posted
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
-------------------- Ryan Ursta Ursta Graphics 116 B North Mercer Avenue Sharpsville Pa. 16150 Call: 724•962•2206 "We make YOU look good"
Known as "Ugraph" on mirc Posts: 558 | From: Sharpsville Pa. USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
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 ]
-------------------- Chad harrington Chadvertising Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 52 | From: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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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.
-------------------- Ryan Ursta Ursta Graphics 116 B North Mercer Avenue Sharpsville Pa. 16150 Call: 724•962•2206 "We make YOU look good"
Known as "Ugraph" on mirc Posts: 558 | From: Sharpsville Pa. USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
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.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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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
-------------------- 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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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
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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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.
-------------------- Tony Broussard Graphic Details Digital Media Loreauville, LA Posts: 395 | From: Loreauville, LA | Registered: Jul 1999
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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.
-------------------- Brian Diver PDQ Signs Everett, Wa
posted
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.
-------------------- Jim Hansen Tri-Star Graphics Bethel, Ct. 800-716-6500 e-mail:tsgracingdecals@aol.com www.tsgracingdecals.com Posts: 51 | From: Bethel, Ct. usa | Registered: Jan 2001
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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.
-------------------- Jim Hansen Tri-Star Graphics Bethel, Ct. 800-716-6500 e-mail:tsgracingdecals@aol.com www.tsgracingdecals.com Posts: 51 | From: Bethel, Ct. usa | Registered: Jan 2001
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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
-------------------- 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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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.
-------------------- "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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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3506 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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