Fire Engine Lettering

[Sideline]

I have a question on the process used for lettering....I've seen the gold leaf vinyl, not SignGold place over black 3M comply with a laminate over it with about a 1/8" outline for protection. Can anyone share the process for this and what is needed ?
Thanks.....

 

[Gino]

Sounds like you already described it.

You cut whatever outline in black that much bigger than the gold portion and lay the black down, then lay the gold down and then lay the laminate down. Or..... if you want, you can run it all through your laminator, but that depends on what size you're working with on the apparatus.

 

[Sideline]

Thanks for the reply.....never had the request to laminate over two layers of material before, which means doing a 1/8" laminate outline around the lettering. Do you know if its the same laminate used for wraps or is there a certain brand of laminate that should be used due to the adhesive being stronger ?

 

[synergy_jim]

a good cast laminate should work just fine.

 

[Gino]

Like he said, a good cast.

You wanna protect that gold leaf vinyl better than most vehicles because those fireman wash the dickens out of those trucks........ and when they're at fires, those doors can get quite a bit of heat coming at them.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I just lettered a firetruck this same way last week. I used Oracal 951 black for the outline/drop shadow, Oracal 383 Ultraleaf for the gold, and Oracal 270F cast laminate over the top. Just set up registration marks for all of them. To locate the registration marks on the clear, I just use a pencil turned sideways and basically do a rubbing over them. I'm not sure how others do it, but it works for me.

 

[Sideline]

What do you mean by using a pencil ?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

This is how you do a rubbing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D28KiP1Hv3g

Rub over the registration mark area once the transfer tape is on top and the registration marks will show up.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Ummm...and don't do it on your cutting mat. Use a smooth surface or every cut line, nick, and crevice of your cutting mat will rub through.

 

[letterman7]

I just lettered a firetruck this same way last week. I used Oracal 951 black for the outline/drop shadow, Oracal 383 Ultraleaf for the gold, and Oracal 270F cast laminate over the top.

Just for curiosity sake, why are you putting a laminate over a 5 year vinyl? I can see that on real gold leaf (that's how Pierce does their graphics) and printed SignGold... but a regular cast vinyl?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Simply as an added precaution to seal and protect the edges of the graphic. Although some may find it unnecessary, I personally see no reason not to do it.

 

[jfiscus]

This process is called Encapsulating the vinyl. A lot of the time it comes from the fact that these supposedly "high end" gold leaf vinyls are actually "short term/indoor" materials.
(check out the backer on your next roll of Leo's and let me know what it says his source vinyl is!)

I've always done these on a Gerber Edge, so my process may differ but I've done literally hundreds.
The Edge prints the black directly onto the gold leaf (or whatever) eliminating the need for layering/registering vinyls.

You set up your artwork with two cut lines in it; one for the edge of the gold and one for the edge of the clear.
Then you take your artwork with two lines and make two separate pieces that are EXACTLY the same total size (for registration); I put little boxes in the corners.
Then you print your black onto the gold.
Next you put the vinyl into your plotter and cut the gold, and weed it out, but do NOT remove the registration mark(s).
After that you laminate the whole piece.
Now you load your piece back into the plotter and get the registration marks set up, and send the 2nd file that has the offset outline to just cut the clear laminate.

This also works well for wide-format printers.
I've done some high-end partial wraps this way that have "pointy parts" that would peel up if they didn't have a rounded clear overlaminate extending outside the regular area.

 

[jfiscus]

a photo may help?
black lines indicate cuts, red indicates prints, green indicates both print & cut.