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silentdub

Newb Question for Vinyl

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When you cut some lettering in vinyl, there is the backing tape that covers the sticky side, there is usually a not so sticky tape over the front of it so that you can lay it out all at once instead of one letter at a time.

Does the vinyl come with both sides, or do you add the front side to it?

I am probably not explaining it right, so bare with me here.

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You add the front side (Application Tape) after you cut it and "Weed" out what you don't want. If it was already there you would cut through it and nothing would be held together.

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You add the front side (Application Tape) after you cut it and "Weed" out what you don't want. If it was already there you would cut through it and nothing would be held together.

Ok, so it needs to be manually done, understood.

When you cut it, aren't all the letters already seperate? If I was to cut out the work "forum" wouldn't the letters of the word fall off one by 1? I wam wondering what keeps them all together until I can put the application tape on?

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the vinyl comes on a roll that has two layers. The top layer is the actual sticker material, the second layer is like the backing you'd pull off of a regular sticker.

when you cut the vinyl, it draws all of the lines with a blade, its then your job to go in with tweezers/xacto blade and pull out the parts that you dont want. There is just enough adhesion on the top (vinyl sticker) layer that the design you want stays stuck to the vinyl. the goal is NOT to cut through both layers, but only the top. Once you've removed all of the parts you dont want "weeding", you apply application tape.

This is like a masking tape that goes over the whole thing. It sticks to the top layer of the vinyl enough that the sticker backing falls away and the decal sticks to the application tape. Youtube "how to apply a vinyl decal" and you'll understand better.

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When the blade cuts, it only cuts throough the top layer of material, the sticker part. The bottom or backing paper holds all of the letters together until you apply the application tape. When you peel the application tape away from the backing the sticker material adheres to the application tape holding the letters together. You stick it all down and then peel off the application tape which is low tack. This leaves just the sticker stuff stuck to what ever you put it on.

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some places call it transfer tape here's an amazon listing this is what i use and have no complaints with it

http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Vinyl-Clear-Transfer-Cricut/dp/B0034ZGNVI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1289836193&sr=8-2

You may want to get an account with an actual sign supply store. If that's what you use, you're paying way too much (it should only be about 1/2 that price).

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really! what about vinyl? am i paying to much for it to? i get roll's 12" by 20' for 15-20$

I didnt really look around to much because i didnt think those prices were to bad! But i will now!

Thanks

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Dont forget, you can make a positive or negative letters, depending on what you weed out.

In other words you can weed out the letters, or weed out around the letters.

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