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

March 14, 2008

What about for newbies? I know I will need to learn how to cut, but I feel like I can focus more attention to learning to properly install right now. I need to be able to knock out jobs quick right now to recoup some money.

Bad idea, dont do any cars until you can cut, shrink and install properly, youl only blacken your name if you rush into it and end up doing dodgey jobs on peoples cars, word of mouth is the best advertisement, and if u bollox up one car, it will spread and you wont have many customers

Reflection68 · March 14, 2008

I'm looking at geting one only for the ppf side of things it may be better than ordering almost every other day, and for cutting tint it seems lazy unless yor a high volume shop. just my :dunno

March 18, 2008

I hand cut every time and have never used a plotter so I am not going to comment.

I will however ask this, some of you on here have mentioned "cheap Ebay plotters", will these be good enough to cut tint graphics?

March 20, 2008

Well hello guys. I am new to this forum. I just started to do tinting for my business. I have been doing vehicle graphics and wraps for a long long time, and it is very very similiar in lots of ways to tinting. There are the old school ways, and the fancy new fangled ways. I have spend thousands and thousands of dollars for my shop just on software upgrades, and so many vinyl designs and patterns. and the one thing I can tell you, is that to be really good in your business, you need to mix a little of the old, with a little of the new. and you will make mistakes on mixing this, but it just goes towards your experience. If, and I do mean IF, you are fairly computer litterate, and pick up learning quick, then you might want to go the plotter route. If you are really smart, you can use a digital camera, a ruler, and a little math, and measure any part of a car right on your computer to within 1mm or less. but to old school guys who have been cutting by hand and can almost do it blindfolded, that 1mm can seem like 1". and plotters on ebay, if you watch constantly, can be purchased very cheap. seen 54" ones go for 450.00!. plus shipping of course. and yes, it is a chinese knock off, but almost all of these are very reliable. even if it does go bad after one year, that one year of experience using that machine gives you the confidence to purchase a better one. if not, then you haven't lost a whole lot of money! as for softwares, they usually come with operating software, and the only other one you really need to make measurements and templates with is coreldraw. and it is only about 100.00 on ebay. but once you have this, then you can, with multi colored films, make some fancy patterns on car windows and mirrors. and let me tell you, those mirror designs can really add up. get someone addicted to a sports team, or harleys, and do a fancy colorful pattern for them, and you got fast extra cash in your pocket quick. you will be spoiled in a hearbeat. it is nice to have the precut pattern already made ready and waiting for the custy when they show up on time for their appointment. your in and out, and the custy barely had time to p1ss, and your done already! this will bring you lots and lots and lots of word of mouth referrals. however, for the drive in custy, on an average standard window shape, cutting by hand, takes a minute or two longer. so the custy has time to wipe their ass too. so, it's up to the individual. but one thing I can tell you, if you keep staying old school, and don't pick up on a little of the new, you WILL lost business to one of these new fangled fancy shops and young nerddy installers. whatever you choose, all that matters is keep the customer happy, charge fair, and be glad you don't shovel %&$# for a living. P.S. leaving a spray of cheap car wash air freshener in the customers car when your done is a cheap cheap trick that the customers love. I tell them its the film giving off the new car fresh smell. You'd be surprised how many stupid people there are out there that believe that one!

Dave

slipperyfrog · March 22, 2008

Well hello guys. I am new to this forum. I just started to do tinting for my business. I have been doing vehicle graphics and wraps for a long long time, and it is very very similiar in lots of ways to tinting. There are the old school ways, and the fancy new fangled ways. I have spend thousands and thousands of dollars for my shop just on software upgrades, and so many vinyl designs and patterns. and the one thing I can tell you, is that to be really good in your business, you need to mix a little of the old, with a little of the new. and you will make mistakes on mixing this, but it just goes towards your experience. If, and I do mean IF, you are fairly computer litterate, and pick up learning quick, then you might want to go the plotter route. If you are really smart, you can use a digital camera, a ruler, and a little math, and measure any part of a car right on your computer to within 1mm or less. but to old school guys who have been cutting by hand and can almost do it blindfolded, that 1mm can seem like 1". and plotters on ebay, if you watch constantly, can be purchased very cheap. seen 54" ones go for 450.00!. plus shipping of course. and yes, it is a chinese knock off, but almost all of these are very reliable. even if it does go bad after one year, that one year of experience using that machine gives you the confidence to purchase a better one. if not, then you haven't lost a whole lot of money! as for softwares, they usually come with operating software, and the only other one you really need to make measurements and templates with is coreldraw. and it is only about 100.00 on ebay. but once you have this, then you can, with multi colored films, make some fancy patterns on car windows and mirrors. and let me tell you, those mirror designs can really add up. get someone addicted to a sports team, or harleys, and do a fancy colorful pattern for them, and you got fast extra cash in your pocket quick. you will be spoiled in a hearbeat. it is nice to have the precut pattern already made ready and waiting for the custy when they show up on time for their appointment. your in and out, and the custy barely had time to p1ss, and your done already! this will bring you lots and lots and lots of word of mouth referrals. however, for the drive in custy, on an average standard window shape, cutting by hand, takes a minute or two longer. so the custy has time to wipe their ass too. so, it's up to the individual. but one thing I can tell you, if you keep staying old school, and don't pick up on a little of the new, you WILL lost business to one of these new fangled fancy shops and young nerddy installers. whatever you choose, all that matters is keep the customer happy, charge fair, and be glad you don't shovel %&$# for a living. P.S. leaving a spray of cheap car wash air freshener in the customers car when your done is a cheap cheap trick that the customers love. I tell them its the film giving off the new car fresh smell. You'd be surprised how many stupid people there are out there that believe that one!
Dave

My eyes hurt.

As far as $450 dollar chinese plotters off of ebay, all I will say is you will get what you pay for. With plotters name brands do carry reliability.

10wLK43U · March 22, 2008

OK. I have been reading all the replies on why one should and why one shouldn't by a computercut machine. The answer is very simple. If you want to be stuck in the window tint stone ages and not make your business more efficient or expand it, keep hand cutting my friend. Stick with this narrow minded mentality and just expect to go no where. Is hand cutting more accurate than computercut, of course it is. But does it make a rats ---- to 99.9% of your customers, NO! Bottom line is you are tinting a car for your customer, not for your ego. I have heard all the chest beating "I can cut a car faster than a computercut system", NO YOU CAN"T! I would like to see 1 tinter out there who can CLEAN THE WINDOWS AND CUT THE FILM AT THE SAME TIME. Come on man, while the machine is cutting the film, you're cleaning the glass. Finally, if you want to just plug along tinting and making enough to get by, keep on hand cutting my friend. But if you are a motivated business owner who wants to grow his business, a computercut system is a tool that will do it by making it faster, more efficient, and will generate additional revenue sources in the signmaking, paint protection, auto graphics, and more. If you are going to buy a computercut system, stick it in the back and use it to just cut cars then you are missing out on so much more.

So if you are one of those tinters (and there are many of them) who has an ego that doesn't quit, is the best tinter in the world, thinks he can cut faster than a computercut system, (when he can't) and has no vision past the end of the olfa knife, then keep on hand cutting and stay in the stone ages. But if you are an open minded, motivated, and ambitious person who really wants to make something of their business, then you should think about a computercut system as just the type of tool that will get you there.

That is why you should buy or not buy a computercut machine.

Carmeltinting.com · April 21, 2008

OK. I have been reading all the replies on why one should and why one shouldn't by a computercut machine. The answer is very simple. If you want to be stuck in the window tint stone ages and not make your business more efficient or expand it, keep hand cutting my friend. Stick with this narrow minded mentality and just expect to go no where. Is hand cutting more accurate than computercut, of course it is. But does it make a rats ---- to 99.9% of your customers, NO! Bottom line is you are tinting a car for your customer, not for your ego. I have heard all the chest beating "I can cut a car faster than a computercut system", NO YOU CAN"T! I would like to see 1 tinter out there who can CLEAN THE WINDOWS AND CUT THE FILM AT THE SAME TIME. Come on man, while the machine is cutting the film, you're cleaning the glass. Finally, if you want to just plug along tinting and making enough to get by, keep on hand cutting my friend. But if you are a motivated business owner who wants to grow his business, a computercut system is a tool that will do it by making it faster, more efficient, and will generate additional revenue sources in the signmaking, paint protection, auto graphics, and more. If you are going to buy a computercut system, stick it in the back and use it to just cut cars then you are missing out on so much more.
So if you are one of those tinters (and there are many of them) who has an ego that doesn't quit, is the best tinter in the world, thinks he can cut faster than a computercut system, (when he can't) and has no vision past the end of the olfa knife, then keep on hand cutting and stay in the stone ages. But if you are an open minded, motivated, and ambitious person who really wants to make something of their business, then you should think about a computercut system as just the type of tool that will get you there.

That is why you should buy or not buy a computercut machine.

Great answer! We've had one for 3 years, and love it. Looking for another one now. Best move we ever made

ljr1977 · April 9, 2009

here at rollin sound computercut has done alot for my business..

custom gaphics in tint,vinyl, and/or paint....

which all can be added on or to your glass,tail lights, or body of your car

which has exspanded my business and what all we can do to customize your ride...

TintJunkie · April 10, 2009

Dang, great old thread. Anyone who says they can cut faster that a machine is a moron and has never used one. I used to be a moron.

June 25, 2009

ive done both, ive got a plotter... I dont use it unless doing custom graphics. old skool for me... I find it interesting everyone talking about damaging the car with a knife etc... cant remember the last time I cut a rubber or scratched a glass... there was talk of the cuts always being the same... when ur as good as me there always the same :P peace out!