Crowdfunding for Skin Printer Input

[Rasterize]

Introduction
Hi everyone! For those who don’t know me my name is Stephen Rosema aka “Rasterize” in the Flite Test community. My super power is creating paper coverings (aka skins, decals etc) for Flite Test style RC aircraft. I have enjoyed creating “skins” for RC planes since I started in this hobby 8 years ago. My 33 years’ experience in graphic design/printing and love of aviation made this a natural thing for me. If you are already familiar with my work, Great! However, for a better idea of what I do you can check out these FT videos of my work on the 4th post here.

What I’m Trying To Do
Long story short, I found the easiest way to design and use these skins is in a 24”X36” format (aka “Arch D size”) and print them on 20lbs bond paper of the same size. However not everyone has easy or cost-effective access to this size of printing.
I want to change that. I am in the planning stages of a crowd funding campaign to raise money for a 24” wide roll fed printer to print out my skins on 24”X36” (or longer) paper. I have created this thread to further explore this idea. If the crowd funding is successful, I will then offer printing services at reasonable rates to the FT community for those who do not have access to plotters.
To get started I wanted to hit you guys up first to explore this idea and gage initial interest/thoughts. Here are some of the area I would like your input on. Please comment on them and add to them.
Here's a quick "proof of Concept" rendering to give you a better idea of what I want to offer:

The Plan
I'm look for a few things....
First off
I’m Looking to gage interest and feasibility. I’d like to hear from folks who have had skins printed and know where, what size paper and how much it cost. Remember I am going to be offering 24X36 size sheets. This should mean no tiling and piecing skin parts together on the vast majority of aircraft.

Secondly
I’m looking to raise $1,500. This will cover the printer, Refillable ink cartridges to use bulk ink to keep cost down, enough ink, paper, and mailing tubes/shipping to cover any rewards as well as taxes and kickstarter fees.

Thirdly
I’d like your input-on rewards.

• Discounted skin
• Customized skin (Pilot Name, Livery)
• Unique design
• ????

Fourthly – A name for this service. See poll at top.

• Flite Tats
• Skin Print
• Skins by Rasterize
• ????

So that’s it. Let me know what you think! Community input is what I really want before proceeding.
Thanks for your time!
Stephen

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Oh man am I excited for this! I think Flite Tats it a great fit for the service, and I think a customized skin would be a great reward for a lower tier (I'm assuming a pilot name and registration number would constitute custom) and a higher tier would be a unique design. You could possibly offer skin packs for various aircraft (a mustang collection or something like that) as a reward tier too.

 

[Grifflyer]

I've printed skins before on 8.5 x 11 sheets and it was a pain to get them put together, and when they were done there were ugly reflective parts were I laid down tape along the seams.

So I think this is a great idea I agree with Akimbo Flite Tats sounds good, I think for rewards you could give them out depending on how much was donated. Discount on the skins for the cheapest option, then Customized for the middle and Unique for the top option.

Quick question, if this all goes through and you get a large printer how much do you think the skins would cost?

Out of curiosity on my next design I want to get some skins for it, would you be able to make some for me after the design is finished?

 

[Bricks]

My question would be what would the average cost with shipping on say an average FT model would be or price range from the minis to the Guinea.

 

[SquirrelTail]

Flite tats!

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

I want this to happen. I love your work because I am um challenged in this area. I'd definitely chip in if it looks like you can come up with decent prices for the on going service.
I like all of your award ideas.
Of the names I like Sknz by Rasterize best.
I've personally experimented with polyester and love the strength it adds but I have never found it in anything bigger than letter.

 

[mrjdstewart]

Flight Skins!

get the crowd fund up, i will be your first $100, i want some custom crazy skins, customer! glad to support an artist and a friend.

1/15 of your goal achieved!

we can talk Saturday @ the field about my ideas.

laters,

me

 

[mrjdstewart]

I like Sknz by Rasterize

oooooo.....i like this.

 

[JTarmstr]

Rasterworks maybe?

This is a great idea and i am excited to see it. I don't know if i could support this now but i would definitely buy some down the line. Would we still be able to purchase pilot names or other designs for a higher fee maybe?

Also would this mean other forum members wouldn't be able to ask for skins for their designs?

 

[Paracodespoder]

I've printed skins before on 8.5 x 11 sheets and it was a pain to get them put together, and when they were done there were ugly reflective parts were I laid down tape along the seams.

So I think this is a great idea I agree with Akimbo Flite Tats sounds good, I think for rewards you could give them out depending on how much was donated. Discount on the skins for the cheapest option, then Customized for the middle and Unique for the top option.

Quick question, if this all goes through and you get a large printer how much do you think the skins would cost?

Out of curiosity on my next design I want to get some skins for it, would you be able to make some for me after the design is finished?

One tip on putting the skins together, use Elmer's white school glue to glue them together instead of tape, looks a lot cleaner as long as you don't get too much glue and wrinkle the paper. It is also a lot more durable, and by the tome you are done putting them together the glue is already dry enough to use. By the way, Love this idea, I personally like Skin Print. Good luck with the crowd funding , I would contribute, but a 14 year old who doesn't have a credit card can't very well do so .

 

[SquirrelTail]

I would love to support it, but I am 13 and that would not work...

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

I see we have young people who are literally too young to contribute fiscally. I wonder if we can come up with a way for them to contribute in some other way?

 

[rockyboy]

Love this idea! Like the name "Flite Skins" too.

I've used Staples locally for color engineering 24x36 prints at about $10 per sheet, and about half the time I need to deal with scaling mistakes and have them reprinted too. Sometimes I can get those reprints free, other times I have to pay again.

 

[Rasterize]

I would contribute, but a 14 year old who doesn't have a credit card can't very well do so .

I would love to support it, but I am 12 and that would not work...

I see we have young people who are literally too young to contribute fiscally. I wonder if we can come up with a way for them to contribute in some other way?

They can help! When crowdfunding starts they can help spread the word! The world of social media is a big place. Every little bit of exposure helps.

 

[Rasterize]

I've printed skins before on 8.5 x 11 sheets and it was a pain to get them put together, and when they were done there were ugly reflective parts were I laid down tape along the seams.

Larger sheets are definitely easier. I would suggest trying some not reflective "invisible" tape next time you go the letter sized paper route. May look a bit better. Just a thought. Still taping all that together is a pain. This would solve that for sure!

Quick question, if this all goes through and you get a large printer how much do you think the skins would cost?

My question would be what would the average cost with shipping on say an average FT model would be or price range from the minis to the Guinea.

So let's use the pic in my first post as an example. The FT Mustang "American Beauty". For the three 24"X36" full color sheets, my initial calculations would put it at around $29 shipped priority mail anywhere CONUS. International shipping would be on a quote by quote basis. A single 24"X36" (for a single FT Mighty Mini) $17 shipped CONUS. The primary variable would be ink coverage. Paper and shipping are fairly stable. By contrast, three different FT Mighty Minis (based on 1 sheet each) would cost about the same as one swappable. More pages but shipping is the same.

I don't have any skins for the Guinea Pig (yet) so I can't estimate a cost.

 

[PsyBorg]

Raster Eyez tm.

I will see what I can do about getting to a known secure computer to donate.

I dont want to put my cc number anywhere on this phone as I have zero clue about security and safety regarding them yet.

 

[rockyboy]

For some reward ideas....

• $ Tiered rewards going up for a 1 sheet plan, 2 sheet plan, 3 sheet plan, etc.
• $$ A special "Kickstarter only" design that's only available to supporters and not printed again
• $$$ Sponsorships for including the supporters logo on the Kickstarer design
• $$$$ Ability to chose a skin theme you will design for an existing DTFB plane (from FT or Nerdnic or the like) and copies of said design (up to X sheets)
• $$$$ Design consult session / prototyping support to help a designer work out a skin theme for one of their own plans - possibly with royalty agreement if it gets offered for sale or a private use license

 

[BS projects inc.]

You should print full size ft plans as well. I would BUY one of those for sure. Im tired of laying out tiles of ft plans and putting them together lol

 

[JTarmstr]

You should print full size ft plans as well. I would BUY one of those for sure. Im tired of laying out tiles of ft plans and putting them together lol

I dont think he can. The plans are FT property and while you can use them privately it would be illegal to sell copies of their plans.

 

[BS projects inc.]

I dont think he can. The plans are FT property and while you can use them privately it would be illegal to sell copies of their plans.

True, well then flite test should sell them!