Fatheads

[GhostPrinting]

Anyone with any experience producing fathead style products where you blow the face up to a giant image? I was wondering what substrate you used to where someone could hold this on a stick so to speak.

 

[Boudica]

Anyone with any experience producing fathead style products where you blow the face up to a giant image? I was wondering what substrate you used to where someone could hold this on a stick so to speak.

Foamcore

 

[GhostPrinting]

Foamcore

Supplier recommendation for this?

 

[Boudica]

Supplier recommendation for this?

I think we get it from Grimco - if not them we have a couple of local suppliers we get it from. I think just about anyone who carries sign making substrates will stock foam core.

 

[Stacey K]

I get my foamcore from Glantz but Grimco has it also. In a pinch, I have gotten it from Hobby Lobby 24"x36".

Personally, I don't put sticks on the 24x36 ones. I made some smaller 12" tall ones and I put a 6" popsicle stick on back.

As far as the image goes...I run most of the photos through Topaz and haven't had too many issues. Most of the fatheads I do are for high school seniors so parents typically send me a senior photo, which are of good quality to begin with.

 

[myront]

max 24"h x scale. 4mm coro, vertical flutes. Yard sticks from Lowes cut in half then glued to the back.

 

[Stacey K]

max 24"h x scale. 4mm coro, vertical flutes. Yard sticks from Lowes cut in half then glued to the back.
View attachment 168833

I take it you have some kind of machine that cuts them from the coro vs. using a hand method?

 

[GhostPrinting]

I take it you have some kind of machine that cuts them from the coro vs. using a hand method?

That’s what I was wondering. How did you cut the Coro?

 

[Boudica]

We do foam core because it's easy to cut by hand. We also do about 1/2" offset around the face, and make the contours around the head as smooth as possible - so it's easier to cut by hand.

 

[GamecockGrafx]

Anyone with any experience producing fathead style products where you blow the face up to a giant image? I was wondering what substrate you used to where someone could hold this on a stick so to speak.

I have done a lot of full body prints (sports action shots) and use a product called RadGrafix from Grimco. Stuff is great - matte finish and peel/stick numerous times without issue. Only difficulty I've had is feeding it through the plotter/cutter and actually getting a perf-cut. My perf cut settings actually act like a KISS cut.

 

[TEN]

Paint stir sticks are a good option. Routing the shape looks the best - if you have a router. Foamboard or coro will work.

 

[GhostPrinting]

We do foam core because it's easy to cut by hand. We also do about 1/2" offset around the face, and make the contours around the head as smooth as possible - so it's easier to cut by hand.

What do you use to cut your foam core?

 

[Stacey K]

This is what I do...I'm guessing everyone does it pretty similarly.

-Make sure image looks good at 100% in the computer. If not, I run it through Topaz.
-Crop image close to the trim line. I don't bother taking much else off since it's getting hand cut my brain is the trim line.
-Print, laminate, apply to foam board or the like
-Trim with a blade. I like the below blades because they get around corners pretty well. I usually trim with a slight angle going towards the back as shown.
-I just did this corvette yesterday. I printed it as a rectangle.

 

[Boudica]

A utility knife. Use a fresh sharp blade.
I print a "cut path" a very faint line as a guide to cut along. First I cut it down to a square or rectangle, then cut along the fine line.

 

[Boudica]

Stacey and I were typing at the same time... +1 for cutting at a slight angle, I was starting to explain that but it was getting too wordy, and I'm on my phone.

 

[Superior_Adam]

Our standard foam core stock is UltraMount as it is more rigid than standard foam core. Most of the time we do these on coroplast though as it is cheaper. On the larger ones we dont do a stick. Smaller ones we use paint stick applied to the back. We print full sheets then cut with our Zund.

 

[gfxone]

I've done millions of these things...
You can use, foam, coro, pvc... Really depends on the budget. Only thing that I dont like with foam is its durability.

Personally if they are printed high quality, you can go the cheaper route and go coro.
That's if the customer doesn't mind the corrugated lines. Next make sure you create a nice white border around your image. This will save you time routing and designing for production.
I would generally do .25"-.5" border depend on the size of the fat head. My larger size tended to be around 24"-30"h.

When I initially started doing these, I made them all with the sticks... however, gradually later I started just making the heads a bit larger with no sticks.
I feel a majority of the fatheads at sports events are without mounted sticks. I would tend to do the smaller ones for mass production for smaller grade school type ages.

 

[Modern Ink Signs]

That’s what I was wondering. How did you cut the Coro?

Do these all the time. Print on our flatbed and cut on our flatbed cutter.

 

[myront]

I take it you have some kind of machine that cuts them from the coro vs. using a hand method?

Nope, hand cut.

 

[#smalltownprinter]

Anyone with any experience producing fathead style products where you blow the face up to a giant image? I was wondering what substrate you used to where someone could hold this on a stick so to speak.

I use my 18x24 coroplast...print head with sticker material put on coroplast cut around it with paper knife