[IYFGraphics]

We had a new client call us today about printing some coro signs for a local booster club, we don't do screen printing but could do them in vinyl, we priced the job to them and the lady went Oh....like the price was too high.

We wound up turning down the job because there was no profit in it, but I;m curious now as to what the cost would be to have them screen printed here's the spec.

Coro pre-cut into the shape of a football, simple football outline with text, both sides, print color navy blue, print size is 11"x 18", they have no artwork, only a sample from last year done in vinyl, this is a 50 pc order (100 hits)

I'm interested in the process, would you need a jig to hold the football shape, what type of ink would you use, how would you cure it, and an idea of a average cost per sign if the customer supplied the coro.

Thanks....

 

[tpitman]

The ink I use for coroplast is a solvent air-dry ink from Nazdar called "Corogloss". Runs around $40 - $50 a quart, depending on the color. A quart will do a few hundred signs, depending on coverage. You have to use a Thinner/Retarder with it at about 15% by weight, and print it through a 230 mesh or higher. They dry in about 20 - 30 minutes. Use a respirator, or work with a LOT of ventilation. Stinks like paint, and cleanup is a sticky proposition. Use an emulsion that is suitable for solvents.
As for the football shape, you'd need a jig to hold it in the same position for each print. You need something to hold square signage, too, and generally it's best to make up a vacuum platen. I print on a homemade vacuum platen press with jiffy hinges.

The issue with buying ink for a 50 piece order, especially if they supply the substrate, is that you're going to have ink and thinner left over that you can't really charge off to the customer, so unless you plan on hustling printed coroplast signs, a short run like that really doesn't make economic sense.

 

[IYFGraphics]

Thanks Tom for the info, like I said in my original post we don't do screen printing, and I thought the lady was just trying to chisel us down on the price to do them in vinyl.

As it turns out when we held firm on the price and told her we could recommend a screen printer for her to contact she changed her tune and agreed to our price.

It got me thinking as to what the actual process would be for a screen printer to even do these and an average price per, with what your saying I doubt any screen printer would even do them for $1 a sign which is what she alluded to was what someone else had offered to do them for.

Any how thanks again.

 

[ino]

With the right type of kit they probably would, but only if she ordered a 1000 at a time. JMO.

 

[tpitman]

It got me thinking as to what the actual process would be for a screen printer to even do these and an average price per, with what your saying I doubt any screen printer would even do them for $1 a sign which is what she alluded to was what someone else had offered to do them for.

Any how thanks again.

With setup charges, I wouldn't do 50 signs for a buck a piece. For 100, I might if I had the ink in stock, since they supplied the coroplast.
One sided signs, 24x18, one color typically sell for 1.50 each, which includes the coroplast, but not the stepstake, at least in my neck of the woods. The profit on yard sign printing is pretty tight and there's not much room for negotiation.