Applying long narrow prints

[Conor Knoxx]

So, I had to apply a strip of printed vinyl to rolled Lexan today, which was 25ft. long x 2ft high.
I laid the print out, evenly aligned over the lexan, then started/peeled about 4 inches of it - then ran it through the laminator. I was sweating bullets that it wouldn't "run" too much!
It went ok... out about 1/2 inch end to end....
but I'm thinking, "there must be a better way!" ?

How does everyone else manage to get these long - narrow ones positioned straight on the substrates?

 

[MikePro]

I hinge and only rip a 3' section of the backing off in the center. Use the applied section as a hinge to do the remaining two halves afterwards.

 

[10sacer]

Rolls Roller works pretty good

 

[animenick65]

If your familiar with the center hinge method of applying prints/vinyl, you can actually do this with a laminator as well. This is your best bet for that type of application.

 

[Conor Knoxx]

I've never tried using a hinge method on the laminator... though I can see some sense in that.
However, on say for example my 25ft print - would I not then have 12 feet of exposed (sticky!) vinyl laying out on the table?

That's kind of a scary thought!

I don't see how you could cut the liner in the middle though? Perhaps that's the "trick" I'm missing though...

 

[sfr table hockey]

I have been fooling with making a slitter for this kind of thing. Basically a block with a blade that can be adjusted out by fractions so that you can actually flip the print over and cut through just the backing paper and not go through the vinyl. I had never thought it would be possible to do that and not cut through the other side but it did work. It's still one of those things that you hold your breath doing on an actual job you are working on but can be done. There are other tools guys have used to do similar but that is what you would have to do to hinge the middle. You would cut two lines in the middle about 6 inches appart, remove that strip of backing paper, and then line your vinyl to the lexan and tack the middle down. From there you just roll each end back to the middle and lay down with a Big squeegee, and do one side at a time.

 

[MikePro]

I don't see how you could cut the liner in the middle though? Perhaps that's the "trick" I'm missing though...

i just rip it. Through practice you can rip straight, parallel, lines through backing material. just don't squeegee all the way up to the shredded paper, as particles will contaminate your adhesive. (i actually rip, and then fold, to avoid this)

 

[Conor Knoxx]

I would have thought that jagged edges and paper particles/dust would present a problem if you just ripped...
Guess its worth a try though! I'll give it a test run on something smaller, lol.:Big Laugh

At least no one's given me one of these moments with something obvious I've been just missing!

 

[Shift Designs]

I hinge and only rip a 3' section of the backing off in the center. Use the applied section as a hinge to do the remaining two halves afterwards.

Awesome idea!!

With this method, are you just lightly cutting the backing paper freehand, or some other way

 

[Shift Designs]

I have been fooling with making a slitter for this kind of thing. Basically a block with a blade that can be adjusted out by fractions so that you can actually flip the print over and cut through just the backing paper and not go through the vinyl.

What about filing down one of those plastic envelope openers you get for free sometimes. The square ones that have a sharp point on one side.

 

[sfr table hockey]

What about filing down one of those plastic envelope openers you get for free sometimes. The square ones that have a sharp point on one side.

Have thought about that but just never got around to trying those yet. On the to do list.

 

[Salmoneye]

they make a slitter called an akucut I believe and Dale is also making one that you can buy from big squeegee. The yard tool from him is also what I would lay this down with.

 

[VizualVoice]

What about filing down one of those plastic envelope openers you get for free sometimes. The square ones that have a sharp point on one side.

I tried one of those on a job last week for that very reason. It sucked. The blade in it wasn't sharp enough to cut the backing cleanly so I still got little bits of paper/dust/crap stuck to the adhesive. The part that you'd slide between the print and the backing kept sticking to the backing until I covered it with some teflon tape which worked pretty good, but I still couldn't get a clean cut from the blade (and I tried every one of them in the two 3-packs that I bought, so it wasn't just a bum blade).

I've been waiting for Dale to get his cutter to market, but I'm tired of waiting and I'm seriously thinking I need to invest in an accukut.

 

[Salmoneye]

Dale's sounds like a great price point, the akkucut looks like it has a very precise adjustment and takes really good blades.