posted
Hi all. I have a client that has builds & repair computers. of course, I opened my big mouth & told him I could do the little 3/4" x 3/4" domed labels for the front panel of them on my Roland. but How much can I get for them? Never been there, never done that!
posted
Check with mike Pipes. (stickerpimp). We were discussing the domed stuff the other day. Don't know about pricing though, but he referred me to some sites with materials, samples.
------------------ Chris King Lines-N-Signs Indiana, PA
'Then there was the gal who never believed in signs until one day she went through a door marked Gentlemen'
Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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all figure used are representational only. you must fill in your own numbers.
edge print decals.....................$150.00 t.c. resin used.........................$8.00 mark up for resin.......................$4.00 1 hour labor for doming decals.........$75.00 coolness factor........................$50.00
total.................................$287.00
now how to figure out how we got to this price. i based this on the following...
the vinyl price is based on 50 3/4" x 3/4" three color edge printed die cut decals. this would be approximately 18" of printed and cut vinyl. i like to have enough room for the doming process. this is assuming the logo is already designed and needs nothing more than resizing and a cut border.
this price includes $3.00 for the vinyl, $1.50 for markup, 3 colors @$20.00 for each color, $30.00 for markup on the printing, and the balance for set up, cutting, and weeding. printing costs are based on what we get charged from a shop that does edge prints for us. the prices will vary from area to area.
the resin costs are based on what i paid for the bottles of resin we have. i have no idea what it costs in your area. the mark up is 50% of the cost of materials. you need to make something for the monies and effort you made to keep this stuff on hand.
the hourly rate is the shop rate we have determined for ourselves. you will have to fill your own number there. shop rate is for your overhead, labor cost, and profit margin for your shop. i figure that i could mix and apply the resin in an hour. maybe more if the phone rings or less if i get in a zone, you know what i mean?
"coolness factor" is an arbitrary number that you can apply to offbeat or just darn cool stuff. this means that you are doing something that no on else does or are far and away better at doing something than anyone else. i figured it would make the project half again as cool as it would be without so i used 50%. maybe you think it makes it two or three times cooler. that is up to you. only experience will guide on the "coolness factor".
we have used t.c. resin for doing the doming on decals. you must use enamel receptive vinyl for this. the resin will not completely dry on virgin vinyl (is there such a thing? lol!) completely and remain with a slight tack for a very long time. we have found that the e.r. vinyl works great. the only downside is that the vinyl is clear. at least the e.r. vinyl we buy is.
remember that if you use the accudome stuff, it has a very short shelf life after it is opened. i believe it is somewhere around 4 months or so. this is why we sought other alternatives and after seeing dave "burton" beatty show off his raised letter technique using the t.c. resin, we thought why not try it?
remember to weed the outside unused vinyl off. the resin will creep to the edge of the vinyl and stop. we just drip a glop of resin in the center of prints and work it slightly out from the center towards the edges. let it flow out on it's own accord. if you force it to the edge, there is a real good chance it will flow over the edge of the decal. who said science class was a waste of time?
remember to tack rag the vinyl lightly as too much pressure wiping will deposit some of the stickiness of the tack rag on the vinyl.
after applying the resin, put the sheet in a place where it will lay perfectly flat and is pretty much dust free. dust will muck up the surface of the doming.
a light spritz of isopropyl alcohol will bring the bubble, if any, to the surface to dissipate. excessive stirring will cause bubbles. so will hard mixing. mix lightly and only enough to mix the a and b components.
use an uncoated paper cup and a popsicle stick to mix the resin. when finished leave cup out until the resin is hard. this mixture will produce heat and may spontaneously combust if placed in the trash.
i hope i didn't leave anything out. you can now all pick yourselves up off the floor! lol!
have a great one! really.
------------------ Bruce Bowers DrCAS Signtech
"how great are His signs..." Daniel 4:3
i am a proud supporter of this website!
[This message has been edited by Bruce Bowers (edited August 23, 2001).]
Posts: 6453 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
First off, YES, you can do them... with great ease, and most importantly -profitably!
What you're gonna need....
a basic ol' desktop inkjet printer, an autoparts store, a couple of popsicle sticks or something like that, a piece of cardboard or plastic, and some sticker paper (available at an office supply, wal-mart, or hopefully you can find someone who ships UPS shipments... like a mailboxes etc, and get a couple of sheets from them for free!)
Create your design, you said 3/4 x 3/4.. usually they are 1x1", but whatever cases he's using, go with it.
Line them up in a nice little row, and print them on the sticker paper (some call it crack'n peel.. its not, but some call it that.).
Since they are square, you should be able to cut them nicely with scissors or a tabletop trimmer, etc.
Once they are cut and piled up (with your total investment so far of $0-5), we're off to the auto-parts store.. (or, wal-mart).
They will have 2-part clear epoxy. A tube like this will cost you $2-5. It will make a zillion of these stickers, and will have a shelf life, if properly capped, of a couple of years. (your mileage may vary).
Squirt the stuff out on your cardboard or plastic, mix WELL. Stir that goo well, cause you dont want any 'soft' or gooey spots.
Drop a little bit at a time, on the stickers.. a little goes a long way, and thin is in... a BIG dome is trouble usually due to uneven drying or in some cases, never drying. Be sure they are lying flat as gravity is as much your friend as enemy here... the surface tension will keep the goo from running off the edges and create the nice 'dome' you're looking for.
If you get bubbles, either apply a little heat (like a pocket torch) to a small area.. and watch them rise and pop.. or pop them in the oven on a cookie sheet for a minute. Works like a champ.
Let them dry a few hours. ta-da! a set of domed case stickers worth $1-3 a piece. (at 50)
If you have a colorcamm, fargo or edge, try this with the chrome or gold vinyl. stunning results.
The TC Resin stuff is useful only because its urethane and not epoxy.. which, means its flexible and not rigid. Since these are going on a computer case, the rigidity is a good thing, plus, the cost/time/effort/shelf life/repeatability of local supply is better in my opinion.
Hope that helped in some way.
------------------ Robb Lowe Hub City Graphics Spartanburg, SC
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