Need to print decals for cabinet

[bluevolume]

I've been trying to figure out how to get some decals for the side of my Sabrecade cabinet.  I need a large decal for the sides, and a few smaller ones for the front.  I have a good inkjet printer at home, and access to a large-format one at work.  What media would work well for this?  Can you buy large photo paper with adhesive on the back?  Is that even a good idea?

I looked into having this done in vinyl, but the shop said that it would be like 5 layers and it would be expensive.  Kinkos is a no-go, they will not print the logos (at least the lady I talked to at the counter woudln't do it).

Also, I would like to print a sheet to put beneath the plexi on my control panel.  What is a good method for that?

Thanks!

[SlammedNiss]

I have a good inkjet printer at home, and access to a large-format one at work.  What media would work well for this? 

What material are they using for the one at work? Is it just printing on paper?

[bluevolume]

As far as I know it is a roll of plain paper.  I could buy whatever media is needed.

[mcfreak]

I've had my eye on this for a while: http://www.atlex.com/paper/adhesive_vinyl.htm
We have a large plotter/ink jet at work as well.

I haven't made the decision to do it yet but I have 4 cabinets to do so I would think it would come out cheaper.

[markrvp]

Here is what I use. 

http://www.lexjet.com/lexjet/product_disp.asp?dept%5Fid=12077&pf%5Fid=AQPSRM

[markrvp]

Gives you a REALLY good idea how much all the cabinet decal guys are gouging everyone, doesn't it?

Sell a set of decals for $250 that it cost you $10 to print out.  Genius!

They have to pay for their $10,000 printer somehow.  And cover the cost of re-printing it if the first try doesn't look perfect.  Or had you considered that?

[SlammedNiss]

Gives you a REALLY good idea how much all the cabinet decal guys are gouging everyone, doesn't it?

Sell a set of decals for $250 that it cost you $10 to print out.  Genius!

yeah, the material you run through it might seem cheap, but there's also the clear laminate and the pre-mask that also comes into play. Besides the fact that a quality machine runs upwards of $20,000. The one we bought for our sign business was $25,000. I wouldn't call it gouging at all. We are in business to make money, just like anybody else.

[SlammedNiss]

Did they buy the machine just to make cabinet decals?  No.

Do they charge other customers such a high price for such little square footage?  Hell no.  They'd be out of business in a week.

As soon as it becomes a repro, the price doubles.

Again, we are in business to make money. We charge customers what we feel current market value is. Why sell a set of sideart for $50, when the current market value is $200? We're only hurting ourselves in the long run.

You obviously know nothing about the sign business then. These machines also print out the material used in vehicle wraps. Ask anybody with a vehicle wrap how much they paid. It won't be cheap.

[bluevolume]

PEACE everyone.  Lets get back on topic.  I need some decals!

[SlammedNiss]

Vehicle wrap is several times larger than cabinet decals.

They're also custom artwork, custom sized, and usually applied by the shop.

Nice try, though.

When comparing to the size of sideart to vehicle wrap, the ratio of material to price is pretty much the same. Also, many times with a vehicle wrap, the artwork is supplied by the company. Custom sizing? Simply a matter of plugging the size into the computer, and it does everything else.

Again, stick with what you know, and not what you think. I've noticed that you really rub people the wrong way on BYOAC, and it's because you have a "know it all" attitude.

[Hoopz]

PEACE everyone.  Lets get back on topic.  I need some decals!

You may try another Kinkos or wait until the first lady isn't there.  You may get someone who does it without any problems.  That's not unusual.

Or look in B/S/T for whoever is making the new button labels.  They may be able to hook you up.

Or contact Emdkay or Scott at Mamemarquees to see if they can help.

Good luck.   

[SlammedNiss]

Well, at least you admitted earlier it was all about the $$$$$$$$$$.

I wish I could get into a business where I used my boss's equipment to churn out $3 decals and sell them for $250 all day.

It is about the money. I have a family to feed, a house to pay for, bills to pay, etc. Just like anybody else.

Besides that, the $$ we make from selling signs does alot more than go into my pockets. It pays bills at the shop, such as gas, electric, telephone, advertising, and health care. And if you know anything about being in business for yourself, you'll know that the last 2 don't come cheap. And the reason I know this, is because I own my business. I'm not some kid sitting around making decals on a printer in my down time.

[CheffoJeffo]

PBJ -- why do you have to blast out everywhere that you're some expert and slam everybody else (including those who do those things professionally) ?

If I had to guess, I would say that you're under 30 (not a lot of life experience to become the expert you seem to think that you are to be on the multitude of topics that you chime in on), are or recently were a perma-student (again, limited extra-academic life experience) and haven't a whole lot of experience with the things that you seem to spout about (e.g. printing, publishing, etc.).

Much of the time, it seems to me that you haven't actually got the first clue what you are talking about and, even when you do seem to have the first clue, it is only the first clue.

Somehow, you seem to have equated making a living with ripping people off, never having invested/risked your own money, time and sweat in a business to support your family.

Reminds me of too many Birkenstock/Croc-wearing perma-students that I have seen over the years.

[Hoopz]

PBJ -- why do you have to blast out everywhere that you're some expert and slam everybody else (including those who do those things professionally) ?

If I had to guess, I would say that you're under 30 (not a lot of life experience to become the expert you seem to think that you are to be on the multitude of topics that you chime in on), are or recently were a perma-student (again, limited extra-academic life experience) and haven't a whole lot of experience with the things that you seem to spout about (e.g. printing, publishing, etc.).

Much of the time, it seems to me that you haven't actually got the first clue what you are talking about and, even when you do seem to have the first clue, it is only the first clue.

Somehow, you seem to have equated making a living with ripping people off, never having invested/risked your own money, time and sweat in a business to support your family.

Reminds me of too many Birkenstock/Croc-wearing perma-students that I have seen over the years.

Knock the birkenstocks all you want.  Leave the croc's out though....  I wear mine around the house and in the yard.  Comfy, easy to take care of, and they are blue and orange w/ Chicago Bears on em.      

Nothing like being a 37 year old geek, nerd and dork!

Let's get this thread back on track for the OP's sake.   

[CheffoJeffo]

He never said it was his business and he never said it was his money. 

Quite right, it was you who implied that he was some kid employee running stuff on his boss's equipment.

Whenever someone starts saying "we" in reference to business expenses, they're usually an employee.  If it's THEIR business and THEIR money, they usually say, "I bought a printer for MY business"

Spoken as someone who has never run a business or had a business partner ...

And back to myself, yes, I've worked in a sign/t-shirt store and I've interned at a newspaper.  I've done a lot of things, mostly mundane, a few interesting.  Don't apply your own limited experience to everyone else.

My experience has been anything but limited ... enough to know that working in a t-shirt store and interning at a newspaper don't provide nearly the experience nor expertise that you seem to think that you have when you slam people who do those things for a living. Just because you asked someone if they wanted fries with that doesn't make you a chef.

Further, I was not applying my experience to everybody else, I was just using it in my evaluation of you and your CWT-know-it-all-ness.

I'll bet I was pretty darned close in my assessment -- I was right about the Birkenstocks, wasn't I ?

[ChadTower]

Hey, save the shots at me for when it's me being a jackass.  You get more than enough chances then.  Focus on jim.

[SlammedNiss]

He never said it was his business and he never said it was his money. 

Whenever someone starts saying "we" in reference to business expenses, they're usually an employee.  If it's THEIR business and THEIR money, they usually say, "I bought a printer for MY business"

Just for clarification, I am a co-owner of said business. Which is the reasoning of the term "we" as in "the printer WE bought".

That $25,000 printer was purchased for signs.  The billing structure is set up for all the work associated with that. 

No it's not. We purchased it to print decals that would in turn, make our business profitable. Those decals could be  signs, vehicle wraps, car graphics, etc. We have done much more than just make signs with this printer.

Running illegal artwork that you didn't create and charging top dollar for minimal material and time cost annoys me.  It's preying on hobbyists. to everyone else.

For the record, the ONLY time I have sold a set of sideart decals was for a member here. He sent me his own artwork (it was Goonies themed) and I charged the guy $60 for me to print it and ship it. Hardly what I call "preying on hobbyists".

[CheffoJeffo]

I'll bet I was pretty darned close in my assessment -- I was right about the Birkenstocks, wasn't I ?

Guess you have a lot of time to think up insults while you're walking to auctions.

It's only an insult if I was right ...

Walking to auctions 

[XyloSesame]

Listen, let's get back on topic.

I'm looking at settling for a black painted cab because I can't afford professional vinyl laminated or die-cut art. I've got "contacts" with a few printers locally, but the insider-pricing is still expensive. And, no, they're not gouging a hobbyist/friend - professional printing is costly. Period. Freelance and partner with a service bureau if you don't know.

I agree with HooPZ - if you get flack from one Kinkos, go to another. I've had some Kinkos employees refuse to print my own original artwork because they thought it might be copyright material. They have the right to refuse and it will typically be upheld by management. I go to another location, and they don't bat an eyelash...

So what are other alternatives?

[CheffoJeffo]

I'm looking at settling for a black painted cab because I can't afford professional vinyl laminated or die-cut art. I've got "contacts" with a few printers locally, but the insider-pricing is still expensive. And, no, they're not gouging a hobbyist/friend - professional printing is costly. Period. Freelance and partner with a service bureau if you don't know.

Agreed -- I've looked at getting some vinyl sideart done for restorations and, even with preferred pricing (I have a graphics guy on staff who deals with a bunch of print houses) it was going to cost more than I wanted to spend (and more than I could get the licensed repro artwork for).