anyone have some suggestions for sign making vinyls as well what the heck mask, premask and application tape is used for?
The application of the sign is important to the type of vinyl you use. I use anvil 6-9 (wellington House) Masking tape is what is applied over the sign after you weed it to apply to your substrate. I do a lot of trucks and I mask the signs and they apply.
Lou, seriously you should put up a tip jar!!!!! I have been doing garments and I want to do signs, windows, banners, corplast and maybe even some autos. I would hate to use an expensive material if I dont have to. I know that autos require high quality but I dont even know what would be considered high quality. I just want to order some material while I have the money and didnt know the best way to spend it...I figured I would get a little of what ever I need for all of the above..
Thanks, and I am ordering those alignment tools today!
I agree with oracal for signs as even their less expensive calandered vinyl now has an air release system built in to help with air bubbles during application.
If you have a plotter only, their are many good vinyls for cut and weed applications.
You also have to consider laminating for protecting your product.
Masking is a skill in itself as it has to be applied correctly to elinimate wrinkles and bubbles.
So the Oracal 651 would be good for outdoor signs, and windows, banners etc??? Since you use it Mike I assume it is also cost effective in comparrison to others?
What about doing auto signs, where I would put the vinyl straight on the vehicles paint?
Lou xplained the Masking thing to me but what about the laminating? If I out something on a car, would I laminate it after the installation? And if so does it leave a "hand" ?
Outdoor signs/car graphics ect. I like using air release products from either 3m or Oracle
Pay more now but will last longer and easier to apply.
651 good for temp stuff 751 for signs and 851 for long term car
You laminate printed things before you apply to protect the ink from elements and for applying without use of application tape.
Get the big squegee to apply application tape...it cheaps and makes life easier
Also wet mount is get if your a new to this crap (I still hate doing it after a year)
So the Oracal 651 would be good for outdoor signs, and windows, banners etc??? Since you use it Mike I assume it is also cost effective in comparrison to others?
What about doing auto signs, where I would put the vinyl straight on the vehicles paint?
Lou xplained the Masking thing to me but what about the laminating? If I out something on a car, would I laminate it after the installation? And if so does it leave a "hand" ?
When I started, I tried different brands of vinyl, (avery, fdc, 3m, etc.) and there is nothing wrong (in my opinion) with any of them, it all depends on how the product is applied. I started using the Oracal and liked the material, the selection of colors, and the availability. I have my cutters set up for Oracal, I know where to keep my shop temperature and humidity for clean cutting and weeding and I just plain like the material. I put a lot of it on the painted surfaces of vehicles with no problem, it comes of easy with a heat gun and a little work. Use some Rapid-Tac vinyl remover to remove the glue and Rapid-Tac Cleaner and you'd never know there was a decal on there.
Before applying any decal on any surface I always clean it with Rapid-Tac cleaner.
There is no need to laminate the vinyl unless you are making digital prints on vinyl.
As I stated before, I use the AT-60 tape most of the time but there are instances when I do a wet application when the AT-60 can't be used then so I use standard application tape.
Holy crap wher have I been?!?!?!?! Thanks for the replies. Ok so I will be buying some Oracal 651 for corplast and indoor signs, 751 for permenant outdoor signs and 851 for autos........
Sound about right??????
Thanks again, sometime it is hard to find sign guys willing to help, I appreciate your advice!!
Holy crap wher have I been?!?!?!?! Thanks for the replies. Ok so I will be buying some Oracal 651 for corplast and indoor signs, 751 for permenant outdoor signs and 851 for autos........
Sound about right??????
Thanks again, sometime it is hard to find sign guys willing to help, I appreciate your advice!!
You can use 751 for auto graphics, that's what i've been using and the shops around me as well, but 851 will work to, 751/851 are both cast vinyl's just 751 is cheaper in price. Goodluck
Last edited by ambitious; October 12th, 2008 at 06:06 PM.
Reason: typo
The advice given in the previous threads is pretty good. I have found that all the manufacturers. oracal, avery, 3m etc make a quality product. The thing to keep in mind is that their are 3 grades of standard vinyl. Economy, intermediate and high performance. The economy and intermediate are manufactured using the calandered method. This process is where they get a thick piece of vinyl and extrude it, Kind of like taffy. If you have ever seen an old out door sign where the edges are peeling back and cracking chances are that was calendered vinyl It's only natural that when the adhesive starts to fail the vinyl wants to return to it's natural unstretched shape. The high performance or cast vinyl is not strecthed but "cast" at it's final size. It is much thinner and a little trickier to work with at first. The other big difference is the adhesive there are special adhesive options from economy acrylic adhesive to quality solvent based adhesives to special adhesives that has air egress chanells to avoid bubbles. Most manufacuturers designate their vinyl with the model number coresponding to the number of years the vinyl Is rated for. For Instance oracal 651 Is rated for 6 yr outdoor durability and so on. So in conclusion you should match your vinyl for your application. Most sign shops use a good qualilty Calenderd intermediate as their standard vinyl and move up to high performance when the application warrants it. Goodluck.
When I started out I only carried 751 because it was cast. I figured I didn't want to tie up money in inventory and have both 751 and 651 laying around when the 751 will do everything the 651 will do.
After a while I finally started carrying intermediate calendered vinyls. But for a while all I had was the good stuff. The cost difference isn't much if you're charging right. Plus, if you tell people you're using the cast 7-year vinyl they get all happy.
best vinyl for signs 
