As you embark in the sign-making industry, you’ll find you need a considerable amount of supplies and equipment in order to deliver premium products to your customers. This includes vinyl roll cutter machines, like the Summa S3 cutter, printers, and substrates you will print on.
But where can you purchase large quantities of the materials you need? In this article, we’ll explore one of the most popular materials used in sign-making–vinyl–and where you can purchase the best materials for vinyl cutting.
What Are Rolls of Vinyl?
Vinyl is a synthetic resin or plastic that consists of polyvinyl chloride and is used for making signs, wallpapers and decals, and for other consumer goods. It’s a versatile material that is lightweight, durable, and can be produced quickly.
If you’re a craft hobbyist or working on smaller projects, such as making stickers, you likely won’t need industrial-sized rolls of vinyl. These rolls are generally used for larger-scale projects that can’t be completed on a desktop vinyl cutter, such as:
- Wall graphics
- Vehicle wraps or graphics
- Tradeshow graphics
- Window graphics
Vinyl can come in many colors and sizes, but can always be cut down to your specifications. For some projects, you may need transparent vinyl and for others, you may need forest green or ruby red, depending on the graphics. We recommend shopping for rolls of vinyl at suppliers where they offer a wide variety of vinyl colors and types.
Sources for Vinyl Rolls
Shop in Person
Making your purchases in-store can make it potentially easier to find what you’re looking for because you can work with a real person in real-time. Most shops have employees who are familiar with the materials and equipment you need, including rolls of vinyl and roll cutters for vinyl. You can ask questions as they come up and receive customized advice and recommendations from employees, as well as walk out of the store with the items you need, same-day!
However, not every employee is an expert. If the store is busy, you might be stuck asking a shelf-stocker who is spread thin and may not have insider knowledge on what types of vinyl are best for your project.
Additionally, you’re at the mercy of the stock on-hand at the store. Luckily, sales associates are able to order more on your behalf and may be able to arrange for delivery or in-store pick-up when your total order arrives.
Keep in mind that most in-person stores are geared towards hobbyists or small-scale projects. You may not be able to find the exact products you need for your projects.
Shop Online
While shopping online makes it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for, you don’t have that in-person support if you don’t know what you need or if you’re stuck choosing between two types of vinyl. However, most online suppliers now have a sales assistant chat feature, guaranteeing you will speak with an expert so you can make the right decision.
We recommend shopping with a supplier that specializes in vinyl rolls and commercial printing equipment rather than large retailers who may offer what you’re looking for but aren’t experts in these materials. When you work with a specialized supplier like AirMark, you have more personalized customer service and recommendations from professionals who understand the equipment you’re working with.
The best part? You don’t need to worry about transporting several large, heavy rolls of vinyl and unloading them yourself. When you shop online, your products come straight to you without all of the hassle!