Talk to me about vinyl sticker cutters..

[hotponyshoes]

So now and again I repair and replace panels on horseboxes/trailers.

We are pretty efficient at doing this now and the one thing holding the jobs up at the moment is waiting for the stickers to arrive to complete the job so I would like to get my own cutter.

The stickers used are the same as the ones used for sign writing on vans etc.
Individual letters cut from self adhesive vinyl

The biggest one I would need would be the word HORSES about 25cm high by 1m wide.

Does anybody have any idea of a good cutter to get?
I would like something as compact as possible as I don't have room for a 48" wide thing on it's own trolley!
I am guessing if I need a 25cm x 100cm sticker I can do it sideways from a roll that's 30cm wide for example?

Other requirements,
Not too flimsy, it will get moved around a bit and put away between uses.
Ideally have some sort of memory card or usb stick slot so it can print from that rather than being connected to a computer all the time.
Handle vinyl mostly but it would also be nice to be able to use the shot-blast template stuff as well.

Aside from recommendations for the cutter, what else do I need?
The stickers I use now are only cut through the vinyl and are on a layer of backing paper. They have a clear film over the top to homd the letters in place when the backing is removed. This is what I would like to achieve.

I presume the vinyl comes on a roll with the backing paper attached and I just set the blade depth to suit?
Then run it through the cutter,
Then pick out the bits I don't want and apply the clear holding film manually?

So I need some tweezers etc. to pick out the unwanted pieces
How do I apply the top film? Do I need a jig to align it? Some sort of roller to get it flat?
Or are there cutters available that hold a film roll and apply it for me?
TIA!

 

[carbon]

Ive had a cutter for over ten years so expect technology has moved on a bit since then so cant really recommend whats a good one to get.

I presume the vinyl comes on a roll with the backing paper attached and I just set the blade depth to suit?

Yes, that's about it the blade needs to just cut the vinyl. Cutting to deep means the backing doesn't come away cleanly.

I just slowly roll the application tape across the cut vinyl and use a squeegee to make sure the tape is secure with no wrinkles, but I'm only using it to make signs for myself so not high use.

 

[Bullet2012]

I believe they are called a plotter, this may assist with your research. HTH.

 

[Agroshield]

Individual letters cut from self adhesive vinyl

The biggest one I would need would be the word HORSES about 25cm high by 1m wide.

If it is individual letters and of those dimensions, that would just fit on an A4 sheet and 100% fit on an A3 sheet.

Before taking the plunge on a machine, perhaps investigate the cost of consumables (vinyl) to feed it. Let us hope it is not like inkjet printers.

A name I have seen is Cricut, which I think is a general cutter plotter and so will do other stuff as well as vinyl (fabric, card, leather, etching masks, etc.).

 

[Mick Annick]

If it is individual letters and of those dimensions, that would just fit on an A4 sheet and 100% fit on an A3 sheet.

Before taking the plunge on a machine, perhaps investigate the cost of consumables (vinyl) to feed it. Let us hope it is not like inkjet printers.

A name I have seen is Cricut, which I think is a general cutter plotter and so will do other stuff as well as vinyl (fabric, card, leather, etching masks, etc.).

like most consumables vinyl prices are all over the place, and quantity dependant - I’ve found Grafityp pretty good, though I’ve also found signmakers / graphics co’s will it to sell small amounts.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I was looking at 'plotters ' but they all seem to be huge.
I already have a wide format printer which is useful but takes up far too much room really.

A quick look at the media finds a 10m roll at 305mm wide for under £20
That's just the first one I found so no idea of the quality but a 1m sticker coming out at £2-3 is fine mainly because of the convenience of doing them in house will take days off the turnaround time on the job

 

[carbon]

You do need a graphics package that uses vector graphics rather than a general paint package.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Isn't there one in the 'For Sale' section atm? Or would it not do the job?

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/roland-cnc-engraver.109247/

 

[Screwdriver]

I have an old Roland CX24 and while that seems quite large, there is no economy of scale for making it much smaller. All the same electro mechanical gubbins required for a 24 inch version as for a 12 inch and they will all print on "infinitely long" rolls of vinyl.

They are pretty cheap too but the older ones (typically ex school) are hindered deliberately with a restricted availability of drivers and software. Worth taking a look at though, they are excellent workhorses and incredibly robust.

 

[carbon]

Isn't there one in the 'For Sale' section atm? Or would it not do the job?

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/roland-cnc-engraver.109247/

Not really the same thing, vinyl cutters tend to be able to take vinyl in rolls and be able to cut varying lengths. I think the longest I’ve done is about 4m but depends on the ability of the cutter

 

[bigegg]

i have a silhouette cameo (mk1) which will print 12" wide x whatever length roll - cost me £85, delivered

software is silhouettes own (which is ok), backed up with inkscape (free) - it will also scan high contrast jpegs.

i get my vinyl from here:

MDP Supplies

Sign Vinyl, Garment Printing, Dye Sublimation & Car Wrap Wholesale Supplies

www.mdpsupplies.co.uk

i've not done anything as large as you are planning, but i'm very happy with the 4" square etching masks i've printed with it.

 

[carbon]

Ideally have some sort of memory card or usb stick slot so it can print from that rather than being connected to a computer all the time.

As I said before I haven’t looked at the newer cutters but unlike 3d printers that have a fixed max print size vinyl cutters don’t. I have a 610mm wide cutter and it’s possible to load piece of vinyl that’s 100mm wide and cut something on that. Once the vinyl is loaded into the cutter it effectively measures the width and reports this back to the cutting software.

 

[Screwdriver]

i have a silhouette cameo (mk1) which will print 12" wide x whatever length roll - cost me £85, delivered

software is silhouettes own (which is ok), backed up with inkscape (free) - it will also scan high contrast jpegs.

i get my vinyl from here:

MDP Supplies

Sign Vinyl, Garment Printing, Dye Sublimation & Car Wrap Wholesale Supplies

www.mdpsupplies.co.uk

i've not done anything as large as you are planning, but i'm very happy with the 4" square etching masks i've printed with it.

WOW! That is a lot cheaper than I thought. Guess prices for all these CNC machines are coming down drastically. Worth it just for the ability to use modern software.

 

[hotponyshoes]

WOW! That is a lot cheaper than I thought. Guess prices for all these CNC machines are coming down drastically. Worth it just for the ability to use modern software.

That's cheaper than in was expecting as well, The place that cuts my stickers now is not expensive but they have a minimum order charge so I generally end up with more than I need.
The extra ones that I get are never the ones I need for the next job either.

 

[bigegg]

mine was 2nd hand - and a FB bargain.
expect to pay nearer £130

 

[AussieJase]

Been years since I was a signwriter, (when machines first entered the business) but recently I looked at what was available and there seemed to be alot of new players in the plotter market. Just like welders, there's a lot of made-in-China rebadging going on. The 2 brands which have the most experience I would still say are still Roland, who tend to make a variety of models to suit different budgets - but the best, if you could afford it were Graphtec machines. In the UK there was a brand called Summasign plotters, which I sold here for about a year and they seemed to be well made. But I can't find them anymore.

Might be a good idea to see what software you want to use with it (some of it's free now) and then what machines it's made to work with. You can end up with a plotter and not able to find the software to drive it. Especially second-hand stuff.

These days, when all's said and done, I wouldn't use vinyl lettering on a vehicle. Even 10 year vinyls break down and create a mess that's more difficult to remove. Get a signwriter to do something nice in paint, I say.

I never used vinyl on high-quality speedboat or truck work I did. Mask, handcut and then spray paint. Then you can use proper automotive laquers. Even 2 pack if you really want it to be there for good.

Alternatively, if you want to do it yourself, use vinyl lettering as masking, then spray paint it.

 

[bigegg]

WOW! That is a lot cheaper than I thought. Guess prices for all these CNC machines are coming down drastically. Worth it just for the ability to use modern software.

as i said a couple of days ago on the "aquired" thread:
robotics stuff is ridiculously cheap compared to when i was studying it at school, 30+ yrs ago.

i'd guess 5% of the price, allowing for inflation? even moreso for some things? (compare price of Raspberry PI to bbc micro, or arduino uno to a z80a processor)

or even a DPDT 5v relay: i paid something like £3 each in 1985 for some - thatd be 6?7? pints in a pub.
they're now £1.50 each, delivered

 

[Screwdriver]

mine was 2nd hand - and a FB bargain.
expect to pay nearer £130

Oh err ok. I got paid to take my CX-24 away (school clearance) so really was reacting to that as if it was an off the shelf price. Still, even £130 is not too outrageous.

Got a link to where they're that cheap? The only ones I can find are circa £300 for a new one which is kinda what I was expecting.

 

[bigegg]

Oh err ok. I got paid to take my CX-24 away (school clearance) so really was reacting to that as if it was an off the shelf price. Still, even £130 is not too outrageous.

Got a link to where they're that cheap? The only ones I can find are circa £300 for a new one which is kinda what I was expecting.

Silhouette cameo – Printers, Copiers & Fax Machines – Hartlepool | Facebook Marketplace

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Silhouette Cameo – Cables & Adapters – Kingston upon Hull | Facebook Marketplace

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silhouette cameo mk1! - i think theyre up to mk4, now, but i'm more than happy with my mk1

theres a few on the bay - auction - but none on a BIN for less than £200. That i could find with a quick search, that is.