Lining up window graphics...

[Tony Rome]

Question,
Sometimes I struggle lining up graphics on a window or even the back of a car.
I have an installer that has a killer eye that just does it great, but I lack that gift, lol.

I may get some odd shaped designs that do not have a great spot to measure from (no straight line or normal sized text)
I thought about just printing either a thin square outline around all of it, or crop marks and then installing it with them on and just peeling them off, am I missing an easier way?

An example could be store hours and logo on a door, or even a big logo on a store front.
Thanks!

 

[J Hill Designs]

I usually add 2 points of reference that are centered and level, and peel them off afterwords

 

[Tony Rome]

Cut with a weed border and make sure to trim to that line once it's premasked. This helps on all 4 sides because it creates a box that is easier to justify rather than a bunch of shapes which you won't notice is off until it's too late....

So is that the same as having a thin rectangle outline around the text?
Does the weed border actually go onto the window and then i peel it off or are you just saying use a weed border to get a perfect square around so I can cut the tap to a perfect square and use the premask as my place to measure from?

Sorry, I am not communicating well, I hope you can understand what I am saying, lol.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I believe he is saying cut app tape to weed border after taping up the graphic

all you need is 2 points of reference though - if those 2 points are level, everything is

 

[Marlene]

add a straight line to measure from or use the bottom of the paper backing as a straight line.

 

[J Hill Designs]

use the bottom of the paper backing as a straight line.

unless it was loaded slightly skewed

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

So is that the same as having a thin rectangle outline around the text?
Does the weed border actually go onto the window and then i peel it off or are you just saying use a weed border to get a perfect square around so I can cut the tap to a perfect square and use the premask as my place to measure from?

Sorry, I am not communicating well, I hope you can understand what I am saying, lol.
View attachment 99177

That is pretty much all I do. I make sure that everything has a weed border, then after I weed the vinyl and apply the mask, I just hand cut close to the edge...It doesn't have to be perfect.

When I measure it up, I measure to the straight line, and tape it off. I usually use a center hinge install method, so I just cut the weed border off prior to applying the material down....

 

[Tony Rome]

I guess I'm used to using gsplot where there is a function called "weed border". I believe Versaworks has it too with "cut image boundaries".

Essentially it just cuts one box (not an outline like your example) so that you have a border around your graphic to weed out.

So you just weed everything within the border/box, premask, then trim to inside of box.

2 lines or registration points is good too but I like weed borders because they are automatically centered around the overall size of the graphic...and it's a one click feature in gsplot or Vw.

Got it now, that makes perfect sense.
Thanks!

 

[Tony Rome]

Thanks everyone! I think I may try both see what I like better but these were great suggestions (solutions)

 

[Desert_Signs]

I've always just left triangles in the corners. Cut the weedbox, but instead of leaving the whole border, cut the vinyl you're going to weed off anyway at the corners. Gives you an easy place to measure center (vertical and horizontal) and level it as well. You don't have to be careful trimming the mask square either. Even works great for etch, just use a pencil or stabilo to make a rubbing on the mask.

When you apply the graphic, don't squeegee all the way to the triangles and they will stay on the mask. No extra peeling.

ETA: And sorry for the crappy graphic, I'm on my laptop and only have MS Paint.

 

[Tony McD]

On the odd shaped decals, after it had the transfer tape applied, I go to the file in corel,
and pull down a guideline across the image somewhere to give me the straight line, and one at center.
Put those marks on the transfer tape, and there ya go.

On vehicle back windows, you can often line these marks up with one of the lines for the defroster.