suz1234 24 Posted June 24, 2014 Hi, My name is Suzanne and I'm an enthusiastic newbie. I visit this site several times a day and look forward to each new learning experience. Just finished some graphics for a race car - Flames, Checker Flag, and names which went quite well. Now I need to learn how to layer and my question is "When do you punch or is it better to overlay?" I am trying to learn Sign Blazer and also use Sure Cuts that came with my Roland GX-24. Having a challenge with the registration marks, and using U-Tube for that... Thanks in advance! I want to get really good at this like you guys! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randalle 50 Posted June 25, 2014 I always overlay. I'm sure there is a valid reason not too in some specific scenario.... but I haven't ran across it yet. My OCD would destroy me if i left any form of a gap from trying to 'punch'. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jay2703 704 Posted June 25, 2014 Only time I can think you would not want to overlay is on a backlit sign. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randalle 50 Posted June 25, 2014 lol, there you go! I've only done single color backlit signs. : ) Now I will know to bid those double color ones higher! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skarekrow 1,842 Posted June 25, 2014 Usually not desirable to stack colors on designs going on shirts (HTV) or files created for airbrush stencils. You're gonna need to be equally capable of producing both, as the need dictates. I have worked on many projects where some colors are stacked and others are inlaid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted June 25, 2014 If you are thinking punch then it will need to have some room between other vinyl. So if you have a background design and some text over the top you will want to create a gap around the lettering. I do this a lot for readability reasons anyway. Other than that layering with adhesive vinyl is no biggie. HTV on shirts layers fine on small stuff like 4" crest prints but as Skarekrow mentioned it can be too much on bigger stuff causing poor feel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sluggo2u 32 Posted June 27, 2014 I use both. In illustrator, once you have your layered file prepared and saved it's easy to make a copy with knockouts by simply selecting everything and clicking trim in pathfinder. Everything that is hidden is knocked out. There are times when using knockouts you'll want to use traps as well. Illustrator will set trap as well but I don't care for the way it does it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
