Print laminate cut SMALL graphics?

[ExtremeG Alamosa]

So, say you have some semi that just wants 2”tall by 6” wide print numbers. How do you go about laminating without a ton of waste? 52” printer 52” laminator….

 

[Johnny Best]

Cut vinyl

 

[Stacey K]

Throw it on with another job? I usually tell people with small orders that I will throw them on with the next order I have that uses that specific material. Either they pay for the linear inches or they wait. That's when having a minimum price comes in handy. I have a manual laminator and I keep most of my scrap so for a small job like this I would have some scraps laying around.

 

[ExtremeG Alamosa]

I was wondering about getting a small manual laminator

 

[Stacey K]

I was wondering about getting a small manual laminator

Notareal and I have the same manual laminator. It's a 52" one for $250 on Ebay. I am just a one person show so I often have small jobs like you have. Having the manual laminator does make it nicer for these small jobs. I don't keep every piece of scrap but there are PLENTY OF TIMES I use the scrap instead of cutting from my 54" roll of laminate.

 

[Bengt Backhaus]

Throw it on with another job? I usually tell people with small orders that I will throw them on with the next order I have that uses that specific material. Either they pay for the linear inches or they wait. That's when having a minimum price comes in handy. I have a manual laminator and I keep most of my scrap so for a small job like this I would have some scraps laying around.

I do the exact same thing.
Most people in this little burg aren't the "now, now, NOW" type, so it works really well.

 

[bob]

You charge for media unrolled, not media used. Plus everything else.

 

[Saturn]

Unless I'm missing something, couldn't you keep a roll of 30" or less around for such occasions?

 

[TXFB.INS]

Why are you printing and lamination for numbers?

This sounds like a perfect use of a plotter and some scrap

 

[Stacey K]

Or just order it from Signs365...you have it 2 days. Charge accordingly.

 

[unclebun]

Are people so lame nowadays that they think everything has to be printed or that it's the only way to letter vehicles?

 

[Johnny Best]

Are people so lame nowadays that they think everything has to be printed or that it's the only way to letter vehicles?

Lame, on the mark unclebun!

 

[DL Signs]

Notareal and I have the same manual laminator. It's a 52" one for $250 on Ebay. I am just a one person show so I often have small jobs like you have. Having the manual laminator does make it nicer for these small jobs. I don't keep every piece of scrap but there are PLENTY OF TIMES I use the scrap instead of cutting from my 54" roll of laminate.

We picked up a manual one a few months ago too, just for laminating small stuff, proofs, samples, and applying vinyl to substrates. Great having that extra capability to use up end rolls & scraps of laminate on small jobs, you can lay 4x8 prints to substrates in a minute or two... And they're so inexpensive they pay for themselves in no time. Now that I have one, I don't know how I lived without it.

 

[DL Signs]

So, say you have some semi that just wants 2”tall by 6” wide print numbers. How do you go about laminating without a ton of waste? 52” printer 52” laminator….

2" tall for a semi? Like USDOT numbers? We do hundreds of those, just cut colored sign vinyl, no need to print or laminate, they'll still be good a decade down the road.

 

[ExtremeG Alamosa]

Yeah, We do cut vinyl all the time, I was just trying to match what he had, which was an off shade of orange (stroke&Fill) overlaid with black at ~80% opacity (Fill only). It was ...... awkward.

 

[ExtremeG Alamosa]

My Vevor arrived so damaged that I've been trying to make a table out of it like this guy:

 

[DL Signs]

My Vevor arrived so damaged that I've been trying to make a table out of it like this guy:

For 2x6" graphics, you could probably just hand laminate them with a squeegee.

That's brilliant. I don't "need" a flatbed laminator enough to justify the cost, but it sure would be handy at times. We have a glass top lighted table we built, and I've been eyeing up that video myself. Who knows, maybe I'll marry the manual one we got for mounting with it some day. We went with one like this, well under a grand, can run it manual with the crank, roll it by hand, or electric (handy when you're mounting on 8-10' long panels), even works good for laminating small pieces that the big one would just waste a ton on. The rollers on it are big, would be perfect for a table top conversion. For now I just wheel it into the store room when I don't need it.

 

[Stacey K]

DL reminds me of the best use of the manual laminator! To apply vinyl to substrates! I do a lot of 4x8 ACM board and it is WAYYYYY easier to use the laminator than to do it by hand. I use it for coroplast also and anything that's over 2'.

 

[DL Signs]

DL reminds me of the best use of the manual laminator! To apply vinyl to substrates! I do a lot of 4x8 ACM board and it is WAYYYYY easier to use the laminator than to do it by hand. I use it for coroplast also and anything that's over 2'.

Adding one to the arsenal was the best investment ever!
Better alternative than messing up a $20,000+ laminator for laying graphics, a single roller for our Seal alone cost about 3x what this was