Huge decal order. Outsource or In-house?

[CentralSigns]

I got a call wanting 5000 12" by 12" laminated decals. They must be able to survive on the saltwater deck of a boat. Any one done that kind of volume in-house on a Roland printer. If it was done in-house how long would it take? Would I be better to outsource? Never dealt with a order that big before, who would I outsource to? A volume order that size I wouldn't even know how to bid it, what to quote. What would you do, any help is helpful? This is really bigger, than we have done before.

 

[Flame]

Up to you really. Could you do it? Sure. Would it be more profitable to just outsource it and keep doing work in house? Well, perhaps. You could find wholesale printers that do these kind of orders daily that could handle the job with ease, and you just mark up a buck or something per decal, and make good $ for minimal work. Every shop is different. We do 1000s upon 1000s of small full color decals. It's easy for us to handle an order like that, but if someone wanted a couple screen printed flags, I wouldn't know where to start...

where other shops, could whip those flags out in 3 days, but wouldn't ever want to tackle the long, daunting task of 5000 decals.

So, depends on how you're setup in your shop, and how bored/ busy you are.

 

[GAC05]

What Flame said.
I have found on large volume orders there are more than a few shops that can produce and ship for less than my raw material costs.
Using the same quality level of material and ink.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[CentralSigns]

We are bored, but our business is steady and picking up speed. Our printer isn't busy, lucky if it runs an hour a day, it's all the other stuff we do. It might be a good experience, how would you bid something that big? It is text on labels for overseas shipping.

 

[visualeyez]

My best guess with out Roland SP540V at high speed would be about 10 days worth of printing 8 hours a day. Laminating and cutting and processing and everything I would want at least 30 day lead time for in house.

 

[Flame]

We are bored, but our business is steady and picking up speed. Our printer isn't busy, lucky if it runs an hour a day, it's all the other stuff we do. It might be a good experience, how would you bid something that big? It is text on labels for overseas shipping.

Well is it just 1 color or full color? Black text on white is a lot less ink than full flood, so how's coverage?

How much time do you have to complete the job?

 

[CentralSigns]

The customer is forwarding proofs tomorrow first thing, and then I meet with him later in the morning to refine the details. Sounded like black text white label. Bunch of Chinese characters or something like that.

 

[royster13]

Artech Pro in Quebec....
Cowan in Edmonton....

 

[ddarlak]

Screenprint....

+1

but oh how i hate that..... until the job's done and you've made a boat load of $$$$

haven't broken out the squeegee (the real one) in years.... hope never to be tempted to again...

 

[HulkSmash]

screenprint decals?

We just did 20,000 Bumper stickers - 7x3 in a day.
Let the printer print them over night. We were able to fit all of them on 1 roll. So it worked out. Came in the next morning - Lam'd then plotted, weeded.. done.

it's easier than you think i promise you that.

 

[Marlene]

get a price from Gill or Stouse and compare it with what it would cost you to do the job. once you get past a certain qty, screen printing most always will cost less. there also is the plus side that if something goes wrong, it isn't you that has to eat the wasted material cost.

 

[rushworks graphics]

i would do the job myself.....the roland can throw those out easy. we do jobs like that often. put the printer to work buddy, its all good fun!

 

[Pat Whatley]

Get a couple of quotes on subbing it out.

Figure up your cost to do it in-house, including labor.

Subtract the cost of doing it yourself from the cost of subbing it out and look at that figure. If you can double that figure in the time you'll save then sub it out. If you can't do it in house and get some use out of that printer.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

I'd do it in house, it's a lot of volume for a low-production machine but if you're not slammed busy, keep your people and your equipment working. That's why you have them...

 

[d fleming]

I would screen print it, but that's what I do. It would be faster and cheaper to produce than on my Seiko. Wouldn't need lam either if done with right ink on right material.