Expanding print shop to include large format - need advice

[laserman70]

welcome from pa

 

[mark galoob]

48" is worthless??? hahahhahaha! Completely untrue! I have used a 54" XC-540 and having 6" extra made no difference. A 48" is fine. (any less and youll wish you had a 48"). If I were to go bigger than 48" the next size would be 64" or larger.
50,000 to start? no. I dont know where you got that number from.
I could add up all of my equipment, a bunch of media, software, and cases of hoodies and shirts and it still wouldnt hit 50,000

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA yeah you are soooooooooooo right...if your working out of moms basement and ordering from vista print. you must buy your media from ebay right? i bet you are the dude who prints all the realtor crap? no? oh you print the race car crap huh?
maybe you ought to keep your tush on the porch with the pups, cause the big dogs are out, and you dont want to be out in the yard gettin stomped on...

50k is a very reasonable number to start from scratch and have a full set up with enough toys to make plenty of profit centers to actually make a decent living out of this business, and have a bit left over just in case. you will have to decide if you need a 48", 54" or 64" printer, but most peeps run a 54" just fine, and thats enough to make a solid 4' wide banner...or whatever else you need to do. i understand that really folks go to the 64" printer so they can do a full hood wrap...if your going to do wraps, thats great, but i dont think you will be getting into those. 48" printers in my opinion are worthless because you will outgrow it so quick you will kick yourself for buying it

mark galoob

 

[printpop]

Wow! Great feedback guys. Really giving me some great things to think about. I am looking at each one of your suggestions - really.

Mark - I know the learning curve your talking about and totally agree. I do expect that we will be doing A LOT of prints and tests before we get good at it (at least as good as I expect my previous provider to execute). I really like the Roland and it is on my short list - for sure. Especially because of our limited space in the print shop.

GNNEMAS - I bought my print equipment way back in the early '90's. A Multi 1862 two color press. Didn't need to get into full color because the labor on that would kill me! I have two of those. I bought them on Horsetrader - so if that publication is in your area, use that for used equipment. Don't buy new. I don't go to any forums or web sites - hired an experienced pressman who set up my shop and ran it for several years. He moved later but trained his apprentice and now that guy is running the press. PM me if you want more info.

 

[401Graphics]

48" is worthless??? hahahhahaha! Completely untrue! I have used a 54" XC-540 and having 6" extra made no difference. A 48" is fine. (any less and youll wish you had a 48"). If I were to go bigger than 48" the next size would be 64" or larger.
50,000 to start? no. I dont know where you got that number from.
I could add up all of my equipment, a bunch of media, software, and cases of hoodies and shirts and it still wouldnt hit 50,000

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA yeah you are soooooooooooo right...if your working out of moms basement and ordering from vista print. you must buy your media from ebay right? i bet you are the dude who prints all the realtor crap? no? oh you print the race car crap huh?
maybe you ought to keep your tush on the porch with the pups, cause the big dogs are out, and you dont want to be out in the yard gettin stomped on...

50k is a very reasonable number to start from scratch and have a full set up with enough toys to make plenty of profit centers to actually make a decent living out of this business, and have a bit left over just in case. you will have to decide if you need a 48", 54" or 64" printer, but most peeps run a 54" just fine, and thats enough to make a solid 4' wide banner...or whatever else you need to do. i understand that really folks go to the 64" printer so they can do a full hood wrap...if your going to do wraps, thats great, but i dont think you will be getting into those. 48" printers in my opinion are worthless because you will outgrow it so quick you will kick yourself for buying it

mark galoob

I see we have a douchebag here. :Big Laugh

None of my media is from ebay. Its almost all oracal, and some arlon. I havnt done a Realtor sign ever, and i've only done 2 race cars when i first started 7 years ago, and that when i learned its a waste of time.
And what is so wrong with a 48" printer? I've done a full wrap on a 28 foot bus with a 48" printer. I have yet to wish i had a 54 or 64 inch printer. If i need a print bigger than 48" (which isnt often) then i sub it out.

Lets break is down...

Mutoh VJ48 with Graphtec cutter, 54" laminator, and Flexi10 $18,500 New
Full set of inks $240
Various transfer tape sizes 4"-24" $250
50 rolls of cut vinyl ranging from 24" to 48" of Oracal, Arlon, specialty colors, magnet. $1,500
48" window perf $476
Oracal 3951RA $650
Oracal 3651 $200
Oracal 290 lam $530
Oracal 210 lam $242
48" 13oz banner 40yd $75
38" 13oz banner 40yd $55
4x8 table $50 to make.
4x8 cutting mat $100
Various shop tools (from squeegees to power tools) $250

Total: $23,118
(Not even half of 50,000)

 

[printpop]

Thanks Big Jake & Mainframe -

Already do Fusion for the Brother GF-541 garment printer we have. The printer has a Windows based application to which I open a PDF file, then use that printer driver to print to the Garment printer. So, it's a software RIP then, depending on the equipment vendor? Runs as a separate app entirely? Makes sense. As long as I don't have to buy a Fiery Rip or something along those lines I'll be ok with it.

Thanks,