posted
I asked this question on CHAT tonight and got a little feed back from the 'MP' about it.
It may either be helpful to others or we might find out some serious or minor drawback....
so here goes...
I had a job come up where I needed to do an airbrushed 'glow' around some logo-title copy.
I thought to lay down the black, cut, vinyl copy and mask over it... so, I cut the copy twice... Once in the black vinyl, whick I transfer masked and applied to the panel, and then I duplicated the same layout and cut it in the paint mask and repeated the mask and apply . . .
But it was a little harder to 'line it up' PERFECTLY over the black copy. (This must partly be due to the difference in the thickness and pliability of the materials)
I got it on there and sprayed the pastel purple 'glow'...paint-brush touched-up a coupl'a tiny while outlines left after removing the paint mask, and it looks fine.
So the big question was,
Could'nt I apply the paint mask directly onto the black vinyl, remove the transfer mask (if used) and feed the material into the plotter and cut the letters together?? Then weed, mask and apply as usual?
MP relayed that cutting the thickness of this fabricated material would still be less than cutting the thickness of reflective vinyl and setting the blade a tad deeper should make it work ok . . .
I seem to remember Mark Matyjakowski sharing something about cutting several layers of transfer mask together . . .but not sure if that was done by hand or plotter . . .and also, if it would be different from cutting two kinds of material together as I described . . .
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"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
When I mentioned it, it was multiple layers of transfer tape layered and cut by hand... and it was just chunky flames.
Theoreticaly ... you could apply tape to vinyl and then cut and weed ... but then when you apply more tape over it and apply vinyl I'd bet the second layer of tape would remove the cut layer of masking. Should work if you used a paint mask (or high tac tape) for your cut layer and a low tack to transfer the whole thing.
Only one way to find out for sure ... get playing
[ March 08, 2005, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Mark Matyjakowski ]
-------------------- Compulsive, Neurotic, Anti-social and Paranoid ... but basically Happy Posts: 2677 | From: Rochester, NY, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I don't think the transfer tape would pull the vinyl mask off the vinyl. Figure the vinyl mask has enough tack of its own to stick to non-cleared basecoat on a vehicle and resist lifting when the transfer tape is removed. Theoretically it should stick to the base vinyl just fine.
Like Mark said, the only way to know for sure is to try it out.
Another way to look at this is, these days with contour cut digital prints the output gets laminated with another sheet of material then everything gets contour cut. Your idea is the same premise, except you're removing that laminated layer later down the road.
So get to it and I want a report on my desk by 9am tomorrow.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Oracals 811 paint mask was applied to a premiun grade metallic gold vinyl with transfer tape. The tape was removed and the joined peices put in the plotter.
Tried cutting a word 3 times, eah time setting the blade 'lower' I thought, but it still would not cut thruough the botom peice of vinyl.
As it is, I CAN remove the paint mask from the gold vinyl just fine and airbrush the gold THAT way . . .but, since the gold is not 'cut-through, I cant remove both together for the first thing I wanted to do . . . . . .
If I can figure out a way to set the blade deeper, it will work I think . . .but, been tinkering with it all day and now have to go do the 'mama' thing.
Thnax for the encouraging challenge Pimp.
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"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Not exactly what you're after...but...I have stuck colored transparent vinyl to white reflective vinyl(to make my own custom colored reflective)and then cut it. Matter o'fact I have even cut the above with transmask still on it.
I was able to go into my plotter (Ioline) program and increase the down force of the blade so it would cut deeper than I normally do.
I don't see why you shouldn't be able to do what you're trying in terms of airbrushing...then pulling off the mask.
Jeff
-------------------- Jeff's Lettering Lisa,Luke,Dara, and Jeff Spradling 5742 Shattuck Rd. Belvidere, Il. 61008 815-544-0167
Surviving another day. Posts: 626 | From: Belvidere, IL USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Mark hit the nail right on the head. We've done that for years. Premask your vinyl with high tack tape, cut it and weed it, and then apply it with a lower tack.
We've used that technique for everything from outlines and shades, to "glows" to masking off and rollering on a colored "panel" behind copy, when the job had to go out that same day, and we didn't want to wait for the paint to dry overnight beofre adding vinyl.
posted
& ditto to Jeff's comment about "downforce" or "pressure" the depth of the blade is not the only adjustment, & probably not the best one in this case. I don't change depth for reflective... just pressure.
posted
oooooooooh! . . .I see...that's why lowering the blade there in it's little screw-set holder did'nt make it push any harder though the material . . ....
lol...imagine that . . .
Ok then ...thank y'all for the help . . . BBL ...or mabey on a whole 'nuther post when I figger out what feature will make the plotter blade apply pressure . . .
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about it.
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