WHY do i get bubbles with coro :(

[SurberSigns 24]

It seems everytime I apply vinyl to coro material, I get bubbles. I tried wetting the graphics but I still had some bubbles and I tried reading online and lots of people said not to wet your vinyl.

 

I read where people use the big squeege, but I don't have a laminator either.

 

Has anybody had any success that they wish to share with me?

 

I am using a small plastic squeege to apply the vinyl to the coro. Any suggestions?

[knucklehead 530]

Static. Wipe the blank down with a dryer sheet just before you apply the graphics.

[SurberSigns 24]

Wipe the coro board itself? With a single fabric sheet?

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I used to do coroplast wet with no bubbles. Why anyone would say you shouldn't do it wet is beyond me. Now, I do it dry...but it took me a LOT of practice to get to this point. Big Squeegee helps but not always necessary. Bottom line it just takes practice...and patience. The technique is everything and eventually you will figure it out. Even the angle of the squeegee matters.

 

One thing I have discovered....matte vinyl seems to get a LOT less bubbles than gloss and I have no idea why. Also, I squeegee in the direction of the flutes.

[SurberSigns 24]

i make sure to squeege the same way the flutes are going. usually horizontel. is my squeege the problem?? the small plastic one?

 

another problem i am having is this: when i have larger vinyl text i am putting onto a 4X8 piece of coro, i get a lot of air bubbles when applying the application tape..... it makes me have to press real hard at the end to force the small bubbles from out of the application tape.

 

i use a smaller roll of application tape to cover everything. anybody know hwo to avoid air bubbles when applying tape?

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

i make sure to squeege the same way the flutes are going. usually horizontel. is my squeege the problem?? the small plastic one?

 

another problem i am having is this: when i have larger vinyl text i am putting onto a 4X8 piece of coro, i get a lot of air bubbles when applying the application tape..... it makes me have to press real hard at the end to force the small bubbles from out of the application tape.

 

i use a smaller roll of application tape to cover everything. anybody know hwo to avoid air bubbles when applying tape?

Keep your tape tight as you apply and squeege from the center out each way to push air to the edges . The same on the vinyl always squeege to the outside to push out air. The cleaning can make a difference also and the quality of the vinyl . The 4 inch squeege is all i use and so do most of the sign makers i know . If it is a large decal with a lot of area i usaly do wet apps but with letters only i usaly just apply dry .

[SurberSigns 24]

i do a lot of 4x8 coro signs with large lettering. sometimes i wet, sometimes i do not...

 

for vinyl, i am using oracal 651. i am thinking about getting a tape dispenser instead of applying the application tape by hand and trying to lay it down with my opposite hand....

 

do you know what i mean when i put the application tape down and get air bubbles? before i get to the applying to the sign process.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

Yea I know it is really easy to get the bubbles . Make you a tape dispenser it is fairly easy with a little lumber and pvc pipe . That way you can pull out enough tape stick it to your table and slide your graphic under then working from the far end squeegee down the tape I actually use a wallpaper smoothing tool for my app tape installation . Check the forum I belive there were some instructions for app tape dispensers .

Dan

[knucklehead 530]

Wipe the coro board itself? With a single fabric sheet?

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Yep.

[SurberSigns 24]

my problem is that, i cut a lot of large lettering. i mainly cut stuff for large windows for businesses that are about 12-15 inches in height and 5 feet long. the application tape roll i have is 10.5 inches wide....

 

when i squeege, i get a lot of air trapped for some reason. its like lots of air in between each word.

 

Check this video out.... i am thinking about using a empty roll of vinyl and trying it this way.

 

[dwp99 283]

I've had to cover coroplas with matte black vinyl and then apply the letters on top of that.  At first I tried it dry and had problems with air bubbles.  After about the third try I went an got some rapid tac, I still had bubbles but not as many.   I did notice that wnen it dries a lot of the bubbles disappear.

 

You mentioned that your application tape is only 10.5" wide and you cut letters that are 12"-15" in height.  You're going to have problems if you layer the application tape right where the tape overlaps. 

 

The first roll of Application tape I bought was 12" wide.  I thought I'll never cut anything wider than that.   I did, I tried overlapping the app tape and ran into problems with bubbles wet or dry.

 

I purchased a application tape roll holder, I clamp it to the table and it works great.  I lowered the rollers 2 1/2" so the tape is closer to the table and it improved the installation if the application tape.   my decals didn't want to rise off of the table after that.

 

I use a 4" plastic squeegee first.  After I remove the application tape, if I have to go over the bare vinyl I use a felt edge squeegee.

 

I hope this helps and like others have said,  practice practice practice.