Hi heads, I need some advice on a job I am currently working on. I have a 2002 xtreme blazer that I am applying some full side body graphics on. They stretch from the front outer wheel well all the way to the rear of the blazer. I applied the job once already, but the vinyl sent to me had some mottling (sp?) in it and I had to remove it. I am using avery bright orange A8 and amethist luster metallic films. The orange is the outline of the graphic, and the purple is the foreground of the graphic.
Getting to my question. In my last attempt I layered the vinyl on my 16' light table, before i put it on the vehicle. I pressed hard while transferring the purple to the orange, but I still got a few bubbles. I am a little leary on applying the graphics directly to the vehicle one layer at a time because of registration issues. How would you go about applying the graphics... layer by layer on the vehicle its self .. or set it up on the table first? Any suggestions would be appriciated!
thanks, Ryan Ursta
Ps. The graphics are 130" in length
Posted by Chad Harrington (Member # 61) on :
hmm.....I think it would be safer to do the layers before hand.... depends on how bendy the truck is... but they are all bendy these days... Another suggestion.. why not take the orange and cut it out as a Pin stripe, and just follow the edge of the purple by hand, thats what i would do. way easier and does the job with far less bubbles.
maybe your graphic is too complex to do that.... hopefully it works out for you.
[ May 22, 2003, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: Chad Harrington ]
Posted by Ryan Ursta (Member # 1738) on :
Chad, Good suggestion and I already thought of that, but the customer dosent want any breaks in the striping around it, and Its too jagged to round the corners at the end.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Here is how I do large graphics (mostly because I'm short and can't reach that far) I do the design on a digital picture of the vehicle. When I set up the stuff I'm going to cut, I cut each body panel seperately, a little longer than the actual body panel. Gives me a little bit to wrap at door edges, etc. If this is a pickup, you'd have a section for fender, door, cab back, bed. Little pieces are easier to register and install than something 130" long. It's a strange method, but it works for me maybe this will help you.
Posted by pierre (Member # 1462) on :
Any "Pre-layering" at all opens the door for a line of bubbles where the layers join at the edges. Prelayering is something we never do here, and any one of us who trys it will incur the wrath of Rosemary. She does the largest of semi trailers with multicolor overlays, rivets corregation, whatever. She makes it happen flawlessly every time, compound curves or not.
k31
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Ryan, Apply the layers one at a time on the truck. Cut the purple with the outline and use the outline itself as the registration. If you apply it wet and work quickly, the outline will peel off without a problem.
Havin' fun, Checkers
Posted by Tony B (Member # 935) on :
Hey Ryan,
I would do it on the vehicle. I have a 8' light table, but what I would do is to put your first graphic on. Then I would slit where the doors are etc, then tape in place the second graphic. Go ahead and make your slits in the top graphic where the doors etc go, then handle each piece separatly.
Posted by Brian Diver (Member # 1552) on :
I agree with Chris. I've tried long runs on vehicles and decided to try a panel at a time and it works great! If I have a big van then I do the long run but on trucks and cars that have multiple doors cuting the piece up works really nice. I probably wouldn't overlay, like Pierre says - to much chance with bubbles.
Posted by Jim Hansen (Member # 1927) on :
WE DO LARGE GRAPHICS IN SECTIONS NOW FOR TWO REASONS: FIRST, ONE PERSON CAN HANDLE THE INSTALL BY THEMSELVES, AND SECOND,IF YOU LAY THE LARGE GRAPHIC IN ONE PIECE, SOMETIMES THERE IS NOT ENOUGH VINYL (FOR MY LIKING ANYWAY)TO WRAP AT THE DOOR JAMS ETC. THE ONLY TIME WE LAYER GRAPHICS OFF OF A VEHICLE IS RACE CAR DECALS THAT CUSTOMERS PICK UP TO INSTALL THEMSELVES.
Posted by Jim Hansen (Member # 1927) on :
WE DO LARGE GRAPHICS IN SECTIONS NOW FOR TWO REASONS: FIRST, ONE PERSON CAN HANDLE THE INSTALL BY THEMSELVES, AND SECOND,IF YOU LAY THE LARGE GRAPHIC IN ONE PIECE, SOMETIMES THERE IS NOT ENOUGH VINYL (FOR MY LIKING ANYWAY)TO WRAP AT THE DOOR JAMS ETC. THE ONLY TIME WE LAYER GRAPHICS OFF OF A VEHICLE IS RACE CAR DECALS THAT CUSTOMERS PICK UP TO INSTALL THEMSELVES.
Posted by pierre (Member # 1462) on :
Wrapping film around the roll of the metal on doors is not a good idea anyway. Trim the film just before the roll edge and it will stay there.
k31
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Ryan,
Apply the pieces seperately.
If you have to, cut registration marks into the job so you know how to line it up.
This also makes it easier to work on compound curves, since you'll only have 2mil to mess with instead of 4mil (two layers).
As far as that mottling goes, I'm surprised no one here has mentioned this yet.. hit it with a heat gun or apply the job and let it sit in the sun for a while (helps if it's warm) and the gloss will come right back.
And don't roll those edges, use a brand new xacto blade and trim the material back from the edge maybe 1/16" or 1/8" (your preference) with light pressure.
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
Is the EDGE an option?? We use it heavily for vehicle graphics. No layers
