hi way robbery (decals)

[plowman]

I'm in the finishing stages of restoring my a/c made homelite T-16, I'm very picky,as I'm trying to make this look like it just come off the showroom floor,I've taken the dash to several local decal shops To have a new decal made ,99% of the shops can't do letters that small the one place I found to do it said they could make one , be done in a couple days price $170. I said why so much? They said it will take a lot of time on there computer to set it up.They agreed to make 2 for $175 that makes it somewhat better but still seems really expensive to me,This is the first time I've ever had to have decals made.They also told me they'd save it on there computer , so the next time I need one It will be alot cheaper.

[stormy2163]

That seems awfully high to me...highway robbery is right.Wish I could help you out..but don't know anyone off hand that does that sort of thing.Good Luck to you.Maybe someone here will respond that knows how to help you out. Stormy

[arjr111]

Exactly, why I just mask them and paint around. $175, for decals is outrageous!

[KSever]

$175 is high but you really have to hunt around. I use Signs by Tomorrow and yes they are a national chain. I haven't had any problems yet that weren't my fault. I did all the decals on my Landlord EXCEPT the dash for around $20 (that one I did tape off). I did take pictures of the decals before I sanded them off on the digital camera down to them to make decals from that. They might not be perfectly exact but for me they are pretty close and I am pretty picky. Picky enough to sand the paint job off on my hood 3 times before I liked it.

[Dutch]

If you guys ever spent the time watching the entire process, you wouldn't think the price was outrageous for making the first decal. After the first one is made, others can be made in rapid succession. I have a lot of that type work done. It's not unusual to pay $500 for one....... then $50 for another thousand.

[Nick]

I worked in the print shop in High School, The computer is tedious work. Try getting something lined up, it could take you an hour sometimes depending how small the letters are. then you have to print it, take it to the camera, shoot a negitive, put a positive to the negitive, put it through the chemical roller, let it dry. you have to make the screen up, put the negitive on the screen, put it on the plate burner, which burns the image onto the screen, wash the screen down with chemicals, and then put it in a dark closet for 24 hoursafter that, You have to silk screen it on the decal. so in about 27 hours you'll have a decal.

[jlasater]

Are you guys talking about silk screened decals, or getting them cut out via computer in vinyl?

[Dutch]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jlasater
Are you guys talking about silk screened decals, or getting them cut out via computer in vinyl?

---

Don't know about the others, but I'm talking about silk screen. Silk screen is the only way to go if you want an OEM look-a-like or small letters. Die cut vinyl is much cheaper, but it's layered, not like OEM and it's limited. The shop that I use just got a new machine. It will print on vinyl. Very close to silk screen, but a much faster process. The machine cost $15,000.00

[samson]

The cost is why I don't have any decals on my machines. Waiting to see if somebody can do them reasonable.