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A little history
Along came the introduction of adhesive backed vinyl and a machine that had the capability to cut shapes out of that vinyl. Though these machines had a hefty price tag in the beginning, the sign painter/sign shops made the investment to help cut down on the less tedious and simple items such as window & door lettering. Why? Now they could concentrate more on those big projects and provide a quicker turn-a-round time on the simpler jobs without losing a customer while keeping the customers happy. The investment made eventually paid for it, increased the client base, which in turn increased revenue. As the technology improved, the sign painter found that they were doing more vinyl cutting than sign painting and still able to make a living. Today, there are very few sign painters left, but their talents and skills are hard to match. Are they still needed? You bet!

Not so many years ago there was only ONE print and cut solution introduced by Gerber Scientific known as the “EDGE” system. It was pricey, but they cornered the market for a need that the sign shops had. It was not an all-in-one unit either and to this day is still not. You have the printer unit, the cutting unit, and lets not forget the software combined with the computer system. Those that dared to make the investment also profited from it. Did it pay for itself? Yes, and several times over. It provided a sign shop with an advantage over the competition. Of course, a little creative thinking above and beyond what the manufacturers description of what the machine could do did not hurt either. Now it’s difficult to find a sign shop that doesn’t have an Edge or at least out-sources to someone that does, which is another alternative.

Then along came other manufacturers with similar systems trying to get a piece of the pie. Some made one-piece units and some made multi-piece units. Some units may be able to handle larger width materials than others and some may be faster. Each had a price tag that reflected those capabilities. Each provided the end-user the potential to open doors to both old and new client bases while making an extra buck or two. Though these machines were designed as a short to medium run solution, it does not mean that those long runs could not be produced as well!

Adapting
What was the solution to the long run scenario? The screen printer! Those screen printing people may labor all day to knock out thousands of decals or whatever and manufacture a die that could stamp out the shapes. How they tolerate the fumes I’ll never know, but they do it anyway and they are still going strong today. Granted, they produce those long runs, but many have looked into the above-mentioned solutions for their shorter runs too!

In the meantime, the inkjet market has been sitting in the wings evolving into what we see in the market today. Many have forgotten or never knew about the first generation of large format (digital) printers. They were slow compared to today’s standards and were only capable of using dye (indoor) based inks along with a limited selection of printable materials, mainly bond paper or a photo-gloss paper. That was then and look at where we are today. What can’t you find to print on or the inks needed for longevity? You have the speed, the size and flexibility to let your imagination run wild. Originally, the manufacturers were geared toward the design and graphics companies that used the inkjet systems for prototypes or very short run items. Times change though. The typical sign shop is not so typical any more. The customer has placed more demands on the sign shop and looks more toward that one stop shopping. It’s difficult to turn a customer away that wants to spend their money with you, but can you meet the demands? The sign shop has now become the all-in-one solution for many customers and the manufacturers have realized this fact. Turn-around times play an important factor with most of our customers and of course, if you can produce it in-house you can turn it around faster and make a larger profit margin. Needless to say, the inkjet technology has come a long way in both the indoor and outdoor markets.

Your goals as to why you are looking for a print & cut solution may play a big factor in the purchase of the right system for you. Do you want to make small decals, produce vehicle wraps or something in between? Let’s not forget the budget either. What you want and what you can afford may be two different things. We usually have to make a compromise somewhere in the middle. With all the various systems on the market, it is doubtful that you can find one that will do everything you would like it to do.

Pointers
Here are a few questions to keep in mind if you are looking for the perfect system:

1. Investment cost - can you afford this system and can you make a profit?
2. Operating cost - how much does it cost per square foot to produce an item?
3. The working environment - space needed, dust free, health issues, waste disposal, etc.
4. Ease of use - the infamous learning curve, training, support, additional requirements?
5. Speed - can you produce what is needed in a reasonable amount of time?
6. Size - width of material that this system can utilize, 15" up to? (60") or more?
7. Materials - what materials are readily available for this system?
8. Waste factor - printing area, loading/unloading waste (you may waste a few feet of material each time a material is loaded or unloaded from the system - remember, it comes out of your pocket)?
9. Maintenance - can you maintain the system or is a manufacturers’ technician required? Cleaning, adjustments, calibrations, how often, how long does it take? Nothing is maintenance free!
10. Warranty - initial manufactures’ warranty (90 days, 6 months, one year), extended warranties and cost, what parts wear out, frequency of replacement parts, turn-around time for repairs?

It is a must to do your homework! Granted, not all salesmen can answer these questions, but don’t quit asking until they get answered. Many regret their purchases due to the lack of information provided or the lack of asking the question.

Is a print & cut solution always needed? The answer is NO! Technology is great, but sometimes the old fashioned manual method works as well or better. A good example of this is found in vehicle wraps. If you have never seen a wrap or even a partial wrap from beginning to completion, you are missing out on the big picture. Do you really think that the giants of vehicle wraps and graphics use a machine to die-cut those graphics? Not likely! Due to the immense size and/or complexity of the graphics, a majority of the time they are hand trimmed. Yes, more labor is involved, but time wise it is about the same as running it through a machine. What happens to your profit margin if the machine (cutter) messes up or you did not get the alignment just right? I am not saying that it can’t be done, because anything is possible. When it comes to the small to medium sized graphics in any quantity, yes, the printer/cutter solution works well. What it all boils down to is what do you really want to accomplish with the system that you wish to purchase?

As a closing note, lets not forget that these graphics will not last forever. Every precaution should be taken to provide your client with the best possible results for longevity. Even though the solvent and/or eco-solvent systems provide some outdoor longevity, this can be extended and sometimes doubled with the use of a good film laminate or a liquid laminate. What we tend to overlook or get confused with is the terminology, that is, longevity and durability. The solvent-based systems may be UV and weather resistant, but between handling and abrasions they could use some added help. The digital print industry has come a long way in a short period of time and there is no perfect system yet. There are only those systems that can accommodate the projects for which they are designed to do. Choose wisely based upon your needs and keep in mind that a single system/machine may not be able to perform miracles.