I agree. Our shop loves the GS6000s we have. The machine is so versatile it can do fine canvas prints one day, large outdoor scrim banners the next day, and vehicle and window graphics the day after. I've recently expanded into the local window graphic markets and it's paying for my machines almost every week. In my area we have lots of new buildings that are retail on the bottom and residential above and since the economy is so bad they are sitting almost completely empty and one of the ways they are advertising is to do window graphics... MORE opportunity in that area then any other printing opportunity in my opinion because you don't have to compete with online pricing. You can't buy installation from these hack stores doing decal and sticker printing for a dollar a sq. ft. because they are not local. Also, you can typically make money doing the digital artwork if you have a talented graphic designer in your operation (or you can contract with a local designer if you can't afford a full time employee). Also, this market isn't over saturated yet like the on demand canvas and fine art printing markets. The downside to this market though is the high initial cost to get into it: 1 solent/eco-solvent printer ($20,000-$50,000), 1 roll laminator ($5,000-$28,000), a graphics vinyl cutter ($2000, to $10,000). If you go with a machine for printing like the GS6000 or another 64" wide printer you will need to get a lainator that is also 64" wide so that is a minimum of $8,000 if you want a decent brand (which trust me you do!), and a graphics vinyl cutter will also need to be 64" wide so you're gonna be at $10,000 for that and I recommend a Summa or Graphtec (We are bias to Graphtecs). so you are talking about 35-50K to start up with vehicle and window graphics (before the cost of training and materials to learn how to print/finish/install vehicle wraps or window graphics).
The other downside is the number of media suppliers that will bombard you with annoying sales pitches. When we got into the large format game somehow people got my name and number and I received calls/drop ins for MONTHS promising they had the "Best media" and almost all of it wasn't compatible with the light solvent inks of the GS6000. A rep from Pitman Co. came and gave me a book with several solvent medias that he "Guaranteed will work beautifully on the GS6000, after all Pitman sells more 6000s then any company in America." We said great get us samples of 7-9 different medias for different applications and two days later we get an email from the Media Manufacturer (Intelicoat) saying that all the medias we requested samples of are not compatible with the GS6000 because of the light solvent ink. He came back with his regional sales manager a few weeks later and we were talking about that vary situation but didn't mention to his sales manager that it was the Pitman rep who did this and the sales manager went on for like 10 minutes how Pitman's sales reps are so well trained and that kind of situation would never happen at Pitman! Really enjoyable.
On a side note, I've only had one issue with the 6000 (green head stopped firing after a headstrike) and Decision one came out two days later and replaced it for me (I'm glad it was under warranty - $800.00 for a new print head, almost $900.00 in ink, and 1500.00 in labor costs). Our warranty is now up and we bought extended warranties from the sales rep who sold us the G6000s.
