VInyl Lettering

T

tpgsr

New member
Just wondering if any of you guys have stepped into this arena. I am going to be offering my Marine customers Vessel naming, and registration numbers. Vinyl can be challenging, but it is definatly no harder than detailing, and there is a good profit to be made. Personally, all of my graphics and letters are cut offsite and shipped to me, and working with a wholeseller you can achieve around a 200% markup over your cost of materials.



Just though that i would throw it out there, and maybe trigger some ideas for some folks

Mike
 
Mike,



I worker for a sign shop in the bay area for almost two years. I was thinking of this avenue as I emerge into this industry. As long as you have a great designer who listens to customers requests, it should be simple on your end. You seem to be proficient in desktop publishing so it looks as thought the only variable would be quick turnaround on cutting/masking. If I were to call around to any of the 4-5 sign shops in my area I can guarantee that the shortest turnaround time for any sized project is 5-7 business days.



As for the physical laying of vinyl. Piece of cake for anyone who is detail oriented:

Clean surface with Alcohol

Find center on vinyl application (vert & horiz) <Grease pencil>

Find center on surface (horizontally)

I usually adjusted the application vertically visually using visibility variables to determine.

Mask the top (or bottom, not both) of the application the entire length

Pull out your soapy water and velcro-(fuzzy side!) covered vinyl squeegee

Lift application and spray soapy water down

Peel wax backing off application from the masked line and start squeegee-ing

Press out any residual air/water bubbles

Wipe it down



Using soapy water will allow you to pick the vinyl back up if you develop a soft crease. I had a little apron with pockets that held all my instruments of the trade. x-acto knife with a pack of blades, mask, chizzler, squeegee, and various self made gadgets.



If you need more info call me or email. Gott abe at an appt and I am running late!!

:wavey
 
Mike,



It sounds like a very good add-on service. Hey, there are pleanty of boats that are constantly being bought and sold, so when you stop and think about it, many of those boats will need to be re-named. Lots of good oportunity there.



And a special thanks to Andrew(pssstue) for that quick application lesson.
 
Thanks for typing out all of that info. I have laid vinyl before, so i know how to do it, but that gave me a procedure typed out to print up for the staff. Only thing that i would wonder is the velcro over the squeege. Do you only put the velcro on for after the backing has been removed, or do you use it the whole time? Only reason i ask is that i find some tiny air bubles can be left if you dont use a pretty stiff scraper to do the initial smoothing.



I have actually got a shop here that has 2 plotters, and can turn around any size cut in just a few hours. I wont be using them for everything, since i have a non-local wholesaler that can do the cuts somewhat cheaper, and about 3-4 day shipping is fine for me since i willl have to do a proof with the customer, and then book the actual application. I think that company will also ship same day if i order before 12noon.



If you want, once i get all of my documents, price sheets, and etc... drawn up i will send you the files so that you have something to start up with say you wanted to add this to your list of services (I can't see why you wouldn't being that you ahve a great deal of experience)
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Mike,



It sounds like a very good add-on service. Hey, there are pleanty of boats that are constantly being bought and sold, so when you stop and think about it, many of those boats will need to be re-named. Lots of good oportunity there.



And a special thanks to Andrew(pssstue) for that quick application lesson.
Click to expand...



yeah Frank, that is exactly what i was thinking, that and registration numbers. All boats have to have them on each side of the hull. Since i will be working with several marinas on repo boats and boat sales, i can just letter and number all of them as they are being detailed before going to the customers. iQuick way to make a good deal of extra $.
 
tpgsr said:
Thanks for typing out all of that info. I have laid vinyl before, so i know how to do it, but that gave me a procedure typed out to print up for the staff. Only thing that i would wonder is the velcro over the squeege. Do you only put the velcro on for after the backing has been removed, or do you use it the whole time? Only reason i ask is that i find some tiny air bubles can be left if you dont use a pretty stiff scraper to do the initial smoothing.
Click to expand...



The squeegee I use(d) is double sided, one side is lined with the fuzzy velcro and the other, nothing. The side with the velcro is used first, damp with water/soap making for very low abrasion on the vinyl. Vinyl can scratch. When I get the majority of the bubbles out with the velcro I flip it over for the stiff side and slip the remaining bubbles out one by one. You can use a shirt or something but it is tough to adhere to the squeegee and doesn't hold water the same way velcro does. Check out http://www.signweb.com/index.html for some useful industry info/tips. HTH.
 
This is an initial price table for the public.

It was created based on boat-us's self install vinyl table, and it accounts for my cost per letter from my supplier, and the ammount of markup that i want to recieve at each level.



vinylpriceguide.gif
 
Ok, I have sat down on this old horrible computer (mine good one is all sorts of broken!) and created what i feel is a great catalog. It has a beautiful color cover, and a great color selection page, including almost 30 pages of options fonts and small images that can be used.



It really is a cornerstone for adding vinyl lettering to your business. All you need beyond that is a good supplier (which i can provide ;) ), and the skill to apply the graphics, which isn't too hard to learn.



I know that i typically post all of my materials, but this one is very sensitive, so anyone that really wants a running start at adding this service to their detailing business, all i ask is that you e-mail me with your name, a phone number, and the city and state that you live in. I can be having competition getting into my highly sensitive files on this one. Sorry. My e-mail is [email protected] I will provide you with the catalog, the supplier, the external price sheet, the internal markup and cost comaprison which is vital to know!, and any help that you may need with thereafter :)



Mike
 
If I did more than 1-2 boats a year, it would definitely be something I'd look into provided my customers were interested.



Looks like an easy way to add some more $$$ to the bottom line.
 
Steve and scott, the files have been e-mailed





Scottwax: did you want e to send the files to you anyhow? It is really something that has 0 overhead, and can be very profitable with little marketing. Just meet with the owners of the marinas, tell them you offer it, and watch the phone light up :)
 
I've been looking into purchasing a cutter and found them to be fairly reasonable . I have a spare laptop to run the program for cuttingn and designing . I just haven't decided on which one. I'd like to do lettering and graphics as well .
 
why invest into the plotter immediatly. I have a great supplier for all of the vinyl, precut and ready to go. It is a good option to open the doors for the business, and save your $$ for a real high end plotter (It really does make a HUGE difference)
 
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