10 Trucks (30 decals)

[skyhigh]

I was wondering how most of you would do this particular job.
Their logo is 2 color, and then includes a gradient flame.

Cut vinyl for the blue and gray.... & a digital printed flame (3 separate applies)?
or
Digital print everything & contour cut?

This is going on 10 trucks. 2 doors and a tailgate.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I would print and contour cut it, it would be easier matching the blue in the flame to the word and a lot less work and material. just my .02

 

[Gino]

Are all the vehicles the same color ??

 

[skyhigh]

yes, all the vehicles are a light gray

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Change the layout of the logo design.

Stencil cut all .. roll , Brush colors & the fad in
Stencil cut flame, hand letter lettering.

 

[phototec]

I would print and contour cut it, it would be easier matching the blue in the flame to the word and a lot less work and material. just my .02

I would print and contour cut the whole image only as a large block if all the vehicles are WHITE so the background matches.


I don't think the very narrow (thin) vertical strokes in that type face will hold up as a separate printed and contour cut application.


So, knot knowing the vehicle color, I would do all text in cut vinyl and only the flame as printed and contour cut.


Sometimes it's NOT about how easy it is, but rather which is the best way for the application to last, IMO.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I would print and contour cut the whole image only as a large block if all the vehicles are WHITE so the background matches.


I don't think the very narrow (thin) vertical strokes in that type face will hold up as a separate printed and contour cut application.


So, knot knowing the vehicle color, I would do all text in cut vinyl and only the flame as printed and contour cut.


Sometimes it's NOT about how easy it is, but rather which is the best way for the application to last, IMO.

Vehicle Colors are all grey, your right I havent dont very many printed and cut letters like that but I have seen it done a lot, it would be no different than the letters having a gradient to them also. Could always contour cut with a slight white border to give a little more thickness to the letters and wouldnt look terrible on grey vehicles...again just my .02. and yes your right about your last sentence. Im sure youve got a lot more expierence in this than I do so its always nice to get people opinions on how to do something. :Big Laugh

 

[Sign Up Graphics]

Sign Up Graphics

I would print and contour cut it.

 

[skyhigh]

I don't think the very narrow (thin) vertical strokes in that type face will hold up as a separate printed and contour cut application.

Not sure I understand you Phototec. Are you saying it would be hard to print the letters then nail the fine contour cut? If that is the case, couldn't you print a solid rectangle of blue & gray, then a separate cut file that only contained the lettering?

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Personally I'd print/cut as one piece and be done with it, makes installation much much easier than trying to register 3 separate pieces. Time is money.

 

[SIGNTIME]

I would print and cut that assuming they will be atleast 18" wide then it would be a piece of cake.... yea cut vinyl would last longer but most companies that a good amount of vehicles in their fleet turn vehicles over faster than smaller companies

 

[ova]

I would print/lam/cut and install. Since you don't have any sizes, I assume it's about 24" long x 12 or 13" high. Bigger for the back. That would make the narrow parts of the letters almost .125" thick [wide]. Should be no problem with them sticking.

Also agree about the slight outline. This would thicken the letters and bring it off the gray some depending on the gray color. If your machine is not 100% on the contour cut, the white outline will help there.


Dave

 

[HulkSmash]

1 print, 1 piece

 

[signage]

I would like to know how light gray lettering is going to show up on a light gray truck?

If printing better make sure you get your gray correct!

 

[Esdale]

Print, Laminate, Cut, Install
I also like the idea of the white release around the letters.

 

[phototec]

Not sure I understand you Phototec. Are you saying it would be hard to print the letters then nail the fine contour cut? If that is the case, couldn't you print a solid rectangle of blue & gray, then a separate cut file that only contained the lettering?

I was talking about TWO issues, first as mentioned, very hard to contour cut with 100% accuracy, I enlarged the OP image to 24" wide and at that size the verticle stroke on the letter "N" is LESS then 1/10th of an inch wide, hard to cut that dead on.


And the second part is, printed vinyl, laminated and contour cut that thin is likely to have the edge of the laminate start to PEEL, or curl up because there is not a large surface of adhesive, IMO.


Again, just my thoughts, you all can do whatever you want, it just doesn't float my boat doing this on an image that THIN ...

 

[Gino]

I'd give two choices.

Print the whole thing on a rectangle and wham-bam-thank-ya-ma'am.... you're done...... or die cut everything and do a digital print of the flame and laminate it, so it has the same glossiness of the cast vinyl.

I would not digital print everything and then go back and treat it like die cuts. That's defeating the whole purpose. If the customer is that anal about matching the blues, just add an extra cost... to fine tune the print of the flame portion.

 

[Joe Diaz]

Print (and contour cut) the whole thing. For us... the labor to do it as half print. half 2 color vinyl would end up eating up any savings by using cut vinyl. Just doing it all print, should cost less, I guess it depends on what your labor is though.

 

[John Butto]

Cut vinyl blue and gray, digital print/lam flame. You are going to spend more time with digital print/lam cut than cut vinyl, but longer install. By the time you read all these posts you could have had the cut vinyl finished and your flames printed if time was your worry.

 

[skyhigh]

I'm lucky to be dealing with a brand new purchasing agent on this job. Very cocky young fella, who is in a big hurry, as these trucks are already sitting in their lot. He has made it clear, he is getting 5 bids, and going with the lowest (he needs my bid today)

I just got off the phone with him, where he informed me he already has 4 bids. The next words out of my mouth were (in a sarcastic tone)......"Sounds like you're good to go then"??? Before I was able to calm down, I also asked him "Just how long ago did they know these trucks were coming in"???

I guess he was smart enough to realize how unreasonable he was being. He apologized up and down.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming......
Down and dirty, as cheap as they can be. I'm thinking about offering him a "ONE PIECE" contour cut decal, and try my hardest to match the truck color (dirty white light gray).

Is this tooooooo tacky?
(this is rough)


PS. this purchasing agent called me this morning at 11:30. Needs my bid by 5. wahhhhahahaha
GFY