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how can i stop getting creases in apllication vinyl?
A lad from my car enthusiasts website has asked me to do some large Japanese style text in black vinyl. I’ve cut the vinyl and the characters are approx. 25cm high, there are 6 of them and the entire width is approx 160cm. I’ve only done the one so far and the problem I am having is applying application tape. I’m using 12" wide paper tape. I am getting the odd crease here and there when it is applied. My question is, how do I prevent this from happening? This is the first large graphic I have done, I have only done small ones so far and just torn off the required amount of tape and applied it with no problems. So with this one I got my wife to hold the roll at the end of the table whilst I squeegeed (sp?) the tape onto the vinyl. I am going to fabricate an application roller from an old hand rail at the weekend, would this go some way to solve the problem?
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6 Replies
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I suppose in simple terms you just need to think of it as making sure the squeegee puts the application onto the vinyl…
use smooth overlapping strokes but make sure the application tape doesn’t touch the vinyl before the squeegee puts it down
having said all that…on managable sizes I cut the application tape slightly over size & bow the middle down gently & then carefully lower either side….then from the middle out..gently squeegee again using smooth over lapping strokes
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Thanks for the reply. I’ll have to try the working from middle technique as I have been working from left to right.I just did a quick search and found a post from someone who had the same problem and it seems a dispenser helped out a lot, so I may have to build that dispenser tomorrow rather than the weekend as I have another one of these to do!
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dispensers do help allot… but you still need technique. that comes with practice.
don’t apply with anything other than your hand until the tape is in position and lying nice and flat. only then do you use a squeegee.
don’t apply too much pressure when you do squeegee or you will cause wrinkles as the vinyl puckers.
only squeegee over the areas with vinyl below. not spaces between lines of text or large gaps in logos. again this will cause puckering.
I’m not the best at explaining things… best watch the video in the video demo area on preparing vinyl graphics… -
Just a little 2c worth here, if you have two people doing this, unroll the length of the vinyl you want to app, one person holding the sticky side and another, the roll. Then (on a flat table), stick down the leading edge to the table while the roll end holding person holds the app paper taught at a 45 degree angle, then lightly smooth out the app paper (an almost breast stroke motion with you hands works quite well) as the roll holder brings the app paper down closer to the surface.
If you are really industrious, one person can do this.
see pic…
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One technique that works fine with no bubbles or creases and works especially well for those of you without a dispenser is to lay the app tape sticky side up on your bench, (make sure bench is smooth or use a sheet of glass) rip off a length of masking tape and tape the app tape to the bench either end, then take your graphics that are still on the backing paper obviously, and lay them onto the app tape, starting from one end, doesn’t matter which unless you’re more confident with a certain hand, lay about 10mm of the graphic onto the end of the app tape, then gently squeegee your graphics onto the app tape using overlapping strokes.
obviously its harder to do if you have a 600mm wide graphic to line up with 610 app tape but so long as you have an overlap you shouldn’t run off course if you’re careful.
Ive done this before and never yet had a crease or bubble.
I use a dispenser now and was trying to flood coat some foam board last weekend in 751 after 6 pints, that didn’t work out too well, now I have several small pieces of foam board after It took some flying lessons.
Never mind always apply dry……….. always apply sober! -
Since my first post on this topic I have been doing extremely well, I’ve not done anything to big but with the stuff I have done, I have had no creases in the app tape. Thanks for all the advice guys!
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