f152tall

Thank you sir. Appreciate your input. What are the approx startup costs for the TruCut software? Then how much monthly or per cut? I've been a Mac guy for years. Do these programs work on macs or just PCs? If you are mainly doing bulk for the bigger hoods, fenders and doors, what size plotter do you recommend you get for the bumpers or large rear fenders? Does a 30" do the job or do you need a 48"?

Greetings, Looking to purchase a good used cutter/plotter. 48” or 60”. Will mainly be using for PPF. Thanks

I read on another thread about the big turnover with installers for PPF. I am left to wonder if that is just a minority opinion or do the majority of installers feel there are a lot of people that don't make it. I am asking because before I invest $6000 for a new plotter, $3000 for initial product, $1000 for training. Marketing, dedicated work computer, design software etc... It looks to be a $15,000 investment. I've been installing tint for 30 years but only as a side job and never as a serious sole-proprietor entrepreneur. Talking to the regional managers in a few of the major film companies, they have mentioned what it takes to become an authorized installer. Some require exclusivity. What advice do you have for a new installer? Looks like you can use DAP without becoming locked into Xpel? True or not? I like 3M products as that is the tint I started with in the mid-80s. Is their 3M Clear Gloss Pro Series good? Just OK? I like the fact that it is closer to $4.62/sqft vs Xpel's $11/sqft. Especially if I bulk the fenders and hood, I'm sure the waste at $5/ft would be a lot better than $11/ft if I didn't want to pay for the precut pattern via DAP. Speaking of DAP, what are the all-in costs? I was messing around with it and looked like there was a $20 access fee for many of their designs. Is that about right? Does it charge you when you cut that? If you screw up a bumper and need to cut a second one out, does it charge you again? Lastly, what cutters/plotters do you recommend. I'd like to buy one used but haven't found a good marketplace for that kind of stuff. Any recommendations for what to look out for would be very helpful! What say you? Thank you in advance.