Starting a Laptop/Mobile skin business, need help please

Dear All,

First of all, I would like to thank you all for sharing information about this industry, I'm just few days new to it and I already know a thing or two because of the great posts you guys posted here.

I'm planning to open a small business to sell skins for mobile phones and laptops in multiple sizes, I'm aiming for the best quality possible so I would appreciate your support and advise on the following points:

1- The Printing material: I have made my research in this forum and found that most users are recommending either 3M IJ180-c and Oracel 3164 Gloss, but which one is the best?

2- Printing: What is the best printer to print on these materials?

3- Cutting: What is the best cutter to cut my designs based on the sizes I want?

4- Software: I plan to mainly use AI, maybe CorelDraw, is there any other software that I should know in order to use the printer and the cutter? or they are already compatible with the above two software? I see that some of them are.

5- Lamination: Does the materials I mentioned already glossed? I never printed one myself, I always buy them ready and they look awesome and glossed, do they gloss them after printing or its printed like this? if they gloss them then what's the best machine/device/material to use to gloss them?


I would appreciate your support, even if it's small, remember that every word you said will be good for me.

Thank you in advance.

Best,
Maxi

 

Thank you very much you helped me by this because I didn't know Roland it seems like a good company that makes good equipments and stuff.

Is this their website? http://www.rolanddg.com


Will look forward for more information and especially advise.


Best,
Maxi

 

Thank you Salmoneye, you raised a really important point which is the cost, I believe you are right, I should hire the printing of my designs, but I would like to have your help about the below questions because many printing companies will tell me that they will provide "best quality" and use my lack of experience in this field.

1- What type of printing should i go for? digitial? any specific needs i should mention?

2- Should I provide them with the material? what material do you recommend of the two i mentioned? will it be cheaper if I buy the material or i leave it all on them? or that will depend on my negotiations?

Thanks
Maxi

 

Thank you very much, yes the members here are greatly experienced and willing to help

 

Thank you very much, I believe it will be better for me to outsource it, I will do more research as per your recommendation and go for the best option.

 

First of all, thank you for taking time to respond to my post, i really appreciate it!

As for the equipments and the material I believe I will take your advice and find a place to print it for me as I don't have that large budget now.

As for the material, I want to produce skins like the ones on this website for example http://www.gelaskins.com/ they are using a 3M material that's for sure but I'm not sure which material exactly they are using this is why I'm just guessing, i've ordered samples from this website and many other and on the back of the sticker (skin) there is only "3M Controltac" written but no mention of the exact model, any idea on what this can be? is it the one you mentioned? I'm sure it's difficult for you to know without thouching it or seeing it in real.

I have a good business plan and I'm nearly sure that it will work really well with the specific audience i'm targeting, I hope things goes well.

Thank you once again for everything.

Best,
Maxi

 

Thanks for your reply, I will definitely do this, and I will outsource at the beginning, I already have a business plan with goals and objectives, it's just the production part that I'm lacking information of, and with your help and the guys here I'm sure I will be able to know the right thing for me and determinate the cost associated with it.

Best,
Maxi

 

Thank you

 

Thank you very much for taking time to write all this useful information, I believe after reading your comment and Pat's comment as well as the others my only problem is to find the right material to use, many printing shops in my area will claim that their material is the best, and they may even provide me with 3M material but not exactly the one I need, they may provide a more expensive one or a one that is not suitable for my business.

I plan to sell the skins so I agree with you,I should do lamination, is there a type of lamination I should use? or it's only one time and I can tell the shop "I want lamination for the skins"?

I have a very good marketing plan as well as PR so I'm sure I will do good after i figure out what material/quality i need and get things going.

Thank you and all the Canadians in the west coast!

Regards
Maxi

 

Thank you, wishing you the very best in your personal and business life as well.

 

Will do.

Thanks in advance.

Best,
Maxi