Edjumacate me on vinyl

[Frog]

What is used on all of those car stickers I see, like the stick figure families.
Are they always stuck on the outside?
Are there different tacks?
Are they small enough that they generally apply easily enough that the average Joe (or Josephine) gets them with no bubbles or wrinkles?

[Sbrem]

What is used on all of those car stickers I see, like the stick figure families.
Are they always stuck on the outside?
Are there different tacks?
Are they small enough that they generally apply easily enough that the average Joe (or Josephine) gets them with no bubbles or wrinkles?

Generally, vinyl is on the outside, and come with removable, or non-removable adhesive. Static cling needs to be printed on the back side so they will stick to the inside of the window (some say they will stick if the ink is on the front side, but I disagree). Check out Gill-Line, good info there.

Steve

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I can't remember, you have a plotter, right?

Heat press is generally cut reversed. First surface (or pressure sensitive vinyl--also called sign vinyl) is cut right reading. Weeding is completely different than heat press for garments. You will usually see 2 types: Cast and Calendered. Cast vinyl starts life as a liquid and is dimensionally stable. 7 years exterior application is a reasonable expectation, unless it faces South or Southwest and catches Arizona type exposure to the SUN. Calendared vinyl starts as a BLOB and is rolled under pressure and spends most of its life trying to get back into its blobish shape. ie: it shrinks.

Cast vinyl=expensive and durable  (also called HP or High Performance Vinyl)
Calendared=cheap and far more temporary (although still, very servicable...once you understand it's limitations) (also called intermediate vinyl)

Application is a trick, PM me if you like, and I'll phone you and walk you through it. Once you know the tricks, it's a slam dunk on flat surfaces. Compound curves and/or over rivets, not so much. Vehicle "wraps" are advanced application techniques. But basically I make a taped "hinge" of the assembled decoration, taping over one end of the transfer mask to the substrate. I then peel the release liner part way from the hinge, then squeegee vertically, up and down from the centerline....overlapping each squeegee pass. I use the release liner as a moving "bumper" or "spacer" to keep the decal from touching the substrate until THE SQUEEGEE forces contact between the adhesive and the substrate.

As Steve said, adhesives also vary. Some are intended as a sacrificial single use stencil, some are static cling. Some are considered removable, but it is still single use for the most part. 

But compared to the heartaches that can accompany screenprinting on garments, the vinyl biz is pretty simple. That's what I think, anyways. It takes some practice though. I can do it in my sleep on flat surfaces.

Having said all that, the vinyl cutting business is in decline, because of digital printing. It will still be around for many years, but not like 3 decades ago.

[Frog]

Stan, you're jumping me way up on the compilation scale. I'm just curious about them little window stickers, LOL! Baby steps.
Besides, you know how it starts, make this and that for the wife, and friends, and then someone asks, hey, where did you get that?

I assume that most of the stickers I see were applied by the end users, so that part can't be too tough.

So, when I see them lifting and curling up, they are probably the cheaper calendered type, eh?
Also, how does one remove them when they want to?

[royster13]

Oracal 751.....Lasts longer than Oracal 651 but is a little trickier to cut fine details....

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Stan, you're jumping me way up on the compilation scale. I'm just curious about them little window stickers, LOL! Baby steps.
Besides, you know how it starts, make this and that for the wife, and friends, and then someone asks, hey, where did you get that?

I assume that most of the stickers I see were applied by the end users, so that part can't be too tough.

So, when I see them lifting and curling up, they are probably the cheaper calendered type, eh?
Also, how does one remove them when they want to?

A habit of mine. And I grew up in a sign shop. Apologies....

Yes, on glass, a razor blade makes removal a breeze. You'll need a handle and a pack of single edge utility razor blades. They dull fast, and will "roll up" the adhesive when they collect a little build-up. On other surfaces, removal is a mix of a heat gun, hocus pocus, and adhesive remover. Mineral Spirits, D-limonene (citrus based adhesive remover), Kerosene....you never know what chemistry they've selected and how long it's been on. Xylene maybe even...

Removing Reflective Decals from a painted surface like a pickup truck may be almost impossible without damaging the paint job. Say NO THANKS, and go to Vegas with the money you've saved by not having to repaint their danged truck. I'm not kidding.

There. I've overdone it again.

Just shoot me.

[Frog]

and I just noticed I typed "compilation" rather than "complication". Dang that spell check correct!

[Doug S]

Also, run if someone wants chrome silver or deluxe silver removed.  It comes off in chips, especially if it's been there awhile.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

and I just noticed I typed "compilation" rather than "complication". Dang that spell check correct!

Just turn yourself in to the grammar police. You'll find you are in good company.

I forgot to mention, when the decals "lift" or "curl" at the edges, and/or the vinyl shows cracks, then yeah. It's probably calendered vinyl.

Other than the money you save with calendered vinyl, it has another odd but good characteristic. After you cut the vinyl, if it is very detailed, you can leave it sit a day or two before weeding, or stick it in a freezer for a while and its tendency to shrink slightly becomes your friend. Its that shrinkage that makes weeding teensy weensy details much easier. Fine details can make you go crazy, especially with eyes like mine. (old)

[Frog]

and I just noticed I typed "compilation" rather than "complication". Dang that spell check correct!

Just turn yourself in to the grammar police. You'll find you are in good company.

I forgot to mention, when the decals "lift" or "curl" at the edges, and/or the vinyl shows cracks, then yeah. It's probably calendered vinyl.

Other than the money you save with calendered vinyl, it has another odd but good characteristic. After you cut the vinyl, if it is very detailed, you can leave it sit a day or two before weeding, or stick it in a freezer for a while and its tendency to shrink slightly becomes your friend. Its that shrinkage that makes weeding teensy weensy details much easier. Fine details can make you go crazy, especially with eyes like mine. (old)

Interesting, to aid weeding vinyl, heat up the heat press stuff, and chill the cold stuff.

[Sbrem]

I'm beginning to think you didn't mean a bumper sticker material for screen printing, didn't think about cutting and weeding at all, hence the recommendation for Gill Line. If you went that way, the removable adhesives let you peel off without the tearing...

Steve

[Frog]

I'm beginning to think you didn't mean a bumper sticker material for screen printing, didn't think about cutting and weeding at all, hence the recommendation for Gill Line. If you went that way, the removable adhesives let you peel off without the tearing...

Steve

I should have been clearer. Talking about the mostly white stick figure families and dog heads and similar deigns I see on car windows.

[Sbrem]

I would tend to think a lot of those are inkjet print and cut for short runs, seems to be the most economical, depending on the details. I would not want to be weeding anything for that short a price...

Steve

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I've not looked very close at many of them.  But the ones I HAVE seen are cad cut pressure sensitive vinyl. Never seen a printed version...at least so far.

[ScreenFoo]

Needs pics.



IMHO this is the best infringement based example.
Did they change the mask 10%? 
Does that number even matter at all? 
Is Lucas so rich it doesn't matter what you do?