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New guy looking to buy a plotter

M

mtm

New Member
I'm not sure if this is in the right area or not but I am looking to purchase a vinyl plotter to use for working from home. I plan to do mostly vehicle type applications but not limited to. I have been talking back a forth with a guy from another website tha owns a printing company. He has a vinyl plotter and I am very interested in buying one soon. I have been doing a little research and I think I am going to go with the Graphtec CE5000-60 24" model. It should be plenty for what I am wanting to accomplish. Does this seem like a good starter plotter for someone just getting in the game? What are the profit returns in a business like this? My online buddy that i've been talking to tells me the overhead is low and the profits are high. Now i'm not looking for a "get rich quick" scheme but I am more doing this for myself as a way to make income from working at home. A few questions I have about the Graphtec. Can it cut magnetic material like you would see on peoples trunks or doors? How long does it usually take to cut say a vinyl graphic and how loud is the machine. What about the maintenance, is there much to it? Would the graphtec be suitable for a beginner? I have used Adobe Photoshop for about 10 years now so I'm no stranger to graphic design. I'm told the graphtec comes with a illustrator plugin so that's a plus. From what i've read the possibilities are endless with this type of business. Also where would be the best place to purchase this plotter? I am weary of ebay. Signwarehouse is the closest to me as far as I can tell but a few forums have shunned this company for certain reasons. What can I expect to pay per roll of 24" x 10 yard cast vinyl? What are some websites where supplies can be purchased? Last, are there any good websites with a lot of clipart images? Sorry for writing a book guys but I am very interested in this and would like to get started as soon as possible.

Thanks
Matt
 
gvgraphics

gvgraphics

New Member
The Graphtec is a good machine. As for allot of your other questions, a little research on your end will turn up ALL of your answers.
 
Rhino

Rhino

New Member
This "game" is just like any other, get in there and get your hands dirty. I could tell you how all day long, but you'll still be in the same place until you find what works for you. The best advice I can give is don't sell yourself short. Get full price everytime.
 
M

mtm

New Member
So do you guys know of any good websites where I can buy my supplies? I really just need to look through some websites and get an idea on what the overhead on something like this will be
 
signage

signage

New Member
Welcome to the forums from PA...

most distributor website will not show prices without an account! This keeps potential customers from seeing what the materials cost!
 
Fred Weiss

Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
SSK is the former Sign Supply of Kentucky who went bankrupt.

Your best bang for the buck in vinyl-ready clipart are the three Vector Art Mega Collections shown about half way down the page. Most of the content of those collections is available at ExpressClipart.com where you can purchase individual images as needed and download immediately.
 
gvgraphics

gvgraphics

New Member
Good luck. And don't forget to charge a fair price for your work, don't let the customer dictate what they pay or you will never get anywhere.
 
JAMEY

JAMEY

New Member
LOL...good luck. I have been reading and bouncing around all winter myself.

There is a lot of good info here.

I am about to get wet too. Only thing is...I have decided to step in feet first instead of jumping in head first with a printer/cutter combo. Can always sub out the prints.
 
M

mtm

New Member
gvgraphics said:
Good luck. And don't forget to charge a fair price for your work, don't let the customer dictate what they pay or you will never get anywhere.
Click to expand...

Is there a thread or a chart or anything that shows the going rates? How are the prices configured? Is it a certain cent on the square inch or what. Like does it sound reasonable to sell a 10"x10" decal for $10? How much would something like that usually sell for?
 
gvgraphics

gvgraphics

New Member
There is a sign industry magazine who sends you a price guide when you subscribe to their mag. I think it is Sign Business but not sure.

Your price will depend on your overhead, insurance, rent, and so on. The price guide will only help you to get a close figure to what you need to charge. And remember, it is a guide only, not set in stone.

If another member would correct me here that would be great.
 
VinylCraft

VinylCraft

New Member
As if we all haven't seen this before Can't we Sticky the results in the newbie forum. DO a Search Thank you.
 
Last edited:
W

woolly

New Member
gvgraphics said:
There is a sign industry magazine who sends you a price guide when you subscribe to their mag. I think it is Sign Business but not sure.

Your price will depend on your overhead, insurance, rent, and so on. The price guide will only help you to get a close figure to what you need to charge. And remember, it is a guide only, not set in stone.

If another member would correct me here that would be great.
Click to expand...

not correcting you but a different point of view, if a job is worth $100 to do then surly it does not matter how much your overheads are its a $100 to do.

back to thread dont be afraid to ask the customer what he paid last time for the same job (he may lie) but will give you a clue just gain as much info as posible for your area.

woolly
 
gvgraphics

gvgraphics

New Member
woolly said:
not correcting you but a different point of view, if a job is worth $100 to do then surly it does not matter how much your overheads are its a $100 to do.

back to thread dont be afraid to ask the customer what he paid last time for the same job (he may lie) but will give you a clue just gain as much info as posible for your area.

woolly
Click to expand...

I agree to an extent with with you. That $100 job might be just that, $100 job to you. But in other shops it might be $80 or it might be $150. It does have to do with your overhead and what you NEED to make to cover your overhead and profit on a job. A one man shop may make $80 on a $100 job but a shop with production crew, designers, counter worker, and owner may need the $150 to make a $80 profit.

So overhead and overall expenses do play a part in your pricing. Meaning what might be $100 to you might not be that to others.

Just a thought to ponder.:thumb:
 
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