• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Start up with an Inkjet

H

howewood

New Member
I'm looking to start a home based sign business with my wife. We would eventually like to move it into a store front as it grows. I'm working a full time job, but my wife is not working. She is a graphic artist, and I'm good with sales and service, and can manage the business. I only have about $6000 to start up the business. I was thinking I might be able to get a lower end Inkjet like say a HP 500 42" Wide format Inkjet. for about $3000. ( any reccomendations on this?) focus mainly on doing window cling signs, and faux etchings/stained glass for windows. small full color signs and decals for local businesses indoor and outdoor. I'm thinking I can print onto clear vinyl and laminate it for most applications. I know I will also need a cold laminator or a big squeegee! work table, and accessories. I guess my big question is, will this type of printer work untill I can afford somthing that is more standard? I'm worried about the ink fading and such. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.
 
Pro Image

Pro Image

New Member
No the printer will not print on clear vinyl it will only print onto COATED vinyl...............It will print on vinyl and depending on the enviorment you could get maybe 2 years outdoors with it.........

You need a eco-solvent or a true solvent to print on clear or UNCOATED Vinyl.........
 
L

learned the hard way

New Member
Most inkjet printers such as the HP 5000 require you to print on white media. This is because they require a white background in order for the ink colors to look right. They cannot produce the color white themselves, so the media has to be white. If you print on clear media, the colors will look washed out and faded. And yes, the media has to be coated to accept dye-based or pigment-based inks, but that is no biggee...you can get any kind of coated media you want...banner material, adhesive backed, etc. It does cost more than uncoated vinyl. Laminated graphics printed with pigment-based inks can last quite a long time outdoors, but they are no match for solvent-based inks.
 
chopper

chopper

New Member
boy I think GV hit the nail on the head with that system that looks like a great stater check out his link....//chopper
 
Craig Sjoquist

Craig Sjoquist

New Member
knows nothing about printers...but Welcome to a outstanding forum and ppl ... myself I do window splash by hand sure like to do it with computer good luck
freedom is not free
 
O

odecom

New Member
too bad that printer only prints 17" wide :( not much use for all 24" of the plotter then.

still a great deal and good system, if i do say so myself.
 
M

mondo

New Member
howewood said:
I'm looking to start a home based sign business with my wife. We would eventually like to move it into a store front as it grows. I'm working a full time job, but my wife is not working. She is a graphic artist, and I'm good with sales and service, and can manage the business. I only have about $6000 to start up the business. I was thinking I might be able to get a lower end Inkjet like say a HP 500 42" Wide format Inkjet. for about $3000. ( any reccomendations on this?) focus mainly on doing window cling signs, and faux etchings/stained glass for windows. small full color signs and decals for local businesses indoor and outdoor. I'm thinking I can print onto clear vinyl and laminate it for most applications. I know I will also need a cold laminator or a big squeegee! work table, and accessories. I guess my big question is, will this type of printer work untill I can afford somthing that is more standard? I'm worried about the ink fading and such. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Im actually planning on selling my Designjet 42" HP 5500 UV PS. It comes with 4 medias, 5 extra inks and 2 printheads to get you started.

- Banner with tyvek around 42" x 35'
- Semi Gloss Photo Paper around 42" x 40'
- Vinyl Matte about 42" x 60'
- Vinyl Gloss i think 42" x 65'
- 5 CMYKLc inks new
- 2 LcLm printheads
- Driver, and cables

For $ 4900

I got this from an architeture firm my dad used to work to about 4 months ago. Its about 3 years old. Prints very well. I got a couple of Printouts already done on this machine. The client likes it. I bought this as a back up. I m selling it because I am also working at home in a 15' x 15' room with 3 machines plus a laminator and a table so imagine how crowded in there. And I mostly used the other printer. Im plannning to post this on ebay soon. PM me If you're interested.
 
Z

zenith

New Member
May i ask what do coated and uncoated mean ? i m newb and trying to find some vinyl that can be used for laptop/game console skinning ( decal them) and don't want to make a mistake wasting all my money (from my small budget ) on some vinyls that coudlnt be used for digital printing
(if anyone used 3M 180C , 7125 or avery MPI 1004 , please advice )

thankx
 
GARY CULY

GARY CULY

New Member
howewood..chack out 750 fastrak plotter on FOR SALE forum..id go down a bit on price sisnce your trying to start out ....30 inch plotter ,,will cut any size vynle down to bout 5 inches wide....way better plotter that will last your whole sign life...match that with the 42 in. printer above in post and you be bout ready for anything

your gonna outgrow that 17 in printer pretty quick in that ad ,,,even if you not needing my plotter for sale ..might consider that 42 in printer in above post ...money well spent there in my opinion ...grow INTO the machine not OUT of it i say
 
Jackpine

Jackpine

New Member
You should have got the Epson. Roland PC600 old technolgy and it is a discontinued printer for good reasons. High cost to use. If I remember, the cheapest print mode is CYM and that is in the $3 to $6 range. Small format limits your market. Even paneling is bad(does it terrible). A safe size limit is 22.5"X17".
 
Checkers

Checkers

New Member
Since your wife is a designer, you may be better off outsourcing production and focusing on her design skills. Once the business starts growing and generating cash-flow, you'll be able to make a better informed decision on the type of printer that better suits your client's needs and the profitability of the business.
The PC serices of printers wouldn't have been my first choice. But, with some work, they can produce quality prints.

Checkers
 
high impact

high impact

New Member
Design and use spot color refill ribbons and you can keep cost down a little. I've found that PC-600 is only good for quick non-laminated short run decals. NOT good for any type of wide format printing. We got our start on the PC-600 and it's ok for a starter but eco-solvent is a much better way to go.

Good thing about PC-600 is you can print white on static cling! ;-)
 
Jackpine

Jackpine

New Member
Checkers said:
Since your wife is a designer, you may be better off outsourcing production and focusing on her design skills. Once the business starts growing and generating cash-flow, you'll be able to make a better informed decision on the type of printer that better suits your client's needs and the profitability of the business.
The PC serices of printers wouldn't have been my first choice. But, with some work, they can produce quality prints.

Checkers
Click to expand...
Brian you are right. I didn't mean the PC600 was a terrible printer. I had one for 3 years and it made money with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top