# Best cheap vinyl cutter



## akarka (Oct 25, 2007)

Im sure you all have had this question a million times, but here it goes again. I am looking for the best vinyl cutter for doing small sign jobs, window decals, and maybe some T-shirts. By budget is $1000 for the cutter and all the necessary material to get started. Obvisouly, I cannot purchase a Roland or Graphtec so, what do each of you recommend I purchase on the cheap end? 

Also, I already have a job to be filled which is to do helmet decals for a youth football team. They are wanting a red star outlined with white and then again with red. How in the world do you do multi-color vinyl and what type of vinyl is recommended for football helmets. They will take alot of abuse.

Thanks in advance


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## chill (Oct 28, 2007)

Hi,

I have just purchased a Seiki Tech 36" cutter from www.sunie.com and it seems to be working very well. It was $399.00 with free shipping. They also have heat presses for under $300. 

Multi color vynil is not that hard to do. Do a search on this site and you will see some nice examples. You will want to use an outdoor sign vinyl.

Hope this helps. 









akarka said:


> Im sure you all have had this question a million times, but here it goes again. I am looking for the best vinyl cutter for doing small sign jobs, window decals, and maybe some T-shirts. By budget is $1000 for the cutter and all the necessary material to get started. Obvisouly, I cannot purchase a Roland or Graphtec so, what do each of you recommend I purchase on the cheap end?
> 
> Also, I already have a job to be filled which is to do helmet decals for a youth football team. They are wanting a red star outlined with white and then again with red. How in the world do you do multi-color vinyl and what type of vinyl is recommended for football helmets. They will take alot of abuse.
> 
> Thanks in advance


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

akarka said:


> How in the world do you do multi-color vinyl and what type of vinyl is recommended for football helmets.


 
this is how to prepare the artwork:

YouTube - Three Color Layering

and this is how you apply the layers:

YouTube - Layering Graphics

YouTube - how to Layer 2 colors Vinyl Decal


hope that helps


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## Earnest (Dec 7, 2007)

First of all The cutter you choose should do all the things you want. I started with a table top roland years ago and still have it. I now have a 24" vinyl express and love it. Not to much money and good quality.. Purchased at signwarehouse.

As for the helmut decals. I got a request for that and I farmed it out. It is painful at best to do multi colors.

Ernie


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## tonynjanet (Nov 1, 2007)

Is there a 34" Vinyl Cutter? these 2 sites say so. are these real or what? 
SunIE.com


eBay Express: 34" NEW VINYL CUTTER PLOTTER CUTTING SIGN USB 24/25/36 - Description


The Second site is the one I want to buy. can someone please explain to me if this is real or a scam.


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## billm75 (Feb 15, 2007)

I posted a request for bids on a vinyl decal job for Youth football helmets myself. Send me a PM and I'll help you out. 

Our decals are full color, custom logo and everyone I am working with has been nothing short of great in bidding this job and supplying samples.

I can't imagine trying to do the multi-color logo in vinyl for a helmet. Let someone with a solvent printer take care of all that.


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## DMS (Jan 28, 2007)

take a look at gcc plotters, GCC LaserPro Laser Engraver, Vinyl Cutter and Printer


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

Get hold of PlanB here on the forum.. His name is Roger and he is an agent for a cutter company. If you email me i will give you his phone number.


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

actually, full collor decals can also be made with an ordinary laser printer or a copier.
there is a special self-adhesive transparent sheet for that.


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## billm75 (Feb 15, 2007)

CMYK - the problem I ran into doing full color decals on my laser printer was fading in the sun. They lost their brilliance in less than a week, and looked TERRIBLE!!!! 

Plus, I don't want to cut out 200 4" circles by hand, and I know that I'll never get true alignment out of my laser printer if I bought the precut decals on a sheet.


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

billm75 said:


> CMYK - the problem I ran into doing full color decals on my laser printer was fading in the sun. They lost their brilliance in less than a week, and looked TERRIBLE!!!!


i never tried it, i am really dissapointed to hear that...i thought it may be a solution for folks who don't have that expensive solvent printers...
i believe there is an UV protection spray, but don't know more about it.
this is w hat i was talking about, i just ran into it on the web, it is made by Folex:


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## billm75 (Feb 15, 2007)

You're correct that there is a spray for UV protection, but it's an extra hassle to mess with in creating your decals from my experience.

I used to create custom candy wrapper, bottle labels, etc, and the biggest issue was waterproofing certain labels. 

The spray was messy and smelled horrible. I chose to pass on it.  

Now, for one or two quick decals, that may be the way to go, but for any sort of production run I outsource those jobs now.


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Hey Bill,

If my information is correct, all laser prints and even inkjet prints must be laminated if exposed to the sun.


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## billm75 (Feb 15, 2007)

You probably are correct. I'm just saying it's a pain to apply that protectant spray. Been there, done that, got the contact buzz. 

I prefer to outsource my decals when I need full color, that's really all I'm saying.


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

i'm wondering if we are talking about the same kind of adhesive sheets...there are some paper ones, one some vinyl ones. 
could you tell me the brand you used, pls?

i'll contact the vendor on monday and ask fore more technical data on folex.


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## billm75 (Feb 15, 2007)

I can't recall the brand used, (it's been over a year since I purchased any) but it was a vinyl type material made for use in laser printers. I got full sheet decals and they worked just fine, but spraying on the protectant is what killed me


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## cmyk (Dec 3, 2007)

ok, thanks for the info!

(and sorry for the threadjacking )


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## mystysue (Aug 27, 2006)

To answer the first question you asked about what type of vinyl the best vinyl for this application is called convex.. Its thick and is meant to take the abuse that sports equipment need.. That being said.. Its also expensive and thick to cut.. lol..

Convex Information


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