Opinion Here's a Chat that I had with a large sign wholesaler....

[studebaker]

The reason I wanted to order from here is that they direct ship to my customer. I really don't like shipping large signs because I must use 4mm coroplast for the "Cardboard" and marking up the shipping costs that much makes me look bad to the customer....


Me
12/1/2020, 8:58 AM
Good Morning, I need to order two single-sided 10mm coroplast signs that are partially cut on the back so that it folds in half with the faces together. Is that possible?

Signs365
12/1/2020, 9:03 AM
Hello Allen! I can look into this for you. What size will you be ordering and where do you need them scored?

Me
12/1/2020, 9:08 AM
Scored through the middle of the back (cross grain) along the 48" orientation so that I have two halves at 48x48 each

Signs365
12/1/2020, 9:09 AM
The score can only go through the 96" length

Me
12/1/2020, 9:14 AM
Yes, I understand how the coroclaw cutters work. But if you score the back with a utility knife that is retracted to the first stop and cut along a straight edge, you can partially score the back side. Would you ask one of the floor techs if he/she could do that?

Me
12/1/2020, 9:17 AM
.

Signs365
12/1/2020, 9:17 AM
.

Me
12/1/2020, 9:25 AM
Bump...

Signs365
12/1/2020, 9:26 AM
Hello Allen. We responded earlier: The score can only go through the 96" length

Me
12/1/2020, 9:27 AM
So, you did ask a post production operator if they were able to perform a simple knife cut and they said they were not able to operate a knife in that manner?

Me
12/1/2020, 9:44 AM
So, would you like me to give the instructions by phone to the post production operators on how to use a utility knife? .What phone number shall I call?


Crickets.....

 

[Z SIGNS]

Sounds like they don't do that. Maybe there is a reason they don't.

 

[Bradley Signs]

They could have at least responded.
Bad business in my book.

 

[studebaker]

Sounds like they don't do that. Maybe there is a reason they don't.

Yes, knives can kill.... We don't let our employees use knives. (My words, not theirs)

 

[GAC05]

Ask them if they have any left-handed coroclaws in their toolbox. Pretty sure you can cross-cut with those.....

 

[Notarealsignguy]

They're a volume supplier and that's a custom request. I would say no as well. It may seem simple to you but when you ask employees to do this 1 random order different than how they do things 100 times a day 5 days a week, it usually doesn't work out well. In order to work, the person that took the order will have to spend their time babysitting this 1 $50 order through the entire process just to make sure that it gets cut right. This is the sort of thing that slows down production and causes places with high volume/low margins to start bleeding.

 

[WYLDGFI]

Honestly.....custom orders or requests like this is where we as a wholesaler excel. We would do that for you...no problem at all. Its that one custom order in my opinion that adds to our relationships with clients...new and old. Larger volume shops are rigid in their capabilities or what they would and wouldn't do as you found out. Our phone number is listed below and we can always be reached for requests of this sort.

 

[netsol]

Sounds like they don't do that. Maybe there is a reason they don't.

Zsigns
there is a reason, alright. it does seem like a simple request. perhaps scoring coroplast with a razorknife is a lost art, like doing plastering, or shoeing horses...

 

[Johnny Best]

I feel in favor of S365. If you are asking for something they do not do and you want them to do it your way, they probably figure you are not going to like the way they did it and it will be a pain dealing with you after the fact.
You complain you do not like shipping and charging more and now your complaining they don't do something they are not set up for.

 

[Gino]

I think some of y'all have a very good point. You don't go to a soccer store to buy a football or a tennis store to buy golf balls. When you have a well oiled machine running, there is no reason to stop everything, just to please some oddity. It says it right in your title..... they are a wholesaler. They mass produce large quantities of things. You, on the other hand are a small custom sign shop. Let them print the signs and you cookie cut it however ya want when ya get them. If that's too inconvenient, ya might hafta look elsewhere if you're not capable of doing it in-house.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I'm with S365 on this one, the amount of volume they produce does not lend them to custom 1 off jobs with custom instructions, there is a good chance a human doesn't touch the product until it's put into a box.

A high volume online wholesaler is not the correct vendor for this.

 

[Billct2]

Yep, that's why I like to use Wyld, they are flexible and actually look at what they are making

 

[studebaker]

Thank you, gentlemen and ladies, for you very inciteful comments to my childish appearing rant. What I set out to achieve has been accomplished. Signs 365 called me to say they figured out how to score the backside so that it will fold so it will self-stand on the sides of a pallet of auction items while the picture is being taken for their online catalog. A little ridicule can go a long way. And it can also backfire bigtime! They have decided that a CNC machine with a small bit is the appropriate tool to use for this 48" score on the backside of a printed 4x8 sheet of 10mm coroplast! Kudos to Signs 365 for not dropping the ball on a rational customer request!

 

[Baz]

I would imagine that there is still a big risk of the coroplast tearing along the cross cut eventually.
If i were supplying this i would not guarantee it.

 

[Malkin]

Signs365 used to offer to score and fold. It's been a while, but I got a few 4x8s folded down to approx 2x4.
It's possible they no longer do this, or that it's common knowledge for production staff and there is very little direct contact between customer service and production (due to covid, working form home, etc) Just a guess...

 

[FireSprint.com]

This is what we offer here: https://www.firesprint.com/yard-signs-10mm-heavy-duty-digitally-printed/

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

This is what we offer here: https://www.firesprint.com/yard-signs-10mm-heavy-duty-digitally-printed/
View attachment 150531

I'm curious... how do folded signs look after you take them out and make them 4x8 again? Do they look like its been scored?

 

[James Burke]

I'm curious... how do folded signs look after you take them out and make them 4x8 again? Do they look like its been scored?

Of course you'll see the score line. Take a look at a corrugated paperboard box...they "crimp" score where the flaps fold (cross flute). It would be the same principle with the coro.

OP: Check with your local fab shop. A guy could do the same thing with a press brake...all it would take to score coro is a light kiss between a piece of bar stock in the lower v-die and the upper punch. Two score lines approx twice the material thickness apart will produce a perfect flat fold with no stress.

Best of all, it would remain strong because NO cutting takes place. It would be similar to a living hinge.


JB

 

[FireSprint.com]

I'm curious... how do folded signs look after you take them out and make them 4x8 again? Do they look like its been scored?

Yes, they do. Dark, heavy ink coverage shows it more of course. This is one of those moments when a good designer with a solid understanding of production could save a company a bunch of money while keeping brands looking their best.

Not to rant too much here, but I feel some may think of design as 90% art and 10% science/technique. I think in our world, it has to be closer to 50/50 to really get a great result.

 

[WYLDGFI]

We have scored them plenty of times without an issue. Clients were quite happy with the results.