Need suggestions for printer/cutter

[Texas_Signmaker]

So I have an idea on how time is spent, if I have the artwork and layout all set how much time is spent on just watching the machine? After the print job is going and everything is running how it should do I have time to open my laptop and work on another project until the next step?

Rose colored glasses are nice, but reality is much different when you take them off.

Loading Matieral, reprinting, laminating, color adjustments, cleaning, checking the printer during a print to make sure nothing is going wrong or bunching up. That printer is work.

 

[Gino]

Don't get me wrong, bringing anything in-house for quality control, turnaround and cost is always a good move, but at the expense of not knowing anything and learning on the fly is a terrible business move. You and your boss are putting the cart before the horse. Neither of you know your a$$ from a hole in the ground on this and you wanna learn off the internet. How stupid is that for a few hundred thousand dollars ??

Usually a person will work at a sign shop, take 2 or 3 years to learn the basics, but you think y'all can learn it by asking a few silly questions. It's obvious by you questions and the answers you're getting here, it's not gonna be all that easy, so be prepared for a hu-u-u-ugh learning curve.

Good luck...........

 

[equippaint]

So I have an idea on how time is spent, if I have the artwork and layout all set how much time is spent on just watching the machine? After the print job is going and everything is running how it should do I have time to open my laptop and work on another project until the next step?

Totally depends on what youre printing. I spend a good portion of my day running mine but usually Im weeding, taping or cutting down the previous days runs while its printing. Maybe its me but I find it to be a bit too distracting to get much of substance accomplished outside of minor file tweaks and getting stuff into the rip and printing. We dont do wraps, wall coverings etc that are long and you can setup and walk.
Were probably more closely related to what you want to do as we are not a full on sign shop like others here. We do the same files over and over with minor tweaks and a new design thrown in every now and again. Honestly though, its very difficult for me to do this and run the main business now with the workload. I have a shop manager which helps a lot to get other things done but at some point it will require another head or outsourcing the printing/laminating/cutting. I feel that outsourcing will be cheaper and also put many headaches onto someone else.
Edit in regards to ginos reply. I do have experience in the sign industry and its still difficult. It would be hard starting from scratch with none at all.

 

[Robbit]

Texas and Equippaint, thanks for the feedback and information guys, I really appreciate it. I don't know how much my employer knows, but as you can tell I'm going into this blind. That's why I'm asking some maybe silly questions, always learning. If this was my business though, I would be against this purchase. I've done that many time when I did own my business.
Equippaint, you're pretty much dead-on with what I'd be doing with it. A lot of the same things with tweaks here and there, our newest display style is about 5 foot by 3 with a vinyl graphic on the face. Everything else is around 16" or 32" by 12" (Approx sizes). It also seems like most of my time is going to be spent between running that and running the CNC.

Geno, what's the matter buddy? I get what you're saying, but you come off acting like this is some secret club and new members are not invited. I know it's difficult, there's going to be issues. When I was running a business I wouldn't dream of this purchase but my employer is dead set on this so I get to ask the silly questions. If you were coming to me asking about something you want to add to your business I wouldn't get hostile about it. I'd inform you that it wouldn't be a good idea but I'd still help you out if you wanted it, again, with my previous business I did that many times with other shops. All I get from you is that my employer and myself and idiots and fools and have no business even think about expanding and bringing this in-house. I get it, you can quit beating your dead horse now.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Texas and Equippaint, thanks for the feedback and information guys, I really appreciate it. I don't know how much my employer knows, but as you can tell I'm going into this blind. That's why I'm asking some maybe silly questions, always learning. If this was my business though, I would be against this purchase. I've done that many time when I did own my business.
Equippaint, you're pretty much dead-on with what I'd be doing with it. A lot of the same things with tweaks here and there, our newest display style is about 5 foot by 3 with a vinyl graphic on the face. Everything else is around 16" or 32" by 12" (Approx sizes). It also seems like most of my time is going to be spent between running that and running the CNC.

It's also worth mentioning that if you get a combo printer/plotter, you can only do one of those at a time. So if everything you print gets plotted, you're going to double the production time for all of your jobs. Unless you're printing an entire roll at a time, you're not going to be able to do very much at all between print runs. Lamination requires you to be physically present, so that's going to eat up all your time. Plotting is going to be similar to printing when it comes to time spent with the process.

It would behoove you guys to hire someone with experience if you go through with this. Let them take the lead and run the show.

 

[equippaint]

It's also worth mentioning that if you get a combo printer/plotter, you can only do one of those at a time. So if everything you print gets plotted, you're going to double the production time for all of your jobs. Unless you're printing an entire roll at a time, you're not going to be able to do very much at all between print runs. Lamination requires you to be physically present, so that's going to eat up all your time. Plotting is going to be similar to printing when it comes to time spent with the process.

It would behoove you guys to hire someone with experience if you go through with this. Let them take the lead and run the show.

1 guy to run the cnc, printer, separate plotter, weed, tape, apply, cut up, prep files, tweak files, mount plus whatever else hes doing? Send me your resume. Were right on the ocean great place to live

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Texas and Equippaint, thanks for the feedback and information guys, I really appreciate it. I don't know how much my employer knows, but as you can tell I'm going into this blind. That's why I'm asking some maybe silly questions, always learning. If this was my business though, I would be against this purchase. I've done that many time when I did own my business.
Equippaint, you're pretty much dead-on with what I'd be doing with it. A lot of the same things with tweaks here and there, our newest display style is about 5 foot by 3 with a vinyl graphic on the face. Everything else is around 16" or 32" by 12" (Approx sizes). It also seems like most of my time is going to be spent between running that and running the CNC.

Geno, what's the matter buddy? I get what you're saying, but you come off acting like this is some secret club and new members are not invited. I know it's difficult, there's going to be issues. When I was running a business I wouldn't dream of this purchase but my employer is dead set on this so I get to ask the silly questions. If you were coming to me asking about something you want to add to your business I wouldn't get hostile about it. I'd inform you that it wouldn't be a good idea but I'd still help you out if you wanted it, again, with my previous business I did that many times with other shops. All I get from you is that my employer and myself and idiots and fools and have no business even think about expanding and bringing this in-house. I get it, you can quit beating your dead horse now.

Don't respond directly to Gino... You ever try to hold a conversation with a meth head? It's the same thing.

 

[Robbit]

I don't think my employer understands that we'll also need a laminator. I did some looking into that last night, I think that may talk him out of it, I doubt he was expecting he'd have to buy more equipment. Honestly, if this was my business I won't even be going down this path and outsource it like I was doing there (Mind you I didn't have much printing though).
Equippaint, I have family in Florida but it's too humid for me. If you were in Arizona I'd be there in a heartbeat.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

1 guy to run the cnc, printer, separate plotter, weed, tape, apply, cut up, prep files, tweak files, mount plus whatever else hes doing? Send me your resume. Were right on the ocean great place to live

I'm pretty sure you just described a typical day for at least 30-40% of the people on Signs101. Add in a few extra steps and it's a pretty standard day for me.

 

[equippaint]

I'm pretty sure you just described a typical day for at least 30-40% of the people on Signs101. Add in a few extra steps and it's a pretty standard day for me.

Sure, in a position thats been designed around it and a realistic workload. Noone here had a job with a full schedule already and had their boss go to them and throw a second full time job in their lap. Unless the op has enough slack time already that this would make sense.
This guy here essentially told the pizza maker that he now also has to deliver the pizzas cuz the driver costs him too much.

 

[studio 440]

Sure, in a position thats been designed around it and a realistic workload. Noone here had a job with a full schedule already and had their boss go to them and throw a second full time job in their lap. Unless the op has enough slack time already that this would make sense.
This guy here essentially told the pizza maker that he now also has to deliver the pizzas cuz the driver costs him too much.

its easy just press the button and the printer does everything while you go to lunch come back and everythings done and you will have the time to do your regular job all day .Just like printing money

 

[Robbit]

If you'd like to talk about where I work, myself or my employer please send me a message. I'd rather talk about things of that nature in private. I know I have many questions, some might be even silly but that's so I can have everything set from the start instead of having to keep waiting for items that I'll need.

I talked with my employer today about having to also get a laminator. He believes that he wouldn't need one because we're going to be printing on matte vinyl. Is his line of thinking correct?

Between getting a printer/cutter combo or getting separate machines, he wants a combo machine. My best guess is because of space concerns and it's one machine.

 

[Gino]

Nothing's the matter. However, you admittedly say, YOU wouldn't do a venture like this. Your boss is making assumptions based on nothing and justifying them by tossing a few buzz words around. Nope, you guys are not fit to bring this half-baked idea in-house. Heck, you don't even have proper space to do it properly.

Don't misunderstand frankness and not mincing my words with hostility. You guys just aren't ready...... or fit for this.

Nothing secret about this industry. You can utube just about every facet of this business, but remember, you're only gonna be as good as the person uploading this stuff. Many people will help you, such as people who wanna sell you equipment, supplies and technical support. Do you realize how much hardly gently used equipment is for sale these days because of people like you and your boss ?? It's practically putting some distributors outta business.

You might not like my delivery, but that's not what's in question here....... is it ??

Wanna get together for lunch or a drink ?? I'll give ya the same spiel face to face.


Good luck..............

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Sure, in a position thats been designed around it and a realistic workload. Noone here had a job with a full schedule already and had their boss go to them and throw a second full time job in their lap. Unless the op has enough slack time already that this would make sense.
This guy here essentially told the pizza maker that he now also has to deliver the pizzas cuz the driver costs him too much.

No, you're right. I agree with you 100%, I was making (or at least trying to make) a joke.

Honestly, I wouldn't even say that it's been designed that way at most places I work. It's more like, "Hey, Bill is retiring" or "Frank got canned" and the jobs get spread out until "somebody new gets hired" and people just end up absorbing more and more work. It's the American way!