Stuck on vinyl.

May 6, 2010 2:30 PM

I need a crash course in ordering large (2'x4' or larger) vinyl decals for outdoor display.

I have no printing background, and have been tasked with acquiring large vinyl decals to be displayed outside. I've done some research and got some price quotes from local places, but I still feel pretty lost. The quotes were around $10-14 per square foot, is that a fair price? Should I go with digital or offset printing? (If it matters, it's possible we'll need large quantities of the same decal in the future, which I guess makes offset more sensible?) Any recommended print shops?

Totally out of my element here. Any information would be a huge help!

posted by SamuelF to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Stick to a local print shop. You're likely to get faster turnaround times, better pull with someone to deal with locally, etc. It's sort of like finding a mechanic you can trust.
posted by msbutah at 3:07 PM on May 6, 2010

Response by poster: msbutah, we've found that local shops are a bit more expensive than non-local. But, we live outside Boston so there are probably some shops in the city that could work. Anyone in the Boston area have a recommendation?
posted by SamuelF at 3:09 PM on May 6, 2010

Our experience (SLC, UT) is that local shops are a tad more expensive but the difference in responsiveness and quality more than make it up. We run an events and design production company and can have very tight (hours) deadlines to achieve. When something is wrong it's much better to be able to drive over to the print shop and correct the problem instead of having to wait for something to arrive from out of state. For you it might not be such a big deal but finding and developing that local relationship can be very helpful later on. As for recommendations in Boston I don't know of any unless you're willing to outsource then you can call us. :)
posted by msbutah at 3:15 PM on May 6, 2010

Fathead.com makes these in giant sports player versions. Looks like they have a custom option for whatever you like too.
posted by sanka at 3:16 PM on May 6, 2010

The digital vs. offset question is about quality to me. If your design is something simple like a logo and some text then digital is fine. If you want something with real depth, rich colors, graphics that pop--I feel that offset does a much better job and will pay the (generally) extra cost for it. I would recommend contacting an outdoor advertising sales company in your area (Clear Channel, Titan) and see if they will share their recommended vendor list--they probably will it's not like it's top secret. You want to use a company that does this kind of thing on a regular basis so you know you are getting the right kind of material to hold up to outdoor display. Also printer reps tend to be really chatty folks who loooove talking printing--you can get a great education just chatting with one or two. So once you get the vendor list, don't be shy--call up a couple of companies and just start asking questions.
posted by agatha_magatha at 3:51 PM on May 6, 2010

Go local. It will cost more. It will also be worth it. (This is from someone who has had to deal with print shops many, many times.)
posted by azpenguin at 7:03 PM on May 6, 2010

Nthing local sign shop. They're going to be much more accomodating, especially with people who don't really know what they're doing (no offense; there are a lot of pros who don't really know what they're doing.)
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 9:55 AM on May 7, 2010