Just a few questions for the pro's here

[tintguy31794]

Hello guys,

I've been a member here for quite a while constantly reading all the information you have generously provided for a newbie like me. I'm afraid I'm finally going to just have to ask a few questions in order to continue on my path of finding whats right for me.


I'm looking into a summa dc series thermal printer. Heres the question... is this the best printer for me? lol J/p... The shop I work at now has a cammjet vp540 this printer (vp540) is supposed to be the best there is. ( I have not had the opportunity to use this printer)... What is the difference between this vp 540 and the thermal ribbon based printer from summa?



I'm still a few years out from opening my own shop back in my home town. I figured now would be the best time to research my equipment and possibly go ahead and purchase some of it to lower my startup cost.

rest assured any info you provide will be much appreciated

Thanks guys,

Tintguy

 

[signage]

I would recommend going to a show a see one print! The thermal printers are slower, cost more per foot but they can do spot colors!

 

[TheSnowman]

If I were you, I wouldn't buy anything now just to lower your startup cost. I would just put that money you were going to spend in the bank, and then buy the current technology if it's a few years away. It would be a bad move I would think to have old technology right off the bat.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

i agree with signage...thermal printers do cost more per foot and they run slower...but the advantage is being able to print a blue foil cartridge for a white and blue decal instead of having to print full CMYK to create that blue....

i've had a lot of customers come in with decals and want me to reproduce them....when they see mine, 9 out of 10 times i hear, "wow...what happened to the dots??" granted from a distance there isn't much of a difference, but customers don't usually think from a distance cause they're seeing it close up...

 

[tintguy31794]

I would recommend going to a show a see one print! The thermal printers are slower, cost more per foot but they can do spot colors!

I would really like to do that, but I've burned of the majority of my vacation time last month with my newborn son .
I've had little time spent in the printing world(zero)... I am currently running the vinyl shop for a gentleman. I've got the vinyl part down to a T. Having said that... Can you explain why I need Spot Colors... I won't lie to you guys I am generally dumb, but when it comes to something I enjoy or computers I can for the most part compete with the best (after of course I ask a whole bunch of dummy questions)

If I were you, I wouldn't buy anything now just to lower your startup cost. I would just put that money you were going to spend in the bank, and then buy the current technology if it's a few years away. It would be a bad move I would think to have old technology right off the bat.

You are right in a sense I definitly want the latest and the best if feasible , the shop i'm at now is making a killing off of two ioline plotters. 24" and a 30"... I mean these guys are extremely old... lol. but their fast. Now i'm questioning how much things could change within 2 years time ,

Thanks guys

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

I would really like to do that, but I've burned of the majority of my vacation time last month with my newborn son .
I've had little time spent in the printing world(zero)...

first, congrats on the son! ....and on the second item there....why not sub out the printing if you're not familiar with the machines??

i run an edge...sure i'm limited to 11.7" in a single panel, but it works for me....anything that is too large, i sub out to someone who already has the machine, knows how to run it, maintain it...etc. etc.

 

[Flame]

I would really like to do that, but I've burned of the majority of my vacation time last month with my newborn son .
I've had little time spent in the printing world(zero)... I am currently running the vinyl shop for a gentleman. I've got the vinyl part down to a T. Having said that... Can you explain why I need Spot Colors... I won't lie to you guys I am generally dumb, but when it comes to something I enjoy or computers I can for the most part compete with the best (after of course I ask a whole bunch of dummy questions)



You are right in a sense I definitly want the latest and the best if feasible , the shop i'm at now is making a killing off of two ioline plotters. 24" and a 30"... I mean these guys are extremely old... lol. but their fast. Now i'm questioning how much things could change within 2 years time ,

Thanks guys

You obviously haven't dealt much with printers. They're like computers... out of date every 6 months. lol.

Plotters haven't been changing too much, printers have, at a ferocious rate. The advice given so far has been pretty good... just keep doing some research and best of luck.

 

[tintguy31794]

first, congrats on the son! ....and on the second item there....why not sub out the printing if you're not familiar with the machines??

i run an edge...sure i'm limited to 11.7" in a single panel, but it works for me....anything that is too large, i sub out to someone who already has the machine, knows how to run it, maintain it...etc. etc.

We use stouse here before we bought this printer(that I still have not got to play with .. I'm not beyond outsourcing work, but I do intend on doing vehicle wraps at my shop and want the capability of doing them at my shop lol. I definitely wouldn't mind subbing out the design work for wraps (anyone in particular I should know for designing wraps?)

You obviously haven't dealt much with printers. They're like computers... out of date every 6 months. lol.

Plotters haven't been changing too much, printers have, at a ferocious rate. The advice given so far has been pretty good... just keep doing some research and best of luck.

Hmm Note taken.

 

[coyote]

A note from a pro:
Drop the apostrophe...
http://news.aol.com/weird-news/article/english-town-gets-rid-of-apostrophes/323881?cid=46

Congrats on birth of son.
C