My Google-Fu is weak. Please help.

[Rastoff]

I don't like a lot of the targets that I find for sale. Therefore, I want to print up some of my own design. I would just print them on my printer at home, but I want something bigger; 24"h by 18"w.

The problem is every printing place I can find wants $15 or more PER TARGET! That's ridiculous. I can buy a 24" wide roll of paper, in sufficient length to make 100 targets, for about $25. The ink and time can't cost a printer $14.75 to make these.

So, does anyone know of a place that can print stuff 24" wide? Shoot, if I can just get it printed on the roll, I'll cut the targets myself.

 

[SAFireman]

Office depot has large format printers...up to 48" wide if you like....I paid 3.50 per black & white 48x24

Good luck in your search.

 

[DWalt]

Many Office Depots have a Kinko's facility inside. I have had some digitized engineering drawings printed up in similar sizes there, don't remember the cost, but not that much. Best to draw up what you want, digitize it , and take it to Kinko's. You could call and find out what their charge is. I'm curious - what do you want your targets to look like?

 

[Rastoff]

The big places like Kinkos and Office Depot are going to be too expensive I think. I'll contact them anyway. I'd like to get the price down near $0.50/target, but even $1/target is better than what I've seen so far.

I don't want 10. I'll be ordering these by the hundred.

I'm curious - what do you want your targets to look like?

I would have the same question. However, it's a proprietary design we're working on and not fully completed yet. We may offer these up for sale at some time so, I need to keep the design under wraps for the moment.

It's not ground breaking. Just an idea we have. It may go nowhere, but I'd like to see at least a few printed.

 

[Muss Muggins]

UPS Store can do it, but I don't know what the price per would be . . .

 

[Fred_G]

Check your PM's Rastoff.

 

[Kanewpadle]

If you intend to sell targets, you have some stiff competition out there.

This company sells them for as little as .25 if you buy in bulk.
silhouette gun range shooting targets

The indoor range I go to buys them by the thousands and sells them for $3.00 each.

 

[Rastoff]

Yep, stiff competition, but I'm not trying to get rich on this. Just trying to make a target that works better with my teaching than what I've seen.

Also, most of the places that sell targets charge outrageous shipping. I just checked my normal order on the link Kanewpadle provided. 100 targets will cost $28 which is pretty reasonable. The cheapest shipping was $20.95. Almost doubles the cost. That's about normal.

 

[Bullet Bob]

You could buy the roll you mentioned, and just use the stick-on targets that are available everywhere.

What type of shooting are the targets for?

 

[Rastoff]

No, stickers won't work.

 

[Jack Flash]

I made up some targets once starting with graph paper and a draftsman's compass. (Actually, it was probably more of a school boy's compass). If you need darker lines, go over them with a black or dark blue marking pen. Even if you are a little shaky, when you get the target set up at over 10 or 20 yards, the circles look perfect. You can color in the 10 ring completely for a good aiming point, if desired. I'm sure there is graph paper bigger than 8-1/2 by 11 available if you look. But notebook size was always plenty big enough for me.


Reading an article by Wiley Clapp inspired me to use graph paper. It is really easy to count the little squares to get group sizes.

 

[rwsmith]

Does anybody still offset?????

Back in the day I got stuff printed and it was downright cheap if you got a hundred or more copies. We had our church bulletins printed that way many years ago. When they got the technology, they decided to print their own bulletins and they never looked as good as the printed jobs.

 

[Big Cholla]

In the place that you work there must be 25 to 250 draftsmen. Just find one that will do a little outside work and have him/her draft your design on drafting paper velum and in the size that you want. Then take that to any blueprint shop and have it printed as many times as you wish. Blueprints are a heck of a lot cheaper than 50 cents per sheet. ......

 

[DWalt]

The expense is in the setup costs, not the printing itself, at least for printing done at a commercial shop. And the setup costs are the same for a press run of one copy or 100,000.

" Blueprints are a heck of a lot cheaper than 50 cents per sheet. ......"

I doubt anyone does blueprints today. What commercial prints from tracings are done now probably use something called "White Printing" or "Ozalid" which uses ammonia as a developer and I'm not sure even that is done much today. For several years back in the 1950s and 1960s, I ran a whiteprint machine. I also did blueprints, but even at that time, blueprints were uncommon and required a chromate solution to process. I suppose environmental regulations have killed blueprinting for that reason. I'd guess most engineering and architectural drawings today are done on a computer instead of a drafting board and printed on some large sheet inkjet or laser printer. I've been away from that business too long to know what method is current.

 

[Rastoff]

I can almost guarantee that "blueprints" are just large format laser or inkjet printed. Actual blueprints have probably not been used in 20 years. They still use the term though.

In the place that you work there must be 25 to 250 draftsmen. Just find one that will do a little outside work and have him/her draft your design on drafting paper velum and in the size that you want. Then take that to any blueprint shop and have it printed as many times as you wish. Blueprints are a heck of a lot cheaper than 50 cents per sheet. ......

We have plenty of designers. Actually, I have no trouble designing it myself. We even have a plotter at work. I just can't print that much. If I printed one or two it wouldn't be an issue, but hundreds is just out of the question.

I made up some targets once starting with graph paper and a draftsman's compass.

Sure, I could hand draw it. In fact I've done just that a lot. However, it will just takes too long.

 

[soFlaNative]

How about silk screening?

 

[rwsmith]

Not a bad idea....

How about silk screening?

Getting the paper stock that you want shouldn't be too difficult. We had posters for a play printed on thin cardboard stock that would make a great target. You don't need glossy or 6 color stuff, I don't think. Part of the problem nowadays is rather than simple printer everybody offers the tops because technology allows them to sell the fanciest, sharpest, double sided, you name it.

We had our posters printed, a couple of hundred, on like 2 or three color, matte finish, maybe about 60 lb paper and it didn't cost of fortune at all.

I just can't believe that this service isn't still available for people wanting simple posters and notices.

 

[Big Cholla]

Guys; Ammonia based blueprinting is still very much in existence. Most every remote design/build construction job in the world is using it out on the jobsite. Why, because their need is volatile and limited to small number of sheets at any time. And, those blueprinting operations are outside the purview of EPA and everyone else. But, I'm sure it is on the decline.

I have another idea about a source that I need to research a bit. I'll get back to you.

 

[Ballistic147]

I've ordered from these folks several times: American Target Company - Official NRA Shooting Targets

They have a lot of different designs and prices are reasonable as well as the shipping. Might not have exactly what you're looking for but might be worth a try.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

If you insist on your own design but can't solve the printer issue...

Design your own targets... 17 x 22.
Use your printer at home -- 4 @ 8.5 X 11
Staple to target stand accordingly.

If ya got a B&W laser printer it's about free to print.