15k to start, what to buy? (printer, cutter + maybe laminator)

I have 15k Canadian to invest in some equipment. My intent is to have a less labor intensive process for making my vinyl labels, as well as open some new opportunities.

So 1) I do not need my labels to be particularly durable, they will not be in direct sunlight or outside, though I will be making some wine labels so some will be submerged in water. My main products are name labels (to stick on shirts or items, non permanent) and vinyl stickers for photography props.

2) Cutting accuracy is more important to me than speed. I produce some pretty tiny decals and right now my hobby grade cutter (KNK Zing) is just not accurate enough on the small decals. Over a 12X22 inch sheet there is visible shift so the decals at the end of the sheet are off and I get a lot of waste that way.

3) I have the space for a 54" printer though do not need it, I'd be absolutely OK with a 24" as none of the decals I am producing are larger than 8 inches, and I'm not intending to compete with other businesses for car wraps or large signage.

4) I am not producing in high enough volumes that a machine that both prints and cuts would be a negative, I see that it is faster to print on one and then move to a cutter but it's not like I'm going to be printing 24 hours a day so that aspect is less important to me.

Some options that I have right now:

New: Mutoh VJ628 + Graphtec CE for ~$ CAD plus tax.

Used: Roland VP-540 + laminator for 10k CAD no tax

So, do I need a laminator? Will my wine labels printed on vinyl be durable enough to survive an ice bucket? Are there any other considerations that I'm not thinking about? I am assuming that the ink costs for Roland and Mutoh would be comparable?

Also bonus question: Any suggestion on the best vinyl for my use? I need something thin and preferably with a paper liner, I have a roll right now that's on a transparent plastic liner and I hate it!

-Julie

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