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just got email

Steph_Stamm

New Member
Sorry for the late reply on this (I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!). SignLab does have a screaming deal right now. You may have also seen the email that went out with the chart showing that it would take 15 months of subscribing to Flexi at $50/mo to recoup your one-time payment of $750 for SignLab. This is true, but it doesn't paint a complete picture. Here are a few points to consider when comparing the SignLab promo with a Flexi subscription.

1. Support. With Flexi Subs, phone and email support is always free for current subscribers. With SignLab, you subscribe yearly to their support plan. This additional expense makes it anywhere from 2 to 4 additional months to recoup your upgrade or new purchase.

2. Features. With Flexi Subs, you get all the latest features and add-ons included at no additional charge. With SignLab, you pay extra for add-ons. Again, tacking on more time before the traditional upgrade or new purchase breaks even with a Flexi sub.

3. Upgrades. With Flexi subs, you are always up to date with the latest features, drivers and fixes. Flexi subs are getting 3-4 updates a year on average. SignLab might pump out a new version only every 2 to 4 years, and you can only hope there will be another great promo when you need it. After that 15 months, you may not be far from a new version, which would completely negate any savings over subscription.

The added value in Flexi subs translates to real cash savings, even long term. If you prefer a traditional upgrade or new purchase, Flexi gives you that option, too. And the standard upgrade price for Flexi is very similar to SignLab's promo price.

If you are interested in a demo of Flexi, contact your reseller or call us at 1800.229.9066 x111. You can also learn more about Flexi Subs at www.ThinkSAi.com/FlexiSubscriptions
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
For the "average" cut vinyl sign maker (and perhaps basic print sign maker), you have to admit that the SL special is a jaw-dropping show stopper this time around.


JB
 

player

New Member
Sorry for the late reply on this (I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!). SignLab does have a screaming deal right now. You may have also seen the email that went out with the chart showing that it would take 15 months of subscribing to Flexi at $50/mo to recoup your one-time payment of $750 for SignLab. This is true, but it doesn't paint a complete picture. Here are a few points to consider when comparing the SignLab promo with a Flexi subscription.

1. Support. With Flexi Subs, phone and email support is always free for current subscribers. With SignLab, you subscribe yearly to their support plan. This additional expense makes it anywhere from 2 to 4 additional months to recoup your upgrade or new purchase.

2. Features. With Flexi Subs, you get all the latest features and add-ons included at no additional charge. With SignLab, you pay extra for add-ons. Again, tacking on more time before the traditional upgrade or new purchase breaks even with a Flexi sub.

3. Upgrades. With Flexi subs, you are always up to date with the latest features, drivers and fixes. Flexi subs are getting 3-4 updates a year on average. SignLab might pump out a new version only every 2 to 4 years, and you can only hope there will be another great promo when you need it. After that 15 months, you may not be far from a new version, which would completely negate any savings over subscription.

The added value in Flexi subs translates to real cash savings, even long term. If you prefer a traditional upgrade or new purchase, Flexi gives you that option, too. And the standard upgrade price for Flexi is very similar to SignLab's promo price.

If you are interested in a demo of Flexi, contact your reseller or call us at 1800.229.9066 x111. You can also learn more about Flexi Subs at www.ThinkSAi.com/FlexiSubscriptions

The biggest flaw in your subscription comparison for me is subscriptions make all your files useless after the monthly payments stop. With the Signlab deal, anything I design or produce will always open.
 

Techman

New Member
I am testing this version of Signlab.
I test it using my old encad 600e printer. It works great even though Signlab does not have an exact driver for my printer. I tried a newer version printer driver and it works just fine. Tonight when I get a spare minute I plan to test the print cut accuracy. I expect no challenges anyway.

I like the interface. Yes it does look a little ice cream shop but it works.
I like that it does print and cut.
It has many recent drivers for many recent printers in the list that extends back about 10 years. If the time comes I can get my new printer and be ready to go.
It drives my anagraph cutter.

As for support an other such needs. Drivers? Only need one driver per one printer. They have a list of drivers so there is no need to worry about paying a sub fee to get access to a driver list. Moot point.
Fixes. Hmm so after a decade it still needs fixes? Corel and cocut does not need patches and fixes. It would seem one would not need much support after about 5 months of usage anyway. Another Moot point

This FREE support with the subscription with another software is smoke and mirrors. ITs NOT FREE, one pays every month forever albeit a few bux a month. One pays just the same.
Signlab? what support is needed after a while of working with it? Many of us run older version of softs that never need a call to a support line.

With my needs. I plan to retire in a few years. As I wind down I see no need to get stuck with a subscription. It makes perfect sense to buy any software outright. If I own it I can go semi offline and still do an occasional job without being forced to pay again and again and again.


The list of export extensions is well populated. included dfx and gcode. I can design in signlab and export to a router ..

The import list is even more well populated. Very impressive. The cad/cam list is well represented. If someone sends a router file I can set it up and export it to the router. Wonderful way to convert files.

IT has a list of plugins such as eye candy filter forge etc.

And it has a machining menu for CNC. I really like this one. It combines a cnc job.. with a print and cut job. I can cut a complex graphic in substrate and then print and cut a sheet to fit. All in one software.. This really gets my attention. I will look at this feature twice..

In summary I am about 80% convinced that this may be a good purchase foe me in the next week or two.
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Tech
are there any nesting options for printing and contour cutting?
I'm looking at the promo page but don't see anything listed.

My Flexi 8.6 nesting makes me want to stick my head in the laminator with the heat assist set to extra crispy.

wayne k
guam usa
 

player

New Member
I too am probably going to get it...

$750 to be current, no monthly fees.

Is it pretty much like Corel in the way it feels?
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
The more I think on this it appears like a desperate move by Cadlink.

Perhaps, but on the other hand it might be a relatively inexpensive way to gain long-term market share.

Think about it...the development costs have already been paid, and all they're doing is deeply discounting. I'm sure they're not losing money by any means.

If people don't like it, they certainly won't throw it away. They're going to sell it...and that essentially becomes an indirect way of building brand loyalty.

The "try it before you buy it" demo also helps draw potential users even if they're only moderately curious. That's how I ended up purchasing SignLab 7 eight years ago. I had a questionable (and borrowed) plotter at the time and I could not risk the cost of software on a potentially dead horse. Had another software company had free demo software at the time, I might not be having this discussion.

Gerber is also on their own bandwagon with Omega 5. Send in any old eligible Graphix Advantage dongle and you can end up saving nearly $2.5K on their print/cut software. The stock market surely isn't paying those kinds of returns.

JB
 

stickygraphics12

New Member
I think I may purchase this as well. I've been a long time Flexi user and I absolutely hate the new subscription services for these programs. I don't think it's desperate, I think they're smart because they can run a deal on their program where Flexi can't really do that any longer due to the subscription service...So glad to see a company not going to the subscription!
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Even as a current SL user, it's the perfect opportunity to add another stand-alone seat.


JB
 

deand_sai

Merchant Member
I think I may purchase this as well. I've been a long time Flexi user and I absolutely hate the new subscription services for these programs. I don't think it's desperate, I think they're smart because they can run a deal on their program where Flexi can't really do that any longer due to the subscription service...So glad to see a company not going to the subscription!

You can still buy non-subscription versions of Flexi, including upgrades. The reason Flexi now has a subscription option is because of customer demand. There are a lot of shop owners out there that get the $50 a month value from their subscription and do not want a big upfront cost. Different strokes for different folks. At least with Flexi there is a choice.
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Excellent customer service from our SL retailer, Wensco Sign Supply in Grand Rapids, MI.

Ordered last Wednesday, and even with the long holiday weekend, "big brown" just dropped it off today.


JB
 
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Techman

New Member
The reason Flexi now has a subscription option is because of customer demand. There are a lot of shop owners out there that get the $50 a month value from their subscription

And when they customer pays more than if he purchased outright,, does he get to stop paying?
 

James Burke

Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Cool... let us know what you think of it.

We've been using SL for eight years, and currently we're using v 8. We only cut monument stencil with it, and do an occasional vinyl job once in a blue moon. For us, not much will change other than the new interface. My daughter and her family will be ramping up with a similar business in another location. We took advantage of the good deal so they could have a seat of the software at their shop.

I think I paid over $1,100 for Vinyl 7.1 back in 2006. It's made us a lot of money over the years and we've been happy with it. I wish I could have gotten the good price back then. Other than first learning how to install the licensing files correctly via "drag and drop", we've had absolutely zero problems with it all these years.

I did, however, have an old Sony Vaio computer several years ago that would cause the dongle to lose communication whenever I plugged in another USB device, such as a camera. It took several months to figure out that issue, but whenever it happened thereafter, all I needed to do was unplug the camera and the software continued to work properly again. Obviously, it was a computer problem and not a software problem.


JB
 

Techman

New Member
I got it

And I noticed it has the Grommet utility in it for FREE already included. Its not a loss leader deal at all.

It also has a pretty good collection of printer drivers on the printer dvd. Al I had to do was send in a scan of a dongle or in fact simply tell the sales guy what software I had.

They threw in tow modules that I may find reasonable. And they threw in an extra goody because I whined about something else.

I tested it with both encad printers. I emailed them for some guidance and they called within a while and spent all the time I needed.

They are going the module route which I find interesting. Some modules will never be needed in my shop. So why pay for them??

Signlab print an cut. $750 plus shipping.
 

klemgraphics

New Member
I got it And I noticed it has the Grommet utility in it for FREE already included. Its not a loss leader deal at all. It also has a pretty good collection of printer drivers on the printer dvd. Al I had to do was send in a scan of a dongle or in fact simply tell the sales guy what software I had. They threw in tow modules that I may find reasonable. And they threw in an extra goody because I whined about something else. I tested it with both encad printers. I emailed them for some guidance and they called within a while and spent all the time I needed. They are going the module route which I find interesting. Some modules will never be needed in my shop. So why pay for them?? Signlab print an cut. $750 plus shipping.
Did it include the cnc routing module?
 
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