What's Your Favorite Tools Of The Trade?

[mmblarg]

This site is amazing for finding new ideas so I figured we'd all benefit from a show-and-tell thread on simple tools or programs that make a big difference

So tell us your favorite tools of the trade - no restrictions and all ideas welcome! (Maybe you'll see something new to use or help someone else find a way to improve their work!)

I'll get us started! (I'm sure most of us use these, but they are cheap and super awesome if you don't)



1. The wrap cut knife - We just started using this little guy last year! Cleanly pre-cutting the vinyl backer has massively helped with large installs

2. Rollepro - awesome little foam roller that simplifies installing on the most exhausting textures and rivets

3. Knifeless tape - love using this on contours that would otherwise take a lot of time to set up an accurate cut line

 

[Gino]

Cash Register. cha-ching..... cha-ching.

 

[bannertime]

1. My latex printer. After our last Graphtec printer died about 10 years ago we started outsourcing. It's sooo nice to be able to print in-house again.

2. Olfa knife. I haven't touched an Xacto in about a year. Switched them all to weed tool tips.

3. Sooper Edge Ruler w/ cut channel. (*with the optional cutting tool) Couldn't justify the $$$ for a keen-cut or whatever, but this purple ruler has definitely helped our production.

 

[Dennis422]

Pressure sprayer, magnets, tack cloth, backing cutter for installs....
Latex printer, cutting matt, sooper ruler, letter opener for print and prep.....

 

[eahicks]

1. My latex printer. After our last Graphtec printer died about 10 years ago we started outsourcing. It's sooo nice to be able to print in-house again.

Graphtec "printer"?

Edit: I totally forgot they did make printers....never see anyone using one.

 

[bannertime]

Graphtec "printer"?

Edit: I totally forgot they did make printers....never see anyone using one.

Yeah it was the only print/cut machine with enough cutting pressure to cut the Xpel vehicle protection stuff we were doing at the time.

 

[bannertime]

Do you have the "optional cutting head" on it? We've got 4 of these things and they're great but I don't see a cut channel. Thanks.

The purple one has that track on the back of the ruler that you use the optional cutting tool with. It's like a foam board cutter that they've adapted for use on their stuff. As long as your table is flat, it makes acceptable cuts.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

I second the sooper edge, having the steel strip on the edge is great.

 

[TammieH]

My hands

 

[Gino]

My hands

Doing what ??

 

[Johnny Best]

agree and a 6B

pencil

 

[mmblarg]

I second the sooper edge, having the steel strip on the edge is great.

does the steel strip ever get nicked or gouged? We use 4ft rulers (aluminum I think) and the metal is softer than our blades so they end up getting shaved down, leaving a fine dust (like graphite shavings) and at worst, getting nicks in them that catch our blades (3 of us, me included, have jumped the ruler and sliced our hands because of this)

 

[Johnny Best]

Have a purple Sooper Edge and it has a stainless steel edge that never gets "shaved" or nicked. It is about 5 years old and the edge is still smooth.
Also has the curved guard and have never had The razor blade jump to get sliced. Image Impact.com is where it was purchased from.

 

[ddarlak]

my office beer fridge

 

[Warmoth]

I think this counts. Our shop layout isn't a wide open space (several offices). So I've dual purposefully setup a security camera on each of our printers./ Doorways. For surveillance reasons of course. But I can view each printer from any office (web-browser).

This allows me to check on prints without moving. This is helpful to keep prints from touching the floor or folding onto themselves..without running back and forth repeatedly. Or, if I need to use a particular printer, I can look quickly from my design space to see if there's one available. ...There's 3 of us here in constant motion. Sometimes there's a fight to print! lol.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

does the steel strip ever get nicked or gouged? We use 4ft rulers (aluminum I think) and the metal is softer than our blades so they end up getting shaved down, leaving a fine dust (like graphite shavings) and at worst, getting nicks in them that catch our blades (3 of us, me included, have jumped the ruler and sliced our hands because of this)

I have never had that happen with any the ones I have used, and that is why I feel so strongly about them. I have damaged and cut quite a few of the regular aluminum straight edges.

 

[tulsagraphics]

An alarm underneath the printer that beeps when the media is getting close to the floor ("ready for take up reel!"), and automatically stops beeping when the media is attached. My (eco-sol) printer is in another room, and it's nearly impossible for me to watch the printer for 10 to 15 minutes each time a new job is started -- so this little guy saves my bacon every time I print something. Really nice not having to reprint jobs.

Of course, nobody makes these specialty sensors, so I created one with an Arduino and ultrasonic rangefinder (and a little bit of coding).

 

[Geary]

Hand Lettering- Quills, Flats, Fitches, and Stripers

Vinyl stuff - MaskRite masker, gold squeegees, heat gun with those pink sharp plastic vinyl removers.

 

[Vinyldog]

Mr. Coffee Expresso machine. Vodka. Not typically used together.

 

[Signchief]

Cold laminator for installing vinyl on substrates, lays perfect every time.

 

[Split76]

Summa F .. Simply amazing.