[Fenrir]

Say, for instance, I have a 2-color design, something like this:

COOKIEDOUGH
[And Brownie Batter

that I want to create for re-sale. Now for layered vinyl, you would use low tack tape and still leave the bottom layer on the original backing (though I try not to layer off the final substrate anyway). Since this is not layered and there's nothing for the dough to stick to, how would you create it so it's still a "saleable item"? My first idea was to do it like layered anyway, with registration marks, squeegee it together, then put it back down on scrap backing paper. However, I've found that once you peel the backing paper off, if you put the vinyl back down onto it it's not going to stay stuck, but will likely "slide off". I could mask around the edges of the decal, and then the customer would cut the edges off to use it.

One of my thoughts was to cut the area where the red vinyl will go out of the black vinyl, then mask the back of the vinyl to hold it together. I think this would be both wasteful and too time-consuming in the long run, though.

 

[superD70]

when I do decals like that I use low tac tape on the smaller color, transfer it to the backing with the larger ammount of vinyl, remove the low tac transfer tape and apply my normal transfer tape on the completed decal

 

[365 xpression]

How do you make registration blocks for 2 color images so you can line them up on the banner or for window decals help please Im starting m the sign part of my business

 

[Bert02]

How do you make registration blocks for 2 color images so you can line them up on the banner or for window decals help please Im starting m the sign part of my business

depends what program you use
using cut studio i just create the whole logo as one with some registration marks along the top and save it (i just make some squares)
then delete the second colour parts and cut. then load the original file back up and delete the first colour parts and cut the second colour
although theres other and better ways i just find this easy for me as a beginner

 

[Ribcage]

Personally, I think it would be more cost effective for you to send them out to a sign shop with a digital printer rather than doing all the cutting, weeding, apping, registration and application yourself.

 

[Fenrir]

These would be small runs, a dozen or less. Also, for this particular application it needs to be contour cut so unprinted areas are clear, while the letters need to be opaque, so a clear printed sticker would need a contour cut white backing anyway.

 

[Ribcage]

It still seems like a lot of work to me. If you find someone with a Gerber Edge setup they could do exactly what you described in short runs.

 

[tankueray]

These would be small runs, a dozen or less. Also, for this particular application it needs to be contour cut so unprinted areas are clear, while the letters need to be opaque, so a clear printed sticker would need a contour cut white backing anyway.

There are solvent printers that print white ink, so it could be done on clear material with a white underlay for the letters. This would be more expensive than 2 colors of vinyl, so it comes down to how you value your time and if you're willing to contract it out to someone to save that time. If you're interested in contracting it out, post a request in the Classifieds section, there are a few members with that kind of machine.

I also haven't tried this and I'm not sure it would look right, but a solvent print on white vinyl with a contour cut overlaminate that also "holds it all together" wouldn't be that complicated, but again more time consuming than printing with white ink on clear material, and thus would cost more.

My first idea was to do it like layered anyway, with registration marks, squeegee it together, then put it back down on scrap backing paper.... I could mask around the edges of the decal, and then the customer would cut the edges off to use it.

That's pretty much how you do it. I make the mask and backing larger, then trim them both to the same size with a rotary cutter. I stack them and place weight on them overnight to keep them stuck. Depending on whether you're packaging them all together or individually for resale, there are ways to keep them from trying to escape. You could staple one side, shrink wrap a stack, put them in poly bags of the same size, etc.

You can also buy fresh rolls of the backing material. Side story -- I met a lady at a flea market that made decals on her Cricut, her husband works at a body shop that goes through a lot of 3M material. She would replace her decals on the 3M backing and upsell to her customers that she only used the best material, nevermind that the backing was for non-vinyl 3M products...

My opinion is that if you think this will be a profitable repeat customer, contract it out and charge a little more. Then you can give a discount for a larger quantity re-order and maintain respect for your time and profit margin.

 

[tankueray]

Sorry, I misread your post. You're doing these so you can resell them?

One of my thoughts was to cut the area where the red vinyl will go out of the black vinyl, then mask the back of the vinyl to hold it together. I think this would be both wasteful and too time-consuming in the long run, though.

Like splicing the backing together like a puzzle? That's going to look really unprofessional. Don't do that.

I use a couple of clear, high-tack application tapes just for my retail packaging that will stay put on most resets to the backing. Again, I put weight on them overnight and individually package them in same-size poly bags. (The optically clear kind for photos.)

I learned most of that while trying to package rhinestone transfers without the stones wandering off, the quality of your transfer tape and backing have a whole lot to do with it. I'm trying to package a large rhinestone and sign vinyl decal now, the only way I'm going to get it right is to create two pieces and give the customer very clear instructions on how to apply it, with perfectly sized transfers and tape flaps. I'm putting notches in the tape flaps so they can align them correctly. I wouldn't do this with retail decals unless I could make it idiot-proof. I'm still thinking about driving down to install it anyway, it worries me too much.

Play around with it and you'll figure it out (masking the 2 colors), use good transfer tape. Multi-color non-layered decals are pretty common. It's necessary to learn how to get everything on one mask just to decrease your application time; then just focus on making it "pretty" (clear tape - so your customer will buy it) and idiot-proof (because customers never follow instructions).

 

[rturner381]

I think your BEST solution is SUBBING to Lancer Label or Stouse Decal