About Decaliente
Months ago, my wife expressed interest in getting some hobby machine that made vinyl cuttings for scrapbooks and the likes. Being the wonderful husband I am, I researched this object as a potential Christmas gift...and was quickly disappointed. Lo and behold, I find out this hobby machine only cuts a finite number of pre-loaded-on-expensive-SD-card shapes that you have no say in. Want a shape of a cupcake? You had better have the $20 "Cupcakes and Cookies" card.
But, I still wanted to get my wife this hobby machine so she could make little stickable doodads. I decided, though, that I didn't want some junky machine that told me what I could do with it. So, logically, I ended up buying a full fledged 36" vinyl cutting machine. Unlike the other machine (which was the same size as an EZ-Bake Oven), this thing has some girth. It came with it's own (oddly difficult to assemble) holding stand. You want a vinyl decal of a dragon fighting an aardvark? I can do it. Take that, EZ-Bake oven.
So, I've decided to see if I can carve a niche in the super saturated decal market by offering Hummer, 4WD, and otherwise automotive-related decals. I invite you to check out my very basic website at www.decaliente.com
How Do I Even Say That?!
I don't remember much for grade school Spanish. I sat next to some popular girl. We made sopapillas once. And I remember a few choice words, including "sacapuntas" (pencil sharpener), "biblioteca" (library), and "caliente" (hot/spicy). So, De-caliente is a portmanteau of "decal" and "caliente". Got it? The quiz will be next Tuesday.
Availability and Processes
Right now, I'm keeping the available designs simple with plain text. Depending on demand, I can add more designs and more complex designs in the future.
All of my decals are cut by a machine, but are weeded by hand. This means that after the computer-aided blade does its thing, I then use a hobby knife and manually remove the excess vinyl, add transfer tape, yadda yadda. To be clear, my machine only cuts vinyl; it does not print on vinyl. So elaborate multi-color stuff is not within my realm of possibility.
If I can stir up enough interest, I would like to have a monthly contest for new designs with prizes awarded. This project is all about fun for me -- and hopefully for every party involved!
Satisfaction Guarantee
I will never send out a poorly weeded decal, but these are in a sense "hand made...with computer aiding". Basically, there may be a few very small imperfections on any given decal. There may not. If you are unhappy with any product, I offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. See the website for details.
Shipping
Shipping fees are included in the price of the decal. All decals ship within 3 business days via USPS in a standard sized envelope and stamp. To keep costs down, no decals shipped will have a tracking number.
In my last line of work, I sent literally thousands upon thousands of parcels via USPS. While clogged up with silly bureaucracy and red tape, the USPS is very good at delivering what is mailed.
East coast can expect delivery within 3 business days after mailing; midwest within 4 and west coast within 4-5 days. In the unlikely event of delayed shipping times, I will contact you and provide either a full refund or timetable for delivery. In the unlikely-er event that the USPS loses your decals (i.e. they do not arrive within a reasonable time frame), we can work something out.
I look forward to being further involved here on H4O with Decaliente. Thanks everyone!
