Is there a way to score the liner for decals?

We've used these with some success: https://olfa.com/professional/product/top-sheet-cutter-ts-1/

You need a perfectly flat surface/workbench and a fresh blade, and the accuracy of the score is only as good as your hand pressure.

We'll run sheets w/ marks printed that we score through on the face, then flip over and backslit. With some practice you can get to about 95% success rate.

Too little or too much pressure and you're wrecking decals pretty quick, but you can definitely get pretty good at it.

 

if you have a javelin (or similiar) cutter, these work well. we have had success with flat table, cutting on new, flat foamcore sheet.
just takes a minute or two to dial in razor blade height. once good, no issues. take out variable of hand pressure.

 

I'm not sure I'd personally use the TS-1 for this purpose. Everything has to be perfect. I don't think it was ever intended to do any long cuts. The tip makes it hard to use with a ruler too.

Anyways, it is possible to do with a cutter. It's only a matter of blade depth and pressure. Well, once you figure out a reliable way to line up the cuts.

When you see split back decals they're typically done on a finishing module for a decal machine.

 

Does the customer actually want them slit, or are you just thinking about future orders?

 

Never tried it on a summa/graphtec... We have our own backslitting machine, so no need to.

Our customers have been requesting more and more that instead of backslit... We just kiss cut it to exact, then perf cut it 1/8" around the decal. Then they can bend and peel it off easy... Works great for smaller decals where having a slit back would be a small slit.

 

We will often peel the 'matrix' off the front of the decals which makes removing decal from liner easier. The matrix can be removed easily by attaching the first inch of the material to be removed across the sheet width to a large steel ruler to control the material, and just pull it off at a steep angle (like 170) . If you have a clean cut and simple pattern like rectangles/circles, comes right off with a little practice.

 

This is what we usually do, but just manually. Kiss cut the decals on the plotter, weed, then trim into singles.

What kind of backslitter are you guys running? Are you happy with it?

 

https://www.rollemusa.com/portfolio/semi-slitters/ We have one like this... not this exact model, next time I'm by it I'll try to see what model it is. I know we've had it for 15+ years...

It works great. It's like a graphtec though... You have to set the blade depth everytime, if you do it wrong then it'll cut a line in the glue which leaves a mark. It's great when we have thousands upon thousands of decals to backslit though!

 

Hands down this is the best tool for that job. Obviously if you're doing huge quantity one of the automated machines would work better, but we use this knife 25+ times per day everyday

http://www.yellotools.us/Cutting/Knives-Cutters-Scissors/BodyGuard-Knife-Teflon.html

 

+1 for the bodyguard knife. Protip, for the teflon 'boots', you can order 3m fiberglass tape and stick that to some backing and run it through your plotter. I think a giant roll was about $100, but you can get a metric ton of the pads cut out at your convenience. (we have run out of shoes at the wrong time more than once...) It also works well on the back of the laminator. Apply a strip running the same direction as the laminated material that comes out the back, right where the lam adhesive always hits if you get your alignment off just a little. Just wrap the leading edge under the machine so it doesn't catch. Also, apply it to a piece of 2" architectural angle to make the best damn 10' straight edge you've ever used!

 

If you don't have the space for a slitter, you can add an option to your decals for an ez-peel tab. roughly a 1/8" piece of extra material that acts the same as cutting the liner but it's on the front. Depending on your process, it's relatively quick and it frees you up to work on other things while it's cutting.

 

Cool, thanks! I never realized those can also cut right through.....seems like a great tool to have in the shop!