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Need advice on cut vinyl project

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Pideas

New Member
I have HP latex print, FlexiPrint rip and a Summa cutter. I'm looking for some advice on a new project. I need to print logo (see attached image), cut and install it onto an outdoor shed a with smooth flat surface. The size of the logo is approx. 24x48". I'm new to cut vinyl as I just purchased my Summa recently. I've only done some decals and some cut lettering.

What type of material would you use for this project?
Would you print the logo on the HP latex, then cut out the logo using the summa and then apply the application tape?
Any suggestions on how to setup the file to print and cut? I'm using CorelDraw with the Summa Cutter software.

Thanks for the advice.
 

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petepaz

petepaz

New Member
if i had all the colors of vinyl i might just do cut vinyl and piece it together but be much easier to print, lam, cut, application tape and mount...done
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 2B
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ewded

.
No offence but I just wonder how one can afford a large format printer and expensive cutter plotter just to ask help making the most basic things on them. I worked my ass off using an old roland cutter plotter back then just to make a buck and now people own hp latex printers and ask if it's okay to leave the printer unplugged for 3 months. smh
 
Stacey K

Stacey K

I like making signs
Cut vinyl, I always carry that red and blue and I have another customer who uses a dark gray so I have them all in stock. Tape up the blue and the red to get the correct spacing, apply the blue first and the red and gray will be easy to line up.
 
P

Pippip

New Member
ewded said:
No offence but I just wonder how one can afford a large format printer and expensive cutter plotter just to ask help making the most basic things on them. I worked my *** off using an old roland cutter plotter back then just to make a buck and now people own hp latex printers and ask if it's okay to leave the printer unplugged for 3 months. smh
Click to expand...

Well we'd be sort of like this. We used to outsource all our wide format so didn't need to immerse ourselves in alot of the know-how.
Then we decided it was time to bring in-house. So we are making more money from it all but have stepped onto a steep learning curve.
Now we were primarily a litho/digital print company so we aren't totally reliant in the wide format. But when i bought in the Epson SC40600 we went and got a laminator and vinyl cutter as a total package for better cost. I'm ashamed to admit but 6months on and I haven't used the cutter for anything other than my kids stickers for their bedrooms. I just wanted to get it all in so we could expand into whatever area comes our way, whatever area attracts business then I'll hopefully go on a training course to match but for the moment I'm just doing the basics and learning enough to get each job done.
 
T

TimToad

Active Member
Pippip said:
Well we'd be sort of like this. We used to outsource all our wide format so didn't need to immerse ourselves in alot of the know-how.
Then we decided it was time to bring in-house. So we are making more money from it all but have stepped onto a steep learning curve.
Now we were primarily a litho/digital print company so we aren't totally reliant in the wide format. But when i bought in the Epson SC40600 we went and got a laminator and vinyl cutter as a total package for better cost. I'm ashamed to admit but 6months on and I haven't used the cutter for anything other than my kids stickers for their bedrooms. I just wanted to get it all in so we could expand into whatever area comes our way, whatever area attracts business then I'll hopefully go on a training course to match but for the moment I'm just doing the basics and learning enough to get each job done.
Click to expand...

We all started somewhere. If doing this work and using these machines was so easy, everybody would be doing it.

My advice to you and the OP is to seek out all the reference material you can, YouTube videos, manuals, etc. And please don't be shamed into holding back from asking questions here.

There are far more of us willing to help than those who want to judge and put down everyone else.
 
H

henryz

New Member
Certain suppliers will sell 24in. x 10 yrd rolls also whatever you have left can keep for stock on future projects.
 
U

unclebun

Active Member
Fellers will even sell cut yardage of 24" rolls if you really don't want to stock vinyl.

The problem with doing a print-cut on this job is that, first, you don't know how to do any print-cut job with your equipment, and it's beyond the scope of a forum to teach you step by step how to do it. Second, even if you know your print-cut workflow, this type of design creates a problem. As much as the manufacturers would like to tell you otherwise, the accuracy of the cutter at hitting the edges of the printed line is poor at best. So to make colored lettering requires printing overage (a bleed) and then cutting through the printed vinyl so that you end up with letters that are colored all the way to the edge. That's all fine and dandy, but when you have areas of color intersection within a shape, like the red and blue H, you end up with jagged stair-step color at the corners and places where the colors meet. The best you can do is manually draw the color intersection in the bleed at a 45 degree angle, a time-consuming manual step. The alternative, which is chosen by many people, is to cut a white border around the whole design of say, a tenth of an inch. Thus they avoid the intersecting color problem (as well as the vinyl shrinkage problem from cutting solvent ink printed vinyl too soon after printing). However, the fly in that ointment is that white is not white. So, even on a piece of white aluminum or a white pickup truck, you can see the white border around the letters. (Along with the gray adhesive underneath at the edges).

So once you set up and learn your print-cut workflow, you have all three ways to do the job described here.
 
untitled

untitled

New Member
I'll make this super simple for you. Use three different colors of cut vinyl. Preferably a cast vinyl. Then setup the file with layers and registration boxes. When you setup your registration boxes don't move any of your artwork or boxes. I usually put each color on it's own layer and the registration boxes on another layer and then I can choose which color and boxes I want.
s!AgAfPAiGmL8mh78uoWT_mYZB0hcyeg
 

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P

Pideas

New Member
TimToad said:
There are far more of us willing to help than those who want to judge and put down everyone else.
Click to expand...

Always appreciate the help. I always found this forum extremely helpful and more so than calling my local large format suppliers. We were sourcing a lot of our cut vinyl jobs and have a professional installer doing our installs. We finally purchased a Summa cutter (from advice on this forum) and I admit there's a lot to learn.... YouTube can only teach you so much. This forum has been a huge help in helping me expand into other signage products besides the normal stuff I run on my latex (banners, poster boards, window graphics).​

I would probably do cut vinyl as suggested by several folks. One thing I wondered is if I could print this on my 3M vinyl and then cut out the logo. That doesn't seem to be as easy as I had thought (and indicated by "unclebun"). I thought this might be easier than purchasing three rolls of vinyl for one job.

I really appreciate all the input from this forum.
 
T

TimToad

Active Member
Pideas said:
Always appreciate the help. I always found this forum extremely helpful and more so than calling my local large format suppliers. We were sourcing a lot of our cut vinyl jobs and have a professional installer doing our installs. We finally purchased a Summa cutter (from advice on this forum) and I admit there's a lot to learn.... YouTube can only teach you so much. This forum has been a huge help in helping me expand into other signage products besides the normal stuff I run on my latex (banners, poster boards, window graphics).​

I would probably do cut vinyl as suggested by several folks. One thing I wondered is if I could print this on my 3M vinyl and then cut out the logo. That doesn't seem to be as easy as I had thought (and indicated by "unclebun"). I thought this might be easier than purchasing three rolls of vinyl for one job.

I really appreciate all the input from this forum.
Click to expand...

Doing it as a print_cut would be the way we'd do it, but we do them nearly every day, so setting up the cutlines, bleeds to make it work easier where the two colors overlap so it could just be a single diecut is a little tougher for someone not experienced in doing it.

You could always break everything out by color, add a .125 bleed of color beyond your cutline, print, lam and go cut, then piece them together as you mount each color.
 
Stacey K

Stacey K

I like making signs
Pideas said:
Always appreciate the help. I always found this forum extremely helpful and more so than calling my local large format suppliers. We were sourcing a lot of our cut vinyl jobs and have a professional installer doing our installs. We finally purchased a Summa cutter (from advice on this forum) and I admit there's a lot to learn.... YouTube can only teach you so much. This forum has been a huge help in helping me expand into other signage products besides the normal stuff I run on my latex (banners, poster boards, window graphics).​

I would probably do cut vinyl as suggested by several folks. One thing I wondered is if I could print this on my 3M vinyl and then cut out the logo. That doesn't seem to be as easy as I had thought (and indicated by "unclebun"). I thought this might be easier than purchasing three rolls of vinyl for one job.

I really appreciate all the input from this forum.
Click to expand...
Do what Johnny Best said...order the amount of yards you need from Fellers! I add these small orders on to my larger orders from Fellers.
 
P

Pideas

New Member
TimToad said:
Doing it as a print_cut would be the way we'd do it, but we do them nearly every day, so setting up the cutlines, bleeds to make it work easier where the two colors overlap so it could just be a single diecut is a little tougher for someone not experienced in doing it.
Click to expand...

What vinyl material do you use if you do print and cut method?
 
T

TimToad

Active Member
Pideas said:
What vinyl material do you use if you do print and cut method?
Click to expand...

It depends on the surface its going, expected longevity, etc. For a flat surface with a 2-5 year expectation of durability, we use 3M IJ35c and 8509 laminate. We'll offer cast wrap and laminate for longer lasting expectations. Solid color vinyl in either Oracal 651, 751 or 951 grade depending on the same factors, with upcharges for each upgrade in longevity.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Unless you're doing this for next to nothing, the best job by far will be die-cut vinyl in all three colors. It will last much longer and no hassle on bleeds, traps or miscuts. You really don't even need any registration marks, unless you're being overly cautious.
 
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