Lately, I have found it much easier to install large copy of vinyl without juice or transfer paper. I do this especially on banners, but also on other substrates. If the copy is over a foot tall, I position the weeded vinyl and hinge it with tape... I then peel up the bottom of each letter from the backing tacking it up with the adhesive (bottom tips) and scissor cut off the bottom half of the backing and then squeegee it right down onto the substrate. Don't force anything. Just let it follow its natural shape. Then you drop down the top and repeat the proceedure upwards. O's and closed letters require practice, but you will catch on. It saves a lot of material, and is much faster for me. Each letter takes only a few seconds, after you catch on to it. I'm even doing script like this. The trick there, is again not to force it to an unwanted shape. I'm having less bubbles also. Try a piece,
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
I've been using a similar system for some years now, but find it easier to apply masking first and then hinge. However without masking, I can apply up to 8ft by 2ft of vinyl in one go and without any air bubbles
Posted by Jack Davis (Member # 1408) on :
Just finished another one yesterday. 4 x 40 feet. It took under 3 hours including setting a scaffold. I'm tellin ya!
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
OK, I'll have to give it a try. I do my reflective sheeting of 24" x 24" alum w/o t-tape. Do you use a felt squeegee?
Posted by Jack Davis (Member # 1408) on :
Doug, Yes,,when necessary I have made my own by stretching suedecloth over the blade and taping it on.
Posted by Robert Lambie (Member # 4258) on :
felt squeegees are excellent for applying vinyl without app tape. Posted by Dwayne Hunter (Member # 133) on :
Hinging was the way I first learned to apply vinyl some 7-8 years ago. I knew about the wet method, but for the shop I was working in, it was way too slow.
As you already know, banners require patience since they aren't exactly flat & smooth. Our technique, even on the largest banners, was to tape the banner to the floor, in most cases, so that it was pulled out as smooth as possible. This was absolutely necessary because management always used one local company who supplied the most erratically creased banners I've ever worked on.
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