I have 2 more questions, one is about weeding and vinyl the other is about pricing. Right now I mostly use LG Hi-Cal 4000, with a Creation PCut. I just posted another question about a new cutter because I am getting a large company contract.
1 - Sometimes I have trouble weeding the LG 4000 is this the vinyl or the cutter that causes these problems.
Also should I step up yhe the LG 6000, or I've been thinking about switching to Oracal.
2 - My second question is about pricing. I did a job for the company already a few days ago. It was decals for a trailer, no installation just making the decals. The trailer is for a stunt bike rider that I sponsor.(Side note: the company I am picking up is his main sponsor). Well it was about 50 square feet and I charged $200, becuase I am his sponsor too and my logos were going on the trailer very large as well. But what do you normally charge for a job like this. I have been reading the most charge 10-12 dollars a square foot, while others give price breaks the more you order. Is it better to do a set price and no price breaks?
The total job took me about 15 hours, but most was editing the logos for printing.
So my question is what is the average cost for a job like this?
Thanks again guys, love the forums as well. Any help is greatly appreciated.
15 hrs is a long time to recreate logos. I would let him know that since you sponsor him he got a GREAT DEAL. Personally it's hard for me to give an exact total because your 15 hrs may have been 2 hrs for me or 30 hrs for me. Without seeing exactly what the logos were I can't give you a total, but 1200.00 to me seems aweful high and 200 seems too low. Guessing I probably would of been around 500ish. But that's just a "rough guess".
I charge extra for any logo rework or design time. Computers are not my friends and it takes me longer than most to get things redrawn. I tell my customers this and give them all the information so that they can do the redraws themselves in the correct format or have someone else do it. I like to make money off of what i am good at, not what someone else can do faster and better.
I haven't tried the LG vinyl. I have used Quantum, Oracal and Avery. I mainly use Oracal. Even within the oracal 651, different colors require different cutting pressures and weed very differently. 651 brown is horrible to weed.
I usually charge by the sq. foot, even down to the square inch if it's smaller to get a precise cost.
My charge per sq. ft is 4.32 no installation no design fee
If they want me to design I charge $12 and if they want me to install I charge $20 all per sq. ft.
You have to find your way to do it, what works best for you. I want to give customers a good price, especially in these economic times.
I have thought of doing Linear Footage pricing, a lot of digital printing folks do it that way. But vinyl, since you can load down to a 2" piece in most cases, you can be very precise.
I haven't used LG, I use Oracal now after using FDC and some Avery and Some 3M. All have their pros and cons but seems that Oracal is really got it down.
Weeding and Pricing 
