Finally getting a plotter for tint, need advice

[Vinylspec]

 

 

I would have to agree with WTFhat. I have seen a few instances where my flat glass guy could not have done some jobs properly if he hadn't had a 60" plotter. If you can get one, I would go for 60" just to make sure you are not limited.

We got a 72in plotter just so we could handle any job that may come to us.

Will a 72" plotter accept 72" film?

 

no it will max do 60in

[Bham]

I would have to agree with WTFhat. I have seen a few instances where my flat glass guy could not have done some jobs properly if he hadn't had a 60" plotter. If you can get one, I would go for 60" just to make sure you are not limited.

We got a 72in plotter just so we could handle any job that may come to us.

Will a 72" plotter accept 72" film?

Can't speak for all plotters, but my DGI 60" will cut full 60" rolls (not just 58").

[DynamicATL]

This brings up a good point.  I assumed a the width of the plotter is the actual roll size it will cut up too.  Didn't think that was the actual width dimensions of the plotter.

[Jims78truck@gmail.com]

I've been tinting for 23 years and from my point of view the plotter is great for a person who doesn't have the hand craft for cutting. If your company is going to do more than just film do 60 and bigger. If not a 40 will do you just fine. I used a jaguar at one of the shops I worked at and it worked well. It wasn't expensive and cut clean.

[6aeten]

On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 10:40 AM, jh812 said:

If you're used to hand cutting and are a stickler for that top edge you probably will not be happy with it. I didn't read the whole post but unless you're doing 4+ cars a day and are planning on getting into decals or something of that nature you don't need it.

 

I was trained how to hand cut windows and that is by far the most precise method.

 

I have worked at other shops around town that use a plotter to cut their patterns, and needless to say i was not impressed. I cant tell you how many of the patterns DO NOT FIT! and I had to shave the top edge on multiple cars per day (that right there takes up more time than it does cutting windows by hand). AND even worse was the amount of film was wasted. It would jam up  because of random things (like static or not aligning rollers PERFECT, god forbid someone opens up the door and a gust of wind gets ahold of it). I bet that, at the shop i worked at with a plotter, that we wasted at least 10-20 feet off a 40" roll per day per person (there were 3 of us doing 4-5 cars a day each).

 

One guy i no that just started window tinting only bought 40" rolls and he "refuses" to do windshield strips because he doesn't want to waste a 55"x40" piece of film LOL. HAHAHAHA.

 

It is FASTER to cut windows by hand. At my shop we save the liner piece of each window (1 set of patterns per car) and just use that as a template. SO all i do is cut the top edge on the car and use that pattern to cut sides and bottom (no rubber edges cut or anything like that on car). Assuming you double cut it only takes 5 min for rear windows 5 min for front windows 5 min to trace/cut rear window and less than 5 for quarter glass. SO 20 min to cut the whole car AND since we are very good about using every inch of film there is NO WASTE EVER EVER EVER EVER if you cut it right.

 

And you cant call yourself a real tinter if you use a plotter your whole life and don't know how to hand cut.

 

 

[jh812]

I currently have a plotter and if broke down tomorrow I'd have another one on the way