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Shop Fascia Graphics : Harleys Tea Room
sorry, i haven’t worked out how to optimise pics yet? could someone explain in very simple terms 😳 this is a sign that i did a couple of days ago and it turned into the nightmare from hell. It was freezing cold and the vinyl had to be applied directly to the fresh gloss paint! I’d cut the sign too long to start with and had to jiggle around with cut and shutting the border. The vinyl would not stick at all to the surface and i only had a rubbish step ladder (and eight months worth of pregnancy bump to contend with) I spent seven hours in total up the ladder in despair, freezing and nearly crying with the thought of the low quote I’d given the customer. In the last hour, my bloke turned up whose experience of fitting vinyl extends to “i’ve fitted a few stickers to cars in my time”, I asked if he wouldn’t mind starting to position the last bit for me, he scaled the ladder, simply ripped off all the application paper in one go (much to my horror) and placed the last bit of text ‘ harley’s’ outline and lettering absolutley perfectly in minutes!!! This was after I’d spent hours – squeegie in hand, meticulously working away. Needless to say, I was pleased to get the job done and the customer was over the moon but what’s going on? I swear, vinyl can SMELL FEAR.
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15 Replies
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Apologies to anyone who’s read through that essay, there were a few things in there that raised some questions for me which I’d appreciate any tips on if anyone feels inclined: is it ok to apply vinyl to gloss paint, will it come off or eventually bond with a little bit of sun? Is there anyway to sucessfully apply a border like the one on this sign in one bit or is it always a bit by bit thing? is there any sort of varnish or sealer i could put over lettering and gloss paint? (for example matt polyurethane varnish to make a matt effect and seal the work) can vinyl really smell my fear? perhaps i need to be more assertive with it? cheers! nelijane
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Vinyl will stick to gloss just fine as long as the paint is hard enough. You should always allow at least 3 or 4 days of good drying weather for the paint to get a chance to harden enough. It depends a lot on how the board has been painted… several thin coats are better than one or two thick coats as the paint has a much better chance to harden. I have had jobs where the boards have been painted by the customer with one thick coat to save him/her time, or so they thought, but the lettering could not be applied for over a week until the paint hardened enough.
If you can leave a thumbprint or tear the paint with your fingernail, then it is too soft!
Soft paint will give off solvent vapours which can affect the adhesive on the vinyl.
If the customer insists you apply to fresh paint, warn him/her that if it comes off, it will all have to be re-done at their expense. You will usually find they will wait a few days.
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thanks james. this paint had been on for about a week and it certainly seemed hard enough! maybe it was a combination of the high shine and the cold weather (it was only about 6 deg) i would love to be able to find an exterior wood paint in anything but gloss finish, i have an aversion to it!
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Hi there.
I hate sticking vinyl, but I have to, hardly anybody wants paint around here any more. But I prefer to apply it onto glossy paint. It seems to stick better. And I always use Hi-Performance, not intermediate.
I think the main problem was the temperature. By the time the bloke arrived to help, perhaps the wee bit of sun (or from you handling it) had warmed the sign sufficiently.
But I will say this as a signpainter who worked like a dog thru 2 pregnancies….at 8 months, you should not be on a ladder, especially a rubbish one! What if you fell? You can never replace your health or your baby, and the small amount of $$ you got torturing yourself with that sign would hardly seem worth it. Please slow down and take care of yourself. The signs will always be there.
Love…Jill
(sorry for nagging) -
I was being told by a friend of mine the yesterday that there was something that could be added to paint to speed up the drying process. He tells me this when I’m 3/4 the way through painting a new A board… D’oh! I can’t remember off hand what it was called, but once I find out I’ll post it 😀
Great sign though Naomi. Was it not possible to do it flat and get that big boy of yours to lift it and screw it into place? I know it would’ve ment adding a backing board to the job price, but Jill does have a vaild point about the ladders. (Please don’t slap me, Jill said it first 😥 😥 ) 😉 😆
What type vinyl are you using atm btw?
Cheers, Dewi
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hi dewi and jill – i know, i know, point taken about ladder etc. the thing was that i put this quote in ages ago and they just got back to me and were adamant that they didn’t want a board, they wanted the vinyl directly onto the front of their shop! its definitely the last ladder job i attempt. with the business just taking off, its proving very difficult to say no and reach a cut off point, i meant to give up jobs a couple of weeks ago. But, i’m determined to stop after next week. i’d love to know the name of the quick drying stuff, dewi. I’ve been painting a sign panel for the last couple of days, it takes 5 minutes to do a coat, longer to wash the brush out and then 16 hours wait between coats!! nelijane
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dewi, what is btw?
using 8 year cal vinyl from jac. just standard stuff i reckon, you think i would have been better off with cast or something? nelijane (you remembered my name!)
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btw = by the way
Just interested in the type of vinyl you’re using 😀 I hadn’t even heard of that make before, so I learnt something new 😀
I know what you mean about not saying no. I’ve had myself in all sorts of trouble because my brain just decided to forget the word no. Its got to be pretty hard going having the volume of work you’re getting and being 8 months (and a bit) pregnant, but you’re doing some great work. Just echoing Jill really with the ‘mind the bump’ 😉
Cunning plan though, with your fella being so handy with the vinyl, draft him in to do all your fitting jobs and you have a sit down and a cup of tea 😉 😉
Cheers, Dewi
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Hi, I have been recommended this stuff http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=236014 to add to paint and speed up the drying time. I’ve heard it causes the paint to harden chemically, rather than by solvent evaporation. The trade use it if wet weather is forecast.
Good luck with the “bump” Nelijane, it seems like only yesterday my wife had a bump. It’s now grown into a 23 year old, 6′ 2″, 13 stone Police officer and still causes me grief! 😕
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Dewi, have taken your advice seriously, this is my bloke, Paul, up a ladder fitting for me!
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thanks steve, will check out the drying stuff, sounds good. only 3 weeks to go for the bump now!
ps – can anyone tell me how to optimise pics for posting? nelijane
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nice stuff nelijane!! i like the salmon shop facia, gold on black always looks terrific!! 😛 well done!!
if you have photoshop or similar, you can reduce the size of photo by reducing the size of the pixels, just say your photo was 5.5mb
1500 pixels by 1200 would be displayed just change the 1500 to 600 and that will reduce okay!! if your still stuck send me a pm and i will help you out!!Nik
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Your chappie looks mighty happy there NeliJane 😀 Blimey though, you’re getting about with this signage work aren’t you! Nice sign btw, did you do the window graphics as well?
As Nik says you can resize the piccies quite easily in photoshop, or a cheaper version is PaintShopPro. Both packages offer resizing options, just make sure you ‘constrain proportions’ then enter the 600 as Nik says. The reason you click the constrain proportions thing is so it resizes both the horizontal and the vertical at the same time and keeps the proportions of the picture the same, just a smaller version. Does that even make sense? 😮 😛 I always take mine to a maximum width of 400, only because someone somewhere will still have a 640×480 monitor, and I’m trying to be kind 😉
Cheers, Dewi
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thanks guys! Paul does look very happy up that ladder doesn’t he. Bless, he didn’t even ask for a cut!
I did do the window graphics as well, and for minimal effort, I was really pleased with them. The simple gold on black thing worked so well, the customer was really happy with this sign. It’s a fishing shop in my home village and lo and behold, over the next couple of days, I’d been approached by five other shops of the same street for quotations! The village is my gallery (I’m obviously getting above my station)
Good news also, I’ve found someone to work for me who will do fittings of a casual basis as and when I need them so I’ve got no need to stop work at all for the baby!
Thanks for the tips of the pix nik and dewi, will try my hardest to do this. I do have photoshop but I’ve never even opened it up yet so I’ll have a shot. Nelijane
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I really need to read posts more thoroughly!! 😮
I just read that and got a mental image of you giving birth with a laptop computer next to you, and a plotter wedged between the monitoring equipment and the gas n air trolley 😳 😳 Reread it thankfully.
The window graphics look great though 😀
Any problems with sorting the graphics Naomi, gimme an email and I’ll post some screenshots across 😀 Always a little easier when its done with a few piccies.
If Paul’s free this weekend, I wouldn’t mind a fitter down this way at the prices he’s charging you 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
Cheers, Dewi
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