3M IJ180 Controltac alternative?

[onecomm]

Thanks everyone for their feedback, it's all super helpful.

I'll go back to our dimensions and costs and report back in case they are reasonable numbers.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

It IS creative algebra. you are multiplying to get your square footage then you are adding a linear foot to it. so the formula ends up being (length x width) +1. I understand waste for the job and always include that in my price, but adding one linear foot doesn't necessarily eat the cost of the waste. especially when you are dealing with the HP printers. We waste a full yard ..2 foot leader on the front end and a foot on the back end.

On the material, you do you. I didn't mention avery products. I mentioned arlon slx for cast and arlon 510 for calendared. I have my material and costs down to how I want them to succeed in my business. Enough said on that one.

That's not adding 1 linear foot, it's adding 2 linear inches which adds 1 sqft.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

It IS creative algebra. you are multiplying to get your square footage then you are adding a linear foot to it. so the formula ends up being (length x width) +1. I understand waste for the job and always include that in my price, but adding one linear foot doesn't necessarily eat the cost of the waste. especially when you are dealing with the HP printers. We waste a full yard ..2 foot leader on the front end and a foot on the back end.

On the material, you do you. I didn't mention avery products. I mentioned arlon slx for cast and arlon 510 for calendared. I have my material and costs down to how I want them to succeed in my business. Enough said on that one.

I believe that he was explaining the principal of it. Nobody breaks out the tape measure. Plus, most will gang jobs so you're not wasting all of that material at the front and back for 1 stupid print.

 

[ikarasu]

Hello everyone,

I would really appreciate some help from the community.

I have been using 3M IJ180 Controltac to print and cut skins to cover outdoor sports equipment in different colours and patterns. I was advised Controltac was the standard for vinyl that can withstand the elements for at least a few years.

However, my printer is charging me ~$30 for a sheet 50 inch by 10 inch of Controltac printed and cut. We can't make an margin on this and it's been almost 6 months (I understand there's a shortage and we were hoping this would ease up).

I've since been recommended Avery 2923 by another printer which could be in better supply and cheaper. Is this a fair alternative to the Controltac?

Many thanks for your help.

Are you buying one sheet at a time? Or what's your quantities like?

$30 seems a bit expensive for 180 in those dimensions... surprised no one has mentioned this, but if you're only buying a sheet at a time you're probably getting hit with a minimum charge. You can do cheaper at many of the various wholesaler sites... Providing you're buying more than one.

I think 70% less is way too cheap unless you were doing tons and tons of it... but $30 is too much. 180 is about 10-15% more.than it was 12 months ago, not 700% more.

If you came in asking for one 10" x 50" diecut print, I wouldn't care of you were using 180 or $100 Chinese vinyl, you'd be paying $30 or more.

 

[JethroMc]

I’ve been using Grimco’s Briteline Wrapcast vinyl for vehicle wraps for a couple of years and had good results. I was skeptical at first but it’s proven to be a reliable product and it’s competitively priced. I find it nicer to work with than IJ180 too.

 

[ProSignTN]

Vinyl is cheap, time is what's expensive. Money can be made, time cannot be made. For emphasis: Time Cannot Be Made.

 

[Geneva Olson]

That's not adding 1 linear foot, it's adding 2 linear inches which adds 1 sqft.

So, could you provide me with a formula for your equation that youre suggesting? because what I'm coming up with in your verison doesn't make sense to me. I'm trying to make it make sense.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

54" (Full Width of Material) x 12" Full Linear foot of material = 4.5sqft

Image size is 50"W x 10" Tall = 3.47sqft

No one was adding a linear ft, it ended up adding 1 sqft to factor for waste (without an HP leader of 18").

 

[Geneva Olson]

54" (Full Width of Material) x 12" Full Linear foot of material = 4.5sqft

Image size is 50"W x 10" Tall = 3.47sqft

No one was adding a linear ft, it ended up adding 1 sqft to factor for waste (without an HP leader of 18").

Ok, explain to me how I said something different? the formula is the same. just because you used inches vs feet doesn't change the formula.
I'm still trying to figure out how that's an industry standard. Because that doesn't account for waste they way it should be accounted for.

 

[ss5520]

Hello everyone,

I would really appreciate some help from the community.

I have been using 3M IJ180 Controltac to print and cut skins to cover outdoor sports equipment in different colours and patterns. I was advised Controltac was the standard for vinyl that can withstand the elements for at least a few years.

However, my printer is charging me ~$30 for a sheet 50 inch by 10 inch of Controltac printed and cut. We can't make an margin on this and it's been almost 6 months (I understand there's a shortage and we were hoping this would ease up).

I've since been recommended Avery 2923 by another printer which could be in better supply and cheaper. Is this a fair alternative to the Controltac?

Many thanks for your help.

One of the largest wholesalers in the market calculates this job as 50"x10" = 5ftx1ft *$4.99 = $24.95. If contour cut add 10%. Ship to your location + $10. This is on 3m IJ-180C with lamination (Matte or Gloss). I think you are being charged very fairly, specially if he is local and works with you on your jobs. Maybe if you give him a high quantity on a one batch job you might get a discount.

 

[kcollinsdesign]

I stay with 3M 180. I can get $6.50 sq/ft (laminated). There are plenty of guys who charge less, but we stick to our guns and stay with quality, 3M warranted materials. It pays off in the end!

Note: We only use calandered vinyl for temporary and promotional graphics.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Arlon SLX Plus is very similar to 3M180, the original SLX was extremly low tack, but the SLX plus is as close as I've found.

 

[MGB_LE]

Ok, explain to me how I said something different? the formula is the same. just because you used inches vs feet doesn't change the formula.
I'm still trying to figure out how that's an industry standard. Because that doesn't account for waste they way it should be accounted for.

Hi Geneva. Can you elaborate on how your waste calculation would differ? How should waste be accounted for?

 

[RabidOne]

We used Avery 1105, the wrap guys didn't like the 3M. Pretty sure the bundle price with lam we got was cheaper than the 3M

 

[Geneva Olson]

Hi Geneva. Can you elaborate on how your waste calculation would differ? How should waste be accounted for?

I guess it's different based on the type of printer you have. I have an HP315 so I have an automatic yard of waste. 2 feet on the front end and 1 foot on the back end. When generating a price, we add in 3 linear feet.

 

[Modern Ink Signs]

how many are you ordering, 1 piece or ??????