I've had a Gerber Edge since 1998. In that time it has produced somewhere north of $600 K in invoicing. I could have let the higher cost of materials deter me, but I didn't. What I got for that decision was a system that gives me all the advantages of both spot colors and process colors and a continuously happy and satisfied following of customers. It also gained me an edge on my competitors who were all focused on material costs instead of producing excellent, durable work.
What you don't hear much about with inkjets is the much longer workflow. Print, dry, laminate, then cut. In the meantime, you are dealing with solvent fumes. My Edge has no fumes and no interruption to the workflow. Print, cut, weed, deliver.
Durability in the hot, south Florida sun is 2 to 3 years with no protection. Add UV guard overprint and we have not seen a graphic fade out. We do magnetics all the time ... we just limit our sizes to 12" heights. Hasn't cost me a job yet.
Then we get to color management. This is a major, major concern for inkjets. Spot colors do not require color management ... process color does but with thermal resin foils we have found that we are able to use one setting of our profiles and workspace and get predictable, customer pleasing results with any vinyl we print.
If your business is decals, labels and small signs (including banners and 4 x 8's), an Edge may be your best bet ... at least for a first system. If you are planning on large work, wraps or lots and lots of banners, then an inkjet is your best bet. There's nothing to stop you from adding a second system later.
