posted
Goodness how can anyone make anymoney doing small decals ( dealership fender decals) they are nasty to weed,.... one thing i can't stand doing is the tiny ones,.. is there somthing i'm missing to do them??
-------------------- Joanna Barnett Blackfoot, ALberta Posts: 207 | From: Nipawin | Registered: May 2006
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posted
If you're prepared to lose some while you learn, there's a kind of a snatching movement that is amazing when you get the hang of it. You can just snap most of the vinyl off. Practice. It's possible. It's gotta be cut right though.
Edited to say: It works better with some fonts than others. Not so good for scripty whispy strokes.
Seriously, you can get very fast with few lost letters.
-------------------- Steve Eisenreich Dezine Signs PO BOX 6052 Stn Forces Cold Lake, Alberta T9M 2C5 Posts: 774 | From: Cold Lake | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
No you're not missing anything, small stuff is a total pain.
I actually start charging MORE $$$ when the sizes drop down to the point they get more difficult to produce. Customers always question it "Wait, how come it costs more when it's smaller?" and I don't hesitate to bring 'em a few unweeded ones and let them take a crack at it. After that, they understand.
posted
If its extremely small copy, IE: 1/4", 1/8", and your plotter is capable as is the Graphtech in the proper overcut mode, cut the copy in an area leaving 1" all the way around the copy. Aggressively lay down premask and lift. All of the copy comes away from the matrix. Now lay the copy on the substrate and weed the centers. Much easier that way.
P
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I use 3m plastic backed hp vinyl for this type of work and overcut. Also a good needle in the pinvice works better than the 6 penny nail they usually come with.
-------------------- Ron Costa Sign and Design 28 Ingerson Road Jefferson, NH 0358 Posts: 620 | From: New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2002
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First weed out small centers: then if you have small lines of text, cut between them. Now mask it, peel off the backing paper and weed from behind, all the copy will stay in place, and you'll be glad you've already removed the centers. Replace the backing paper and squeegee hard.
-------------------- Tracie Johnson Signovations Ventura, California Posts: 444 | From: Ventura, California | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Hi, Tracie! I have no idea in the world why Dad said it that way. The way you do it is exactly the way Liz and I do it. We always take the little center thingies out first. And it does work!
posted
Another vote for Tracie's method- weed out the centres, stick the hi-tack app tape down, peel off the backing paper and then weed away the background off the app tape. The tack of the app tape is greater than that of the letters to the backing paper, so they tend to stay put more readily.
Or use screenprinting...!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I have no idea in the world why Dad said it that way. The way you do it is exactly the way Liz and I do it. We always take the little center thingies out first. And it does work! ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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