posted
The following is a step by step for preassembling multi-colored vinyl graphics in the shop. I have worked as a graphic designer for the marine and RV industries since 1996. This is the standard method that multi-colored, non-printed graphics are assembled for installation on new boats and RVs. :
You will need a light table. A glass table with fluorescent lights installed underneath will do fine. In a pinch, a large window or glass door with backlighting, though a bit clumbsy, will serve the purpose.
File set-up: After deciding the order that your colors will be laid down (generally darker colors on top down to the lightest color on the bottom), I recommend that larger areas of overlapping colors be given a 1/8" to 3/16" trap. This will prevent bubbles being trapped between layers of vinyl, plus will avoid having shapes of underlying vinyl showing across the finished graphic...for a more professional finish. What constitutes "large areas of overlapping colors" is pretty much an experience/common sense thing. The main thing to remember is that you don't want to create areas where air can get trapped between layers.
Once you've completed any necessary trapping, you'll need to draw registration marks onto your design. These can be either rectangles or squares, and 1/2" reggy marks is a good size. One reggy mark in the top left and right corners, plus one in the center bottom of the graphic will do fine.
The last thing you need to set up your file is to separate the graphic into as many copies as you have colors. For example, on a two colored green and yellow graphic, you will now have two identical copies of your graphic, and both with identical registration marks. Now, on the top copy of the graphic, delete all the yellow parts..and on the bottom graphic, delete all the green parts...leaving the registration marks on both copies. (If you prefer to "cut by color", you will instead want to copy the registration marks on top of each other..making sure to have both yellow and green reggy marks at each point. The idea is that you want the reggy marks to be cut on both colors identically, since these are how you are going to precisely line up your two colors in the final assembly.)
[At this point, I'd like to emphasize that this method is very easy to do, but takes alot more words to explain it. It would only take a few minutes to actually show you. I'd recommend, if you are interested in trying this method, to print out this step by step.]
Assembly steps(using the green and yellow example): 1. Cut premask to size and tape to the light table, sticky side up.
2. Lay down the green vinyl layer, sticky side up, and squeegee down. (The green is the top layer of the graphic, since it is darker..if you were to choose to put the yellow as your top layer, the green layer of overlaps and traps would show through. When preassembling layers, ALWAYS lay down the top layers first and the bottom layers last, and ALWAYS sticky side up.)
3. Remove the liner paper from the green graphic, then lay it back over the graphic, only lightly smoothing it down with your hands...DO NOT SQUEEGEE THE LINER PAPER..the liner paper is used here as a buffer to allow you to position the next (yellow) layer without sticking to the first layer before it's been alligned.
I prefer to lay the liner paper so it just covers the top of the vinyl graphic, leaving an inch or two of exposed premask. This will make more sense in the next step.
4. Lay down the yellow layer, over the protective liner paper. With your light table turned on, you will be able to see the underlying reggy marks from the green layer. Line up the reggy marks of the yellow layer with those of the green layer. Once your graphics are lined up, you can either put a couple stips of masking tape at the top to hinge; or if you left some exposed premask at the top of the graphic, as I suggested in the last step, you can use your hands to burnish the yellow (top) graphic to the exposed premask in lieu of tape.
5. Now just lift the yellow layer along with the liner paper (the buffer layer between the vinyl layers) up until you can slip the liner paper out from between the layers. The yellow layer will fall gently over the green layer.
6. Squeegee the completed graphic. Flip the completed graphic over and trim excess from around sides and your done, ready to install.
This whole process is very simple. I apologize for it taking so many words to explain. And the women wonder why we guys never read instructions! hahahah
I'm planning to make it to Pat King's meet in September. Maybe a demo there would be in order. I have plenty of scrap vinyl here and could set up a sample file and give anybody who is interested a hands on. Might be good to take pics then too for those that can't make it.
Hope this helps. I'll keep an eye on this thread to try to answer any questions.
------------------ Don Coplen aka "SaintPete" Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
[This message has been edited by Don Coplen (edited May 20, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Don Coplen (edited May 20, 2001).]
posted
Now I wonder why Roger would be asking about the time element????? heheheehehehehe
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
two color, about 15 to 20 seconds after everything is cut and ready 3 color, about 2 minutes tops
but, alot of people could probably do it with this method faster, i'm a perfectionist. one kicker to this method is that it's so accurate, i can and have assembled graphics as long as 8 feet with 1/8" traps and been consistently dead on the money.
btw, i see alot of graphics, particularly at rv and boat shows, where the trapping has been neglected when it was necessary, and in my opinion, they look amateur. i don't like to see the vinyl layers showing running across a design and showing through.
------------------ Don Coplen aka "SaintPete" Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
[This message has been edited by Don Coplen (edited May 20, 2001).]
posted
By the way, Roger. We do $4 million dollars a year in vinyl graphics, which seems like alot till I tell ya that the place I used to work did $12 million a year. And every bit of it is put on dry. So, this method does work, and is cost effective.
------------------ Don Coplen aka "SaintPete" Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
[This message has been edited by Don Coplen (edited May 20, 2001).]
posted
Hey! I can do that! It's a bit different than how I have done it in the past, but I'll give it a try your way. (Women always tend to read the directions all the way thru first )Gotta get Jeff to set me up a light table as the window method kinda sucks. Thanks for the info!
Karen
------------------ Karen Stein 639 E. 3rd Ave. Mesa, AZ 85204
We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey." -Stephen Covey
Posts: 336 | From: Chiricahua National Monument, Az | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Gotta agree with you about the window. But I did show Cheryl Lucas how to do it last weekend, using her window, and we got it done with no problems. Like I said, it'll do in a pinch. I only suggested using the window because some folks may want to try it first and see if it's something they want to do before puttin together a light table.
------------------ Don Coplen aka "SaintPete" Coplen Designs St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com
posted
Yep, that's the way I do it pretty much, except I use one large rectangle around all the artwork as a registration mark, and I work from bottom - up instead of top - down, meaning I tape the bottom layer of vinyl to the table, liner side down, then register the top layer (with premask) over it, hinge it, then peel the liner and lay it over the bottom layer.
The rectangle I use then gives me a clean trim edge and when I ship out ready-to-apply graphics it looks neater trimmed nicely.
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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