how can i get vinyl to line up properly?

[Robert Lambie]

quick reply mate….
do you use registration marks?

if not, do you have a weld fascility in your software?
can you create layer welds?

just asking because if you can create layer welds it helps hide any imperfections in the joining of a shadow or an outline.
e.g.

you have an letter “S”
1, you lay a “solid” red letter “S”
2, you lay ontop of the first layer, a black letter “S” but as an inline.

this creates the effect of a black s with a red outline.

hope that makes sense? 😕

[widget]

wow that was a quick reply thanks

dont know what registration marks are but i am guessing its something to line them up?

i have a weld feature in my programme but dont know if it welds layers,i will check it out tomorrow and have a bit play about with it

will this cure the problem of the colours lining up?
thanks

[Robert Lambie]

if you can do layers as oppossed to peices it will hide any imperfections.
imperfections can be caused by the weld in your software. it can be caused by the machine cutting it. it can be caused simply by not lining it up 100% even if you think you are… so there are a few reasons, but doing it in layers hides the sins that may arrise. 😉
it also helps with shrinkage. two bits of vinyl butted tight together will show a small space a few months down the line due to slight shrinkage.

[Gary Davis]

sorry to butt in but i have just done a job like this, rob how does welding layers differ to applying a contour to achieve drop shadows and outline? Do you end up with an overlap?

[widget]

i’m getting confused now lol

[J. Hulme]

Create the text, add shadow, you now have text complete with shadow / outline etc, copy /duplicate just the text put this out of the way for a minute, assign same colour for the text and shadow, select both the shadow and text and weld. Cut the text you’ve moved out of the way and the welded piece you’ve just created as a shadow, place your original text over the shadow vinyl align over the original letters which is now part of your shadow as a guide. No gaps perfect professional look.

The reason for making the shadow and text the same colour is some software won’t do multi colour welds, and will say ‘cannot weld objects in different layers’

[Gary Davis]

surely with that method the text is an exact fit to the outline/shadow?

rob said his method got round shrinkage problems, and gaps appearing, however if theres no overlap surely shrinkage would cause gaps to appear?

[J. Hulme]

No because you’ve created the shadow including your text in the shadow colour and as the shadow, it’s all one now, the new text is smaller and fits into or over the shadow vinyl leaving no gaps, try it.
It doesn’t cut the text into the shadow, just actually cuts the profile of the shadow and text combined as one. The text is then placed over and aligned to original text which is part of the shadow, it will make sense when you do it and see 😉

[Gary Davis]

oh is see sorry was getting confused there!!

the method you mention i couldnt use as it was yellow text with green outline, and the green showed through the yellow!!

thanks for the info will bear it in mind when using other colours.

[John Childs]

The above is all good advice. We never butt join anything. And I hate to see overlaps so we don’t do that either.

Also, make sure that you use the same application tape on both colours rather than the usual tendency to go for paper tape on the first colour you apply then clear (to help alignment) on the second colour. The different amount of stretchiness in the two types of tape will throw your alignment out.

[widget]

EXCELLENT 🙂

So simple really why did i not think of that

will this method also work for windows etc (mirrored)

thanks everyone

[Shane Drew]

Adding to Johnchilds comments, always use the same brand or material if alignment is critical. Don’t use, say, avery 5 year as one colour and oracal 7 year as another. Alignment will always be a problem as both tapes will cut differently.

Also, cut the tape in the same direction. some people will cut in a way to save material, but if you cut one length ways, and turn the other 90 deg to save tape, the alignment will also be different.

As Rob advised tho, the easiest is the layer method, once you start doing it that way, you’ll never go back to the old way.

Cheers

[Andy Gorman]

I’ve had occasions when multi colour designs won’t align properly. It can usually be overcome by breaking the pieces into shorter lengths, when applying, to even out any inaccuracies. For example, when applying a drop shadow, apply one word at a time on the second colour rather than a long run.

[Peter Normington]

All good advise above, I find an easier way than using registration marks on most jobs is just to use the corners from the weed border.
I normally build the job up on the bench(kitchen table). before applying.
Saves app tape, and time on job.
Anything longer than 8′ I normally do in two pieces, above this length with a grit roller plotter registration seems to go of a bit.
Peter

[widget]

peter

when you say you build them up first how do you do it ?

do you pull each letter off individualy ?

i often wander how to do this to save app paper also

[widget]

i dont want to sound stupid but how do you use registration marks ?

[Peter Normington]

Ok heres who its done, Design your 2 colour graphic (or more the principal is the same) Place a weed border around the complete graphic.
Cut out the graphic and border by colour, after weeding inside the border, you should then have 2 pieces of vinyl both the the same size with a border round the edge and the two elements of the graphic wiyhin the border.
Apply app tape to the piece that goes on top. Cut the corners off the border.
Stick the second piece to the table with masking tape along one edge.
Place the other bit on top aligning the corners, stick along the same edge with masking tape and apply as you would normally, (Not wet)
cut off border, Job done!
Registration marks do the same think they ar marks that are in a relative constant position on each element of the graphic. Like the weed border.
Hope this is clearer than mud
Peter

[John Singh]

Registration marks are placed into the main drawing on your screen

Your screen should be showing your welded layers as has been described earlier (overlay weld in Signlab [if you have it] is one example)

In my programme [signlab] there’s a fly on the shapes tool
Check this for two options of doing registration marks

Obviously the idea is to cut both layers with those registrations in the cut
You then weed and place one set of registration directly over te top of the other

Jhn

[widget]

sounds easy enough.except i cant find anything in my software that lets me put in registration marks,

how do i make a weed border? do i just make a rectangle around the object, my software seems very basic.

i do most my work in corel then export as eps then import into artcut to cut it
can i put registration marks in with corel ?

i was supposed to get software with my pc-600(rip and cut i think) but the guy i bought it off never sent it with the machine (anyone use this?) is it any good ? if so i may be able to get it from roland

thank you

[John Singh]

I suppose a lot of fuss is being made about registration marks when in fact it is easy just to make your own no matter how simple your software.

if you can make a simple symbol like a square or circle (or any other shape for that matter)

Do your artwork as discussed
Once done simply put a small symbol in the four corners of it
Leave a sensible margin between the symbols and your artwork
Now group it all and cut
You should have a choice of cutting each colour (complete with registration marks of course)

John

[Robert Lambie]

i agree john
a very easy one and one i use often is a line.
right along the underside or top of the image/text your linining up.
not only does it work as a registration mark, but also as a straight line to take your sizes from.

[John Singh]

That sounds even better

Never thought of that but pretty obvious now that you’ve stated it 🙄

John