template for van panel, suggestions please?

[Andy Gorman]

Get some lining paper, tape to panel, take rubbing of edges, spray mount to vinyl, cut out.

You can use application tape to get the template, but I find it stretches when you remove it from the van.

[Peter Normington]

two ways over cut apply app tape and apply to panel trim with scapel or make a paper template and cut vinyl to shape either with plotter or stick down well cut by hand then apply thats how I would do it

lynn (not peter)

[Phill Fenton]

I would get some application tape and completely cover the panel (including a few inches over the outer edge). Now trace the shape of the panel onto the tape. Remove the tape complete with the tracing and stick it onto your vinyl. Finaly cut out the shape of the panel in vinyl by following the shape drawn on the application tape.

I use this whenever I am blanking out rear van windows with vinyl. 😀

[expressgraphics]

Hi Dynamitey,
assuming you aren’t able to trace and digitise the shape, there’s a couple of ways you can go about it. Trace the shape onto a piece of premask which you apply over the panel, then break that into A4 sections and scan them. Put all the pieces together in a drawing or sign package and trace the shape that way. Cut your new template in a scrap piece of vinyl to check the shape and tweak it to fit by moving the vector points of the outline.
Other way is to draw a 1″ grid on a bit of white vinyl with a marker and apply it over the panel. Take a digi photo of the panel and import that into your sign package. In the sign package draw a 1″ grid and scale up the photo to size and draw your panel outline. Cut again in vinyl and check it fits.
Hope this helps,
regards,
John.

[Robert Lambie]

take a dry wipe marker, a straight edge, draw right along the edge of the panel with the “fine tip” dry wipe marker. then free hand draw radious of corners. easy wiped if you wobble a bit and try again. once your happy that thats esactly the desired shape.
take a square on digital picture, level from centre of the panel in question.
open up in software and digitise the rectangle. using the exact width of panel scale it up.
cut in printer and you should have it spot on or near enough. 😀

[Richard Urquhart]

wow first off thanks for speedy replies i will have a go with your suggestions big thanks rich

[Phill Fenton]

Why dont you try it all the ways described and let us know which method you judge to be the best – then we can all adopt it as the official UKSG method of creating a template….

Have I taken this too far 😕

[Peter Normington]

no I don’t think so you were being helpful as we all were Rich asked for ways, he will find the one that suits him may be yours mine someone else’s or given all the ideas he may come up with something none of us have thought of before and we will all go oh 🙁 why didn’t I think of that 😀
have a good hoilday well ours will be like all of yours a bit of rest and work but face it we all love it :lol1:

Lynn (not Peter)

[James kelly]

Robert’s method is the one I have used many times for similar projects. If I need good accuracy, I cut a smaller rectangle, apply it to the panel and digi photograph it.

A bit of advise though, don’t photograph from close up, it is better to stand well back and zoom in, that way there will be less perspective distortion.

[Mike Fear]

I often use a similar method – cut a square of known size ( 5cm x 5cm ) – stick it in the middle of the panel, photograph it, then scale up the image to real size in your graphics program.

You can also use the scaling method to make car and van graphics if you dont have the template – find a good side on pic on the web, find out the wheelbase of the vehicle ( clue – it will be from the centre of the back wheel to the centre of the front ) then scale up to real size. You can get the wheelbase measurement easily by searching on google etc…

This will work for all flat and mainly flat surfaces where you arent wrapping around corners etc….

[John Harding]

James and Mike thanks both great tips I think, expanding on mikes idea -what about carrying an offcut of magnetic of known size in your briefcase whack it on photo and remove! easy and reusable:D

John