layering vinyl?

[Shane Drew]

cut your outline in solid black, lay it down, then your normal text over it with the appropriate edge all round.

[John & Dawn Roddick]

Try this demo – it should explain things

https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?p=95222#95222

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Yeah, listen to the man from Oz.
That’s how I do it too.
Pretend yer makin a vinyl sandwich, but hold the mayo.
I had to re-letter a truck someone else did.
They cut the outline as an outline, if you get my drift.
The dark color shrank and pulled away from the outline,
leaving the color of the truck showing thru in spots.
It wasn’t pretty.
Love….Jill

[del]

yea thats how i thought it may be done, you guys are the best! I do feel a bit silly asking newbie questians but hay, if ya dont ask ull never know 😉

[Leigh]

Sometimes you can’t help but to create an outline.
Say if your design is very detailed with a lot of colors….well you don’t want to layer tooooooo many colors – it doesn’t build up too nicely say after 3 or 4 colors (that’s my limit at least) So you may have to use an outline for one of the colors in your design.

You can’t just keep stacking vinyl on vinyl – or eventually you will end up with a big ol mound – :lol1: hmmm not too pretty either 😉
(now if I could paint as well as Jill ….hehe or even at all…this wouldn’t be a problem 😳 )

I’ve seen people around my area here layer way to many colors and it just doesn’t look good – in my opinion – when you can stand on the edge of the vehicle and see the image raised so far off the surface.

[Shane Drew]

Leigh, most manufacturers void warranty on anymore than 4 layers too, so it is worth keeping that in mind too.

If you must do an ‘outline’ outline, ONLY USE cast material, as you will have the least instance of shrinkage as per Jills comment.

[Bryan Cabrera]

I find that solid black shows through certain colors like bright yellow (we use Avery A6 opaque)

So what I do is trap the lighter color in a black outline. So the black is placed over the ligher color with a little bit of overlap. That is how I did the swirls in Interlocking Sign Post

If you need a more of an explanation let me know and I tell you how I do it in Illustrator or CorelDraw.

[del]

Yea Brian, if you could letme know how you did it all that would be great! i I have corel draw that im trying to learn 🙂

cheers

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Point taken, Leigh!
You’ll end up with a Dagwood sandwich if you over-layer.
You’re right….I paint many an outline!
Bryan is right too…the black does show thru some colors.
In that instance, I would cut the black outline as such,
thickening up the inner portion so that it overlaps the colored letter.
Like Shane says, use high-performance (cast) instead of intermediate (calandered) vinyl.
Unless you’re doing a damn coro sign.
Love….Jill

[Bryan Cabrera]

quote del:

Yea Brian, if you could letme know how you did it all that would be great! i I have corel draw that im trying to learn 🙂

cheers

There are a couple of ways you can do it. As mentioned you really only need to do this if you are using a dark outline on a light color that would show through if layered.

The simple way would be to create your text and give it at ouline.
The convert the outline to an object. (I don’t have CorelDraw on this computer, but I think its in the Object Menu)
This will give you an automatic trap as half of the outline will overlap the type.

The drawback to this method is that you don’t have as much control over the overlap amount.

The other way is to use a Contour to create the outline and the trap. I will try to put some screen shots together to explain this when I have some time.

Basically you apply a Contour to the type 2 times.
1st time you use the amount of the overlap you want to create (usually 2-3 mm). Then you Break the Contour apart and then select the original type and give it a Contour the size of the outline you want. Break the Contour Group apart again. Now you select the type and the Outline Path (the inner and outer paths) and bring them to the front and combine them (ctrl L). This will allow the overlap contour to show through.

Hope that makes sense, its actually alot easier then it sounds.

[jamminjohn]

Can someone send me the instructions on how to do this?

thanks

[Peter Normington]

quote jamminjohn:

Can someone send me the instructions on how to do this?

thanks

Hi,
john?
happy to, but first we need to know a bit about you, and why you need this info?
You may be a sign spy, trying to infiltrate the knowledge we have…

No joking apart .. we would like to know a bit about you, and I am sure we will be able to help

Peter

[jamminjohn]

To be honest I just bought a lynx s-60 and wanted to make some cool stickers for the kids, and maybe some tshirts. Nothing to crazy just wanting to learn. Do you have any suggestions on where I should start (i.e. books, classes, videos) any info is greatly appreciated

thanks for asking
john

[Shane Drew]

Robs got some demos on here but you have to be paid up to see them.

You may look at your local evening colleges in the States, they may have some classes using Corel or Illustrator.

That will give you a good start in design, then its easier learning from there.

I did a corel 4 course years ago, was a real good start if you don’t have a grounding in design software.

It is a start anyway.

Shane

[jamminjohn]

Thank you for the info, I will be searcing for some classes tomorrow. I am trying to cut just some words and the edges raise up and look terrible I can fix the look but then the text is un-weedable where it barely cut the vinyl . Where can I learn to fix that. I have tried adjusting the depth of the blade and the pressure ( tech support on the website I bought it from said to).

Im sorry for all of the questions

thanks
John

[Shane Drew]

sounds like you are using the wrong blade John.

What is the material you are cutting, and brand of cutter?

[jamminjohn]

I am using regular avery vinyl and my cutter is a lynx s-60.

[Shane Drew]

quote jamminjohn:

I am using regular avery vinyl and my cutter is a lynx s-60.

both good gear. I think it is your blade or holder. Does it move freely.?

Is the cutter new?

[jamminjohn]

yes it is new and im not sure about the question move freely. It is not loose.

[Shane Drew]

quote jamminjohn:

yes it is new and im not sure about the question move freely. It is not loose.

If it is tight, it will not rotate resulting in the vinyl tearing. Can you rotate the blade with your hand?

The blade should be held in by magnetic field, and it sits on little ballbearings that you will not be able to see.

If it is still tight, take it back to your supplier and get them to show it to you working.

Only thing I can think of. sorry

[jamminjohn]

sorry, it is loose. I can move it around and pull it out prett easy