Would anyone like to give a helmet painter advise? Taking Indocil in a new direction.

[Ryan Young - Indocil]

I asked theis question in the digital printing area and only got one responce. I wanted to try and ask here in case I put it in an area that most dont look at....... Thanks in Advance


Here is the deal. I am going to split Indocil art into two departments. Indocil Art and Indocil Digital After many years of painting helmets and getting to where we are as one of the premier helmet painters in the country I am in need of a change. The paint side of my business is successful to a point but we still have no product that we can manufacture. We produce one off works of art for each and every customer and we have reached the price cap in my industry. With out getting to deep into the details of why I need to do what I am doing I just want you to know I am positive I want to take this new direction and need no advise on what we should do with our paint department. I also want to say I don't think of helmet wraps as a easy cash cow but a way to offer a much needed product in my industry. I understand that it is difficult and not as easy as it may look. We use our plotter to make all of our mask and have a very strong foundation to build from. We were one of the first painters to depend on a plotter for layout before it was in every magazine or self help book. We have also used digital prints for decals and images for years in our work. I have needed to purchase a printer for years but have never been able to justify the purchase just for a small number of sponsor decals
I want to develop Indocil Digital to provide a lower cost alterative to our custom helmets. My plan is to have 30 to 50 designs that customers can choose from, add there particular name and number, and we can produce with a week turnaround. I plan on clearing the wrap with an automotive clear and selling them for 350 to 500. I am interested in the new Roland 24 inch print and cut machine they are supposed to be displaying in Vegas over the weekend. I am lost when it comes to the most effective program to produce the art needed to do what I want. I am currently using a PC, Corel and signlab to drive my plotter (I hate my signlab) I do OK but I know I will need to upgrade to get the effects I am looking for. I want to start fresh with this project. I am even considering going to school to learn the foundation of computer design or asking an artist for help. I know a few Tshirt and car designers that may be willing to help me because I will be working in a separate field. My first idea is to start with Adobe Illustrator paired with my Corel on a new Mac. (I don't know what sign program I should look at) I want to get the new Roland 24 but I am open to suggestions but I will not need anything big as I will not wrap anything but helmets. I want the most vibrant bright colors available. I feel I will be better than most if I can focus my attention to the helmet market. What are your thoughts? Where should I look for great prices and service? If any venders would like to reach out to us please do so by using my email ryany@indocilart.com

 

[k.a.s.]

As far as your designs, to get a lot of effects you prolly need to learn photoshop. I do most everyting out of Illustrator, Flexi, and some photoshop. I dont have any experiance as far as the comparison between flexi and corel. In order to do the kind of printing it sounds like you want to do, you prolly need those programs plus an aftermarket RIP software like Onyx to color manage.

As far as machine, Roland has a good name, I have a Mumaki that has been great but I dont think they make a small one. I think Suma is also a top machine. My experiance is limited so hopefully youll get some more detailed responses. Good Luck!

Kevin

 

[MikePro]

school's for losers... just get a quick membership to Lynda.com and learn how to adobe. heck... you even get free tutorial videos with your purchase of Adobe Design Suite software.

 

[SignManiac]

If you know Corel already, why bother learning new software. I don't believe for a minute that Corel isn't up to the task. Just look at what Joe does with it an a few others as well. I was immediately going to suggest the new Roland 24" printer before I finished reading your post. I think you won't have much trouble adapting the print side to your designs as they're already good and that's the most important part.

 

[CustomRide]

Mimaki does make a 24in print/cut machine called a cjv30-60. dual cmyk, cmyklclm+white and now metallic ink options also retails for about $12k. Im not sure what head or heads the new roland will have in it but if it still uses the dx4 one head per color I would not buy it at all. The mimaki uses one head for all colors and has more color options to open up your gamut. Summa won't be a good option unless your looking for spot colors...odds are your looking for more photographic type images skulls, shadows airbrush type effects. I wouldn't use flexi software period. Look at Caldera especially if your a mac person and its not worth going to school for graphic design, hire one and take time searching, hold interviews and really think about it. You have more things to worry about within your business, it will consume your time too much. Don't hire someone else who currently does digital printing right now (outsourcing)...cause the more they learn your trade the more vulnerable your product can come under attack from competition....yeah you might have buddies....but all it takes is for one of their customers to see one of your cool prints setting at their shop and say hey can you wholesale helmet graphics to me too....is this unlikely to happen sure. However a %1 chance is too much in my opinion in a niche market. A lot of guys here love to say to outsource starting out...that might be true if your making residential signs for realtors or store closing banners but not for something that is an extreme niche product. Keep it under your roof and have piece of mind, its a long road to travel don't think anything will happen quick. Also most under estimated requirement here is color profiling for your product....consider it a requirement to get your machine dialed in so your not chasing customer color request...this can get expensive but pays itself off 10 fold.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Truthfully, worry about the equipment later. Learn the design end of it first, then develop the market and outsource the printing. When you know it's going to fly, then invest in the equipment to bring production in house.

There are plenty of good companies out there that can wholesale you the graphics (myself included), just make sure you work with someone who understands the quality expectations and has the equipment to produce prints that meet those expectations.

 

[OldPaint]

since you are going to buy a PRINTER.......have you heard or looked at HP LATEX PRINTER?
small one is 42", but if my math is close, in that 42" width, you should be able to get 2 full helmet designs. also dont require air exchange. glad to hear from ya all up in the "south." hahahahahahahahaha