Application tape

[bonesonbikes 6]

What sort of application tapes are you guys using ? I have this http://www.vinyl-cutting.co.nz/shop/product_info.php?products_id=213 that the supplier of the machine said was good but it is very difficult to get on to the vinyl without wrinkles as it is very thin and it also doesn't pull the vinyl off the backing easily and leaves some of the smaller details behind.

[MadHatterGraphix 1,258]

I was to,d to use the oracle tape from another user. I have oil slick vinyl that won't come off. I have used other brands and only my standard vinyl works.

[TimnAng 56]

We us the Clear RTape, medium tack for our outdoor projects, and Oratape Ht55 for the indoor.

[OWJones 1,981]

I usually mostly the clear tapes as most of what I do is decals for retail sale and the clear plastic tape makes the design more visible.

 

Up until recently I've been using RTape Clear Choice AT60 but for my last order I switched it up to RTape Clear Choice AT75 based on recommendations from others on these forums,  and I'm liking it so far.

 

The only thing I've noticed is that it shrinks when exposed to low temperatures - I had some cut decals I was taking with me when I left the house and it was 18° F outside - I laid them down on the dash of my truck and they curled almost into a C shape within seconds - within minutes of taking them into a warm building they laid completely flat again, but did need to be re-squeeged.  Keep that in mind if you live someplace that gets cold.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

I have gotten to the point where I pretty much use the Oracal products too. I still have about half a roll of the Green Star clear high tack that I have been trying to use up but I don't enjoy it. I also have a whole roll of standard paper 12" Green star that I haven't used unless its something small and has no fine details.

 

One of the things that you might try if your fighting wrinkles is to lay your app tape upside down and then place your vinyl down on it rather than trying to place your tape onto your vinyl. Typically your weeded vinyl will have some curl to it if its small and you can pretty much set it lightly down and then squeege it from the back starting in the middle and working out and you'll have good luck. On large items if you sort of hang your vinyl so it droops in the center and let that touch and start with the squeege from the middle holding at least one end up off the tape you can get good results on large stuff too. I wouldn't bee too stingy on the App tape, I use liberal amounts rather than getting worried about hitting the exact width of my products. This is especially true when using the reverse application method I just described because you don't have as much control on where your final position will be you will want extra width of an inch on each side and several off each end if the product is a long one. This is where having a decent brand of App tape pays off too because Oracal and other better brands will lay down nice and flat on your work table. Actually to be fair the Green star clear lays down pretty good but I don't like the way it comes off after application. If you squeege too hard it will actually cause the app tape to tear and you have to play around trying to get an edge back up to keep going. Paper tapes are the best although for retail crafty stuff I sell to the local do it yourself ladies I use a medium tack clear R-Tape so they can see what they're getting and I think they like it so they can see things better to apply. Personally I prefer paper because it has less problems with curling, stretching and tunneling and if you need to you can wet apply or even just wet it down to get it off after application if your having problems.

[mxracer394 22]

I ordered the green star clear this last order. Sucks, left air bubbles in all my 2 layer stuff and wringles in the vinyl...waste of money b my opinion

[OWJones 1,981]

If you're doing multi-color, layered vinyl, the clear tape helps to eliminate the need for a light box, too.  I also get less peeling of corners with clear tape vs. paper tape, but that may just be me.

 

If you're planning to do a wet install you HAVE to use paper tape.  The first wet install I did, I used plastic tape.  It took forever (over an hour!) to get the tape off the glass and leave the vinyl behind - you have to peel up a little bit and let it air dry, then peel up a little more and let it dry, etc.  If you use paper tape, the application fluid can evaporate through the paper AND you can spray the back of the tape with more application fluid to help the adhesive loosen so you can peel it off before it's completely dry.  Plastic tape is impervious to liquid and so it traps the fluid and doesn't allow it to dry, or allow the vinyl's adhesive to fully set.  So far my wet install is still in place and shows no signs of premature failure, but I learned my lesson that one time!

 

Thankfully it was not a paying job that I did this on, I was just trying it out to see why some people liked wet installs - since then I've learned to do dry installs on everything and only use app fluids when surface temperatures are below 50° (RapidTac II lets you install down to 20° F).