New Guy Suggested Equipment for Specific Job

Welcome to Signs 101. Good luck with your search, I think you'll find that you're better off finding a better print partner to work with rather than trying to become a printer yourself.

Not to sound condescending, but I'm sure your time and efforts are better spent running the scrap metal business rather than trying to cut out a supplier that likely provides a very small portion of your supplies.

 

Not sure that your background will apply much, will all due respect. I can't say I know much about the scrap metal business, and perhaps my view is biased from the grubby trucks and yards in our city, but I just can't see justifying opening a print department for something like that.

Anyways, not trying to rain on your parade. Best of luck with your research.

 

I hafta agree with White Haus. It's far better to use a vendor where needed and do the things in which you are well versed. Computer Programming/IT has no meaning to me as far as being in the sign community.

If I took off on a wild goose chase, every time someone got a little flaky, I'd be doing just about everything and no time to do what I do best.

There must be more people in your area to supply you with simple decals from time to time, regardless of how big your father's company grows. Remember, gut feelings aren't always the best ones, especially when you're shooting from the hip. ​

 

I'd recommend looking around for a used graphtec. Pretty simple to set up and run, then you'll need a pc with software to do the actual graphics and send it to the plotter, but ideally you could pick that up from the same place.
Though at the same time I agree with the other posters, if you're interested in getting your decals faster, just look for another print shop. If you want to play with vinyl and learn a new trade, go for it! Welcome to the jungle.
Get good at what you do, and rely on others to be good at what they do. It's like my old man wanting the guys to replace a starter on a truck. We aren't mechanics, so it will take us longer, be done less than perfectly, and it's keeping that skilled sign tech from working on a sign and making money. Find a mechanic, pay him to do what he does, so he can pay you to do what you do.

 

You might as well open a whole new business...

Even people in the sign industry that do this work full-time dont do it in house. I myself sub it all out except for cut vinyl.

I duno, it seems like there would be too much time invested in learning the printer, learning the software and running it...PLUS the cost of the equipment and matieral, you would think you'd me more valuable doing what you know how to do in the scrap business. It's more then buying "a bigger inkjet" printer and hitting the print button.

 

FTFY. Proud to say our subbed out work is limited to neon, billboard faces, and insane volume work. Everything else from braille to wraps to highrises we do in house.

 

Depends on what kind of IT you did... If you're familiar with vector graphics and won't sit there and scratch your head too much about all the buttons and options in illustrator I'd say get a graphtec and get to gettin...

If not, I'd say find a couple people who you can lean on (instead of just one) who aren't so flaky.

 

If you want a PRINTER / Cutter you are in the 15K range. Just a Cutter - in the 1-2K range for a professional small machine.

 

If you have hundreds of trucks and thousands of bins I am sure you will be able to find the space in one of your buildings to house a small sign shop and pay someone to run it. I've seen shops like this embedded in Caterpillar production facilities (but they are also producing graphics for product).

 

Be careful....you know what happened to your “graphics” guy