Why would you buy/use a tint Machine? (plotter/cutter)

January 23, 2008

I don't see the price coming down any more than it already has. Film cutting on a plotter is nothing new, it's now going 10 years + (I can specifically remember it being done in 1998) and I used to play around with cutting designs in a 24" table plotter at a friends sign shop back in 1992/93. The prices have dropped marginally (on set up and operation) and they are about where they're going to stay. The process itself is a long long long way from being a new thing.

Plotters are good for cutting designs, high volume (think french panes), they're good for keeping installers in the dark about certain techniques.

I don't use one (for tint) even though I have 3 for vinyl. Have tried all the varying programs, all them are "ok" at best if you're trying to compare it to 20yrs experience. Great for newbies I guess.

There is ONE shop in my area of about 300,000 people - and his "THE ONLY COMPUTERIZED CUTTING EQUIPMENT!" sales pitch is painfully easy to turn against him when a custy asks about it. "Yeah... some shops use those machines. I have them too, but we only hand cut window film here. Machine cutting is a great tool if you're not really that good at tining." Pretty rare to lose a customer to the other guy after that.

May not be a 1000% accurate counter-sales pitch, but oh well. It's not a lie, but no point in filling in all the details either. Let the custy jump to their own assumptions from that point.

January 23, 2008

I second you tintman 237 I can cut out a cars window s faster n more precise then somone with a plotter n shrink them ja hja u know what im talking about

January 23, 2008

the machine only cuts....it doesnt shrink or tint the car. it only does the easy part that we all learned first.

I dont have time to play with the plotter all that time. its good for some of you, but I just dont like the idea of loading, adjusting, updating...some may...but not me. the only thing that I could see doin with it is for tint art. but yes if I was at a dealership tinting the same car over and over...I would let the machine cut cut cut a bunch of cars at one time...then tint all day.

TintWizard · January 23, 2008

To be open minded and fair ..I've personally never used a plotter so I can't play the hand vs machine talk without blowing smoke out my arse .

If guys like TZ and pierce use it in a solo situation ..2 experienced tinters , there must be something to it once you get it down..I still have to see it in action B4 I can pass judgment .

The only thing I WILL stand behind is that the machine will not cut a better cut than an experienced hand actually doing the cut on the individual car ..perhaps AS good some or most of the time. Through the customer's eyes , machine vs EXPERIENCED hand crafted, there's simply is no benifet in that sense ..perhaps a bit in time savings which I never found a customer that was too worried about that since tinting is a 1 shot deal for thier car.

It really comes down to a "is the tint plotter needed for my business " This is what I emphasize to potential customers , because it's more of a business decision foe the tinter's business rather than the "is it better than"

Keep in mind, I'm speaking based on being an experienced cutter..a newbie ..that's a whole different thing . :rollin

tint45 · January 23, 2008

I know I've said it before but... I loves me the plotter for stationary windows, I.e. back glass and quarters. :thumb And for those that are concerned with how much time the plotter takes, you can 'precision-hand-craft-cut' the R/D's while the machine's cranking out the rest. :rollin

Along with all of the others that have said it, cutting (and usualy shrinking) is the easy part. Installing the cleanest job possible is what always slowed me down. :thumb

January 23, 2008

To be open minded and fair ..I've personally never used a plotter so I can't play the hand vs machine talk without blowing smoke out my arse .
If guys like TZ and pierce use it in a solo situation ..2 experienced tinters , there must be something to it once you get it down..I still have to see it in action B4 I can pass judgment .

The only thing I WILL stand behind is that the machine will not cut a better cut than an experienced hand actually doing the cut on the individual car ..perhaps AS good some or most of the time. Through the customer's eyes , machine vs EXPERIENCED hand crafted, there's simply is no benifet in that sense ..perhaps a bit in time savings which I never found a customer that was too worried about that since tinting is a 1 shot deal for thier car.

It really comes down to a "is the tint plotter needed for my business " This is what I emphasize to potential customers , because it's more of a business decision foe the tinter's business rather than the "is it better than"

Keep in mind, I'm speaking based on being an experienced cutter..a newbie ..that's a whole different thing .

TW nice open mind to this topic, I do understand there are very talented crafted tinters who may be offended by having a plotter at where they work. From an owners point of view, Sure that darn machine doesn't have anything on the way that I can cut a pattern or even how quickly I can cut one. My point is at my business, My son (20) started working with me this summer and after a month or so, I could leave the shop and know he could almost install, shrink just "about" any car. This gives me the confidence to leave the shop and hustle up more cars and or quote flat glass work. The bottom line is how much goes into your pocket at the end of the day. Did I mention the profits from the vinyl and paint protection business??

The point I am trying to make is that our shop only holds one large/ suv or 2 small cars. Therefore while I am waiting on him to finish cleaning, putting brake light in, I am already cutting the next car which is waiting in the parking lot. It is kind of like an assembly line. I personally will not ever have another shop without a plotter system. :thumb

Do you know how people are with their brand new car? It is there baby! It is an expensive investment. If you implement the fear factor into your sales presentation, :rollin cutting glass or slicing rubber in corners. I used to tell customers that "we eliminate the possibilities of damage to their glass or rubbers if they choose us. I also tell them that if they choose the other shop I would be more than happy to go over and make sure there were no cuts in glass or rubber damage. ( Fear Sells) ask the Florida dealers who sells security films in Florida after all of the hurricanes they had in 04!!!

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TintWizard · January 23, 2008

Very good post whyBdark :rollin I totally get what your saying ..I actually believe in using fear as a selling tactic myself :thumb

My downside is that I'm unable to get more than one car in at a time in my shop nor can I expand it (just the way my property is ) , however I do like the idea of like you say, hiring and greatly cutting down on the risk . Surly a great move if one is expanding beyond him/herself :thumb

TINTDESIGNZ · January 23, 2008

just to stir the pot...do you guys REALLY think your patterns are nicer ,smoother,quicker than the plotter? I can tell you -I hand cut for 15 years-the plotter -with the good software and some one with plotter skills running it would win this challenge! Now that excludes the ebay cheapos -I'm referring to a professional setup. Don't believe me? Roll on to Texas! :evilgrin :spit The reason I know-I took this challenge 6-7 years ago and got embarrassed! :eyebrows

January 25, 2008

I used to hate on the plotter. I thought I was bigger, better, faster. My boss operates the plotter and I clean. :spit In my own shop I don't use one. I can cut faster than the plotter sometimes.

But, trust me it takes the edge off. Not as frustrating on cars with a lot of cut outs. takes less effort. My uncle says tells me to work smarter not harder. It has its faults but what tinter is perfect.

January 26, 2008

I used to hate on the plotter. I thought I was bigger, better, faster. My boss operates the plotter and I clean. In my own shop I don't use one. I can cut faster than the plotter sometimes.
But, trust me it takes the edge off. Not as frustrating on cars with a lot of cut outs. takes less effort. My uncle says tells me to work smarter not harder. It has its faults but what tinter is perfect.