Adhesive sticker material

[Emma austin]

Is this always PVC vinyl? Or is there different types. Ie is the type used for car decals different to the stuff printing companies use to make product stickers?
Have a printing company wanting me to cut their sticker sheets in different shapes, rather than buy the different knives.
But I presumed this would be the type of material not good for the laser? It is thin white sticker sheets.

Thanks!

[Bill Cunningham]

There is some that's a polyester material, but most is vinyl, and that's what is usually used for stickers and labels..

[Emma austin]

That's what I thought thanks. I presume the standard would be vinyl for a printing shop.
I still can't figure how he thinks it would be economical to have a laser do this, he wants quotes for 500, 1000 and 10,000 stickers, he would supply the printed sheets and files, we would just cut.
But I looked at one of their quotes for a client of 1000 stickers for $389, so I don't see how there is much room for us to make money in there!! All to save him $100 to buy the knife shape.
But anyway, if the material is going to damage the laser, no point even coming up with a quote!

[Joe Pelonio]

You will have a difficult alignment issue also, most likely not worth your time
unless you print too, and use the same artwork for both printing and cutting.

[Emma austin]

Yes Joe that is what I thought too, the alignment would be a pain.
Anyway I have spoken to him again and he said they are not PVC vinyl, they are just gloss paper adhesive. I rang another printer and asked them about their sticker stock and they said the same thing, that it is definitely not PVC vinyl, that is thicker and what would be used for windows etc.
SO sounds like these normal stickers aren't toxic?
I also asked about the fact that the knives only cost $100 or so, how is it worth outsourcing this. He is think more for when he needs 500 stickers cut to 5 different shapes, so would save $500 or so.
Anyway will do some math!

[Larry Bratton]

You will have a difficult alignment issue also, most likely not worth your time
unless you print too, and use the same artwork for both printing and cutting.

Absolutely agree...pass on that one.

[Richard Rumancik]

Whether alignment would be a problem or not really depends on what is being printed. If the particular sticker has text or a graphic with a wide clear margin, it does not need an accurate registration. If there is color to the edge, the printer will design it with bleed (color past the edges of the cut) to allow some registration error. Tight registration will be required when there are graphics (such as an outline border) that you need to follow. Even then, I think the registration could be done pretty accurately.

Whether it will save money for the printer is another question. You have to work out the set-up time and job time and see if the numbers work. It looks a bit doubtful at first glance as steel rule dies are pretty cheap. I think that x-y laser tables have a hard time doing digital die cutting on a competitive basis. A galvo is more suitable. The laser can work for graphics that are really delicate or complex where a steel rule is impractical (and assuming the printer has a big budget to work with.) I have found that for simple shapes, the laser is usually not very competitive.

[Bill Cunningham]

A lot of potential customers have a very unrealistic idea of what a laser is capable of doing.. I get at least 2 requests every week for something totally out in left field.. But hey! They seen a laser in a movie once..

[Dan Hintz]

Emma,

I'll ask since no one else did... your description of "think white sticker sheets" leads me to believe it's a paper sticker, like what price tags or box labels are made out of, not vinyl (like what a windshield banner would be made out of and cut with a plotter). Can you confirm?

[Mike Null]

I wouldn't be so quick to turn this down but I would be very concerned with registration. Run a test or two to check that out and to establish a time. I think you'll be surprised at how little time it takes and therefore that it may after all be viable for both of you.

[Larry Bratton]

I wouldn't be so quick to turn this down but I would be very concerned with registration. Run a test or two to check that out and to establish a time. I think you'll be surprised at how little time it takes and therefore that it may after all be viable for both of you.

That would be my main concern, trying to get the registration correct on something that she didn't print. Otherwise, it might be a pretty good deal for both. If the printer can be consistent every time he prints a sheet, and you can use your setup over and over, it would work.

[Rodne Gold]

Yes,you would have to communicate with your sticker supplier as to the method of printing , by far the easiest way is to print centred as then the graphics would not have sheet margin issues. One of the other problems you will have is the calibration of your laser in terms of the X and Y axis , which might be out in respect of both the printer and reality. An optical reader type cutter is not that expensive , however it would be better for the supplier themselves to do this and buy one themselves. Large runs of laser die cut stickers with our type machines is generally not profitable if all you are doing is the die cutting. Where it does become profitable is proofing packaging or doing limited run packaging , for example die cutting an upmarket wine label for a run of maybe 200-1000 bottles or less.
The sticker guy also has to remember that you will have to have a good few sheets to get your registration spot on with , prior to actually cutting production.
We did it this way: Print centred with a die cut line on the top left and bottom right sticker being printed - send the graphic without the printing but just the die cutting to the laser , put the paper in a jig that it just fit into, do a test run of just the 2 stickers printed with the die cuts to see if the cuts actually registered with the printed die lines and that power and speed were ok and then make any adjustments needed and do the production run.
We then weeded the excess and domed the stickers , it was a remarkably cheap method of doing die cut full colour and domed self adhesive decals , all that was required was a ink/deskjet printer and the inkjet vinyl which wasnt PVC based (available from www.papilio.com )

[Mike Null]

It could be quite simple--if the guy is printing on standard letter size paper he can send that file to you and you should be able to cut directly from it. Even easier if he wants a kiss cut.

[Chuck Stone]

all that was required was a ink/deskjet printer and the inkjet vinyl which wasnt PVC based (available from www.papilio.com )

+1 on the Papilio material. I use the glossy polyester film and another matte material and
they work great for resists for chemical etching (thanks for the tips on that, Rodney!) and
I've even done some vehicle lettering with them. Wouldn't want to do it all day, but for
a one-off or a favor, it's not too bad.

[Scott Anders]

I would definitely do a hot copper test before starting, 95% of material used in the sign industry is PVC. even if they are saying the paper is not pvc then if it has an overlaminate on it, it probably will be pvc based. If you can specify a material to them i would ask them to print on polypropylene paper. Play it safe, if it is for outdoors i can almost 100% guarantee it will be PVC.