How to apply a swoosh on the side of a van

[Martin Pearson]

If you don’t have a plotter wide enough & are thinking about something like knifeless tape then one option would be to make a template you can tape to the side of the van to run the edge of the tape along, that would ensure both sides were the same if placed carefully.
I would have a practice with the tape before tackling the job though as there is a technique to getting a good finish.

[David Hammond]

We have a 1300mm plotter, and when we did our own van used a wrap cut tape. The finish is OK, but where we overlaid the white stripe there’s a visible line where it overlaps, and the two curves aren’t equal.

I need to experiment to see if we can cut 1500mm wrap film in our 1300mm plotter.

Another idea could be to use a magnet with a line attached to a Chinagraph pencil, to mark the curve and apply the tape along that mark?

[Paul Seeley]

I’m with Martin 😀

Get yourself a piece of thin card/foam/paper or whatever. Tape it into position and draw the pattern on it. Put it on top of a couple of pieces of vinyl (remember to have one face up and the other face down) 🙄 and cut through with a scalpel – job done! (Well apart from applying it obviously)

Let us know how you get on
Cheers
Paul

[Martin Gray]

Thanks guys

I’ve booked the van in for the first weekend in December. Will let you know how It goes!

[Jon Marshall]

I would cut the shape on your plotter in two pieces.

You could hide the join in the recess

[Martin Pearson]

Martin, if you intend to go down the knifeless tape/wrap cut road then buy some now to have a play with, takes a bit of getting use to, as with most things the experts make it look so easy. From my own trials & what was said on the wrap course knifeless tape seems to work best for curves & wrap cut for straight lines.

[Martin Gray]

Martin I’ve used both tapes and prefer the knifeless tape to wrapcut. Yes there is a technic to it but I think I should manage it.

Thanks

[Vic Adair]

quote Jon Marshall:

I would cut the shape on your plotter in two pieces.

You could hide the join in the recess

As Jon says, do the curve, on the plotter, in two pieces and a 12” band along the bottom on each side.

[Martin Pearson]

Martin only mentioned it because it generally takes a bit of getting used to but if you have used it before then you know that, yer you will be fine. You could make the template on the plotter if you have a pen, that way you can ensure the curve is exactly the shape you want.

Jon, what about the part of the overlap that doesn’t fit in the recess? No way to hide the join there, I know it’s not a large section but can’t help thinking the customer wouldn’t be happy. Suppose you could offer it that way as a cheaper option.

[Alex Crosbie]

I would cut on the plotter and piece it together.

You’ll have the ability to repeat it should they have another van the same and the time for a plotter to cut it will be a lot less than using knifeless tape or trying to handcut it.

Regards

Alex