first time so be gentle with me

[GypsyGraphics]

Ya, Wirenut's the one with the attitude. (eyes rolling for effect)

i'm with you Speedster... i never sensed and attitude from Wirenut.
his uber-newber-ness might have struck a nerve with some, but i don't see how that is construed as an insult to the trade.

some new members roam the halls of Signs 101 for a good while, before joining. so, even if they're first post says they're think about getting into the sign industry, they're question come from a more educated place. but clearly, Wirenut is just starting his research, found S101 and became a member. if you didn't feel that way in his opening post, surely you got that in his replies since.

but here's the great thing about this place... Wirenut may not have gotten what he asked for, which was "be gentle" but he got what you can always count on here.... the cold hard facts. everyone just has their own was of delivering them.

anyway...
a warm welcome and a spoon full of sugar delivery or a shot to the arm... either way, the medicine is the same. the industry is tough and there's a lot to learn. don't make the mistake of getting in over your head, before you even know what it is you're getting into.

 

[tsgstl]

Wirenut
SIGNS

Has a nice ring to it. Yellow, orange, red plastic looking letters. Do it

 

[skyhigh]

Welcome to the forum....from the other side of PA

 

[SlightlyChilled]

Ill sell you my printer

 

[GAC05]

He could be a positive influence here as long as he is properly grounded...

wayne k
guam usa

 

[TyrantDesigner]

He could be a positive influence here as long as he is properly grounded...

wayne k
guam usa

Nice.

 

[Tintman928]

Hi Wirenut,
Sorry, gotta finish :ROFLMAO: I too am new to the "sign making" industry, but have a 20+ year background in window film, so similar installation technique, but thats it.
All the responses you got were, while quite funny, very hard hitting truths. I watched alot of people over the years buy a box of tint and think its easy, I watched this guy tint my car once, Ya, its so easy a caveman can do it!!! Saw the word hack in one response to you, and starting out in the fashion you are wanting to, you may or may not be.
I'm personally steering clear of any print stuff for now, if I have a customer who needs it, I will outsource it, and call it a good day. I bought a plotter, some vinyl, and alot of other "nesseceties" to make a run at this, the learning curve everyone speaks of as far as design isn't easy.
I wish you the best, don't know your situation, and being new, will be able to offer you little to no advice, but the best advice I can offer you, and I'm sure evryone here will agree with this, check around with the shops close to your area, get a feel for the prices they charge, and make sure your pricing is in line with everyone else, DON'T DO JOBS FOR PENNIES, cheap work isn't good, and good work isn't cheap.

 

[wirenut]

appreciate your input, tintman!

 

[quint1444]

LOL...you guys are brutal. Maybe most of you guys shouldn't be in printing and try comedy. Wirenut, I am right there with you in a sense. I am trying to figure what printer I need, and can grow into. Research, research, research. Remember this....few people will actually help you so you have to help yourself. I am buying a cheap used printer to get my feet wet. Beware the overly used or you will be buying parts with your printer. If your buddy owns a sign shop you are in good hands to an extent as you have a small flow of income to pay you back on a machine. Most importantly....work until your wife is just a the point of divorcing you. I'm lucky in the fact that I only need the printer for clear and white frosted vinyls for office glass printing. Who cares what other people say about this business or any other. The hardest working salesman is the most successful.

 

[Move In Media]

He could be a positive influence here as long as he is properly grounded...

wayne k
guam usa

:ROFLMAO: i'm a sucker for a good pun....

 

[SignManiac]

Well in that case, I'm "shocked" that this thread was revived. The OP is definitely a live wire.

 

[mtygabriel]

Welcome wirenut! All the best & enjoy the ride! :signs101:

 

[Perks]

Word around Philly is nobody is entering in the field of electricity, so anyone who does can name their price.

HP and Oce make decent printers FYI

 

[Perks]

HP and Oce make decent printers...

Word around Philly is nobody is entering in the field of electricity, so anyone who does can name their price.

 

[Gino]

Well............

Here's one thing for everyone to consider. Many of you thought he should stay in a field where he was trained and already in. That being electrical. While that could be so, how many sign shops or people do you know, that have been trained and working, but shouldn't be here ?? Anyone have a ladder ??

We just take for granted that wirenut is good in his profession. Possibly he's terrible and disgusted with his field and is desperate to try anything else...... and signs is rather far connected to electric, so why not take a stab at sign-making ?? Maybe it can't be any worse than what he's already involved with in the electrical field..... not to mention, why he isn't entertaining the idea of doing electrical work and has ducked all of those questions.

​

 

[MGraphics]

I thought this thread had died!!! I guess not!!!

as well

 

[Fatboy]

Never to late to start learning......but here is the deal.Make so you are passionate about printing and making signs or don't even start.

 

[wirenut]

Roland SC545 SP540 or VP540? I found these 3 units (used) that I could get and look to be in good condition.......
The VP series looks to be lighter weight / not as bulky in size.......will I lose anything between the VP series and the other 2?

 

[wirenut]

Never to late to start learning......but here is the deal.Make so you are passionate about printing and making signs or don't even start.

I wish obama would run in africa

 

[Fatboy]

Roland SC545 SP540 or VP540? I found these 3 units (used) that I could get and look to be in good condition.......
The VP series looks to be lighter weight / not as bulky in size.......will I lose anything between the VP series and the other 2?

All good machines.

 

[CES020]

I wouldn't discourage you from doing what you want to do, but I'll say this, I came from a trade as well, not sign related. It can help a great deal in many situations.

Having said that, do you remember going through your apprenticeship? Remember the guys down the hall going through their apprenticeship for printing? It's a trade in itself and not one that can be discounted, in my opinion.

I've got 5 years or so in this trade now, and we don't have a printer, but I work with people almost daily that do, whether it's us doing work for them, or us subbing print work to them, and having been around the printing world for several good years now, I can tell you that printing scares the crap out of me. It's about 1000 times more complex than I ever thought it would be.

Common perceptions I found to be wrong about printing, and some other general notes :

1) It's easy.
2) Anyone can do it.
3) You create the graphic and hit print.
4) Laminators are required for most things.
5) You can do a great job on printing that rush job and then screw it up on the laminate.
6) The math they use to sell them, "X" sq.ft. per hour x $15 per sq.ft is a myth.
7) Some colors aren't possible to replicate.
8) You'll use your software for years before you realize you didn't have the color settings right, which will screw up every file you ever saved if you change it.
9) People that buy media on price will give you a different result every time they switch to a new brand because every media holds ink different.
10) Print heads go bad more often than you'd think and they aren't cheap.
11) You'll have to buy $1200 worth of ink to do a $25 job at some point.
12) The guy down the road will do it for 20% less.
13) You'll have to buy a $600 roll of material to do a $25 job at some point.
14) You'll spend every waking hour trying to hit a color for a job that doesn't matter.
15) Some materials don't play well together and you won't know that until you bought $1200 in materials and used some of it, and installed it for the customer.
16) It costs about the same price as the printer to have all the other things you need to use a printer. In the end, the printer will be the cheap part.

That's my uneducated thoughts on printers and printing.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look at something else in the sign business, other than printing to get started. There are plenty of other ways to get started without jumping into the deep end.

Just my opinion.