heat applied vinyl

Revised Material Calculator

A while back i posted my Material Calculator and it has been the most popular post on my blog.  Many customers have used the calculator to help them determine both the yardage needed and the cost per design for their Heat Transfer Material, namely our Spectra Eco-Film (check out the Color Chart).

Since i first posted the Material Calculator about a year and a half ago, there have been a few changes to the product offering.  Some highlights are the addition of some more “fashionable” materials like our Spectra Alloy, Spectra Glitz, Spectra Gloss and a few others.  We’ve also lowered the price on our popular Spectra Patterns.

Here’s an example of what you can do using the Material Calculator:

A customer comes to you and needs 24 6×8 designs printed on the front of their shirts.  Using the material calculator, you can quickly find out you’ll need only two yards to complete the job and each design will cost you $0.69 using the Spectra Eco-Film.  You’ll also see what the cost would be for other material options if you chose to offer a glitter, glow in the dark or other type of design option.

The updated version of the calculator can be found in the Box on the left hand side.  It is named Material Calculator v.2.1.  If you have any questions at all on how to use the spreadsheet, please email me!

Creating a Distressed look with a Vinyl Cutter

How much do you incorporate fashion into your vinyl cutter business?  I covered in an earlier post some materials that can add some flair to your apparel.  Another way to make your good more fashionable is to use the latest decorating trends.  I’ve identified the Distressed look as a trend that has been around for a little while but is still very popular.

It may seem like the distressed look would be difficult but it’s really not when you use the right tools.  I sourced two fonts that will make creating the artwork the easy part for a change!  The best to use are Destroy and Gesso.  I’ve selected these two because of the ease of weeding.  There are plenty of distressed fonts available but not all will allow you to weed rather quickly.

Of the two, Gesso is the easier to weed.  Most of the lines and detail will be weeded out on the initial pull.

Destroy has a bit more detail.  Don’t get me wrong, it will take a little more time to weed this design!  However, in my opinion, the end result is the best.

The weeding process for the Gesso font took about a minute longer than it normally would.  This should be factored into your pricing.  Destroy took about 5 minutes longer.  The good news is you don’t have to get all the detail!  It’s distressed so if you leave a few spots behind that should have been weeded it actually adds to the look!

Here’s the end result:

Gesso

Destory

Simply adding a specific font to you design software can add a lot to you business!

Equipment and Materials used: