]

Is there a cutter that you can set to "auto feed" a set amount (adjustable of course) and chop automatically? That way we could load one strip and set it to cut every so many inches on it's own and just keep loading strips? or is that too much to ask? hahah

 

[d fleming]

I screen print large orders and cut my gang print on my challenger cutter.

 

[Gino]

If your workload is increasing so fast, you must be too cheap. Up your prices and then you can afford a better guillotine cutter and can cut like a 100 at a shot.


Or pay some monkey to come in and do it at night.

 

[Gino]

Yes, I can.............. and I just did.

No, it's not always the case, but when one's business is set up for smaller scaled orders and suddenly becomes overwhelmed and nothing has changed.... word doesn't get around that you're too expensive or you'd start losing business. Sometimes your quality gets better, your service gets better or maybe your work vastly improves... and those are all reasons to increase your prices. If you're getting better all around, then charge for it. The only people I know that are working like a one-armed paper hanger are those working too cheap.

Now, I'll agree, you might pick up an account here or there and maybe a big one or two..... or three, but if you have to suddenly start discussing this in the shop how to produce faster..... well, I'll stick to your prices are too cheap, because you're not making money anymore.

If the word 'Cheap' offends you, then let's just say, you're leaving money on the table.

 

[splizaat]

haha I thought my prices are a little on the more expensive side...Our workload isn't increasing "so fast" but we've picked up a few larger companies (google locally, etc) who are now placing 5000 sticker orders on a regular basis instead of the 100-500 sticker orders we are used to.

Pat - Was wondering how you Get the strips to stay straight (i tried a binder clip but it was too heavy. Will try some staples and give that a shot. I'm spacing our stickers about .15 but maybe I'll give it some more and start blasting through them on the cutter. Time is more valuable than saving space on vinyl.

Was thinking about stepping up slightly to something with more of a direct downward cut instead of the rotating one we have now...something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-...JQ62/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339449301&sr=8-1

 

[Mike F]

Is there a cutter that you can set to "auto feed" a set amount (adjustable of course) and chop automatically? That way we could load one strip and set it to cut every so many inches on it's own and just keep loading strips? or is that too much to ask? hahah

http://www.fotoba.com/index.php/en/products Those'll cut a whole roll for you, but they're pretty pricey. Have you thought of using the CustomCut feature in Versaworks? You can have the machine do a sheet cut after each row and then stack those strips up and cut several at once.

 

[eahicks]

orders of 1000, 2000, 5000? Those go to Stouse. Not worth it to cut all those down. I can do a buttload of other work while Stouse prints and cuts those.

 

[splizaat]

Have you thought of using the CustomCut feature in Versaworks? You can have the machine do a sheet cut after each row and then stack those strips up and cut several at once.

ohhhh!!!! Please explain. Did a quick glance through versa works and didn't see CustomCut in options? Walk me through!

 

[TXFB.INS]

orders of 1000, 2000, 5000? Those go to Stouse. Not worth it to cut all those down. I can do a buttload of other work while Stouse prints and cuts those.

This,

why bother and this way it is on a roll for the customer.

 

[Mike F]

ohhhh!!!! Please explain. Did a quick glance through versa works and didn't see CustomCut in options? Walk me through!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvYTTogtmQM&feature=player_embedded Same deal as this except you'd be setting it up to sheet cut every row.

 

[splizaat]

WOW...self-taught here....love finding new tricks like this. I'm usually doing runs about 36" long, sheet cut, then back it up > base point and have to hit print again. This will be good! Thank you!

 

[parrott]

We screen print larger orders 1k+ and digitally print smaller orders. With screen print orders its straight from the press to the slitter and then to our 54" guillotine and cut with in minutes. Digitally prints are hand trimmed to a manageable size and then to the guillotine.

 

[scuba_steve2699]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvYTTogtmQM&feature=player_embedded Same deal as this except you'd be setting it up to sheet cut every row.

thanks for the link to my video! Glad it helped some

 

[john1]

Could outsource it Matt, Stouse does die-cuts really cheap IMO and you don't need to sit there killing yourself.

 

[royster13]

www.tradenetcatalog.com They print and UV coat them on an HP Indigo press and die cut them on a web system with steel rule dies....

 

[jasonx]

This is how you do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOHuZI-VPZ8

 

[Mosh]

guillotine cutter for square and die cut for shape....back in the day (1990-94) we had a local off-set printer guillotine cut our large volume....he quit doing it cause the adhesive gummed up his blades.

Jasonx, my guys go faster than that on a manual shear cutter...cool machine though.

 

[Gene@mpls]

Heavy duty parallel blade guillotine - staple strips together- cuts
very fast. About $200 I think

 

[anotherdog]

WE use the customcut on the roland for jobs in the hundreds, but be warned, keep a spare cutting strip (you are slicing through backing paper) and watch for blade wear. In the thousands we outsource.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

I have a Gerber EnVision 375 and it's setup to contour cut our Edge prints and then flip the vinyl over and backcut the decals do they "pop out" and also puts a split seam for easier removal of the backer.

 

[Tim Aucoin]

I have a Gerber EnVision 375 and it's setup to contour cut our Edge prints and then flip the vinyl over and backcut the decals do they "pop out" and also puts a split seam for easier removal of the backer.

Yep, this is what I do when they can print on the Edge FX! Works slick 'n' stuff like that!

Some great ideas on this thread though. That parallel blade guillotine looks interesting... but then again, I have a Challenge 24" cutter for cases like this!