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Considering purchasing a thermal printer. Too those who have one, where and what type of clients should one go after for this type of work? Pretty much stay busy with the vinyl and custom sign work. Would like to put together a sales push after receiving it. Where should I focus?
Thanks All And thank God for electricity here in virginia
-------------------- Signs Solutions, Inc. Matthew Rossi Midlothian, VA, 23113 signsol@earthlink.net Posts: 139 | From: Midlothian, Virginia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Rossi--please clarify your THERMAL printer comment. Thermal Transfer?, ala EDGE, Summa, Matan, etc? Or Thermal Inkjet?, ala HP, Epson, Roland, etc?
If you're into signage, you want a machine that would suit the outdoor market. Let us know what you want to do specifically, and then we'll let you in on what we know...
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Hiya Matthew, Search the archives, there's a lot of good info there. This topic has been discussed many times here. The Edge and the Colorcamm are 2 thermal transfer machines that have been highly debated. However, there are many other good printers that have come onto the market in recent times. Like Ted asked, what do you want to do with it? Or better yet what would your clients want with it? Ultimately, they're the ones that will be paying for it. Unless you're independently wealthy or have money to burn, I wouldn't suggest buying any type of printer without a market to support it. I would suggest making arrangements with another shop or a wholesaler who already has the machine you're looking to buy and purchase the graphics from them. Once you're selling enough on a regular basis to cover the payments of the machine, buy it.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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You ALREADY have a market to support ANY entry-level digital sign printing system. EVERYONE does.
For starters, digital printing is a more efficient, more cost-effective means of producing many every-day jobs...for every-day, existing customers.
As you develop your business plan, focus on gaining return on investment from the incremental profit that you will net from printing rather than cutting, weeding, premasking and applying vinyl (especially in multiple colours) or painting.
Now, before any of our esteemed “traditionalist” Letterheads reading this get their knickers in a twist, let me clarify that not all jobs are ideally suited for digital printing…and that cut vinyl and paint (and gilding and carving and…etc) will always have their place. In its most basic sense, a digital printer is just another tool -- a fancy, expensive brush if you like.
OK…back to the point:
These very same "every-day, existing customers" also happen to be your best resource for growth and enhanced return on investment…particularly if you choose a printing system that offers the versatility to produce a wide variety of products to sell those existing customers (One thermal transfer printer stands head-and-shoulders above all other digital printers in this regard. If you do your research, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out which one).
Make a point of undertsanding the full capabilities of the printers you reasearch…so that you can be in a better position to conduct some market research…with (you guessed it) existing customers.
Existing customers know you. You know them. You have a relationship based on delivering as promised…perhaps even over-delivering. They trust you. This makes them approachable. Get out there and pay them some visits! Deliver their next order in person. Tell them about how you are planning to re-invest in your business – in order to provide them with a full-service offering of product and service solutions. Ask them for a tour of their facility. Keep your eyes open. Look for opportunities and ask lots of questions. Ask them about their goals. Ask them about their marketing objectives. Listen well. There is more opportunity for new business with existing customers than you have probably imagined.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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