Painted lettering

[Fbermudez]

Hello everyone I do signs on the side usually cut or printed vinyl.
I have a customer that had the lettering done in vinyl but now want it to be painted since the vinyl is coming off.
This would be a first for me.
My question is can i just use vinyl as my stencil and paint the words?
Don't know if the paint will smear on the edges once I remove the vinyl.
Any help would be appreciated

 

[weyandsign]

If you don't do painting, tell them you don't do painting. Offer to replace with some better vinyl that is made specifically to stick to a block wall. Briteline MultiGRIP or something.

 

[visual800]

Yes you can paint it and use vinyl as masking. Best masking vinyl on block wall is oracal 651. First coat should be done with brush and do NOT put it on thick you can then come back and roll it over again still not going thick. Make sure you press down vinyl on all edges with fingers to make sure its a tight bond, I have done several of these before

 

[Fbermudez]

Yes you can paint it and use vinyl as masking. Best masking vinyl on block wall is oracal 651. First coat should be done with brush and do NOT put it on thick you can then come back and roll it over again still not going thick. Make sure you press down vinyl on all edges with fingers to make sure its a tight bond, I have done several of these before

Thanks that is what I imagined just wanted to hear from someone that has done it before.

 

[DL Signs]

A lot of paints are formulated to repel dirt, unfortunately they repel most vinyl too. When you get requests for stuff like this, you need something aggressive, and need to do an adhesion test. If you see any issues, knowing how to paint them on is a good additional skill to have to give customers options that work. I grew up hand lettering trucks in a body shop before vinyl was common (yeah, I'm old). Today you have that great ability to also use vinyl as a stencil, making it easier to do, without having mad hand painting skills. Painted signage is a dying art since vinyl is so cheap, but still useful for some applications, it's more durable than vinyl in damp conditions like parking structures, pool areas, and on rough surfaces that vinyl struggles to stay attached to. Plus, you can never have too many skills in this business.

Like visual800 says, make sure stencil edges are set good, several thin coats are better than heavy coats. I'll add that once you get your stencils in place, a simple scotchbrite to take any gloss off of, and to prep everything you'll be applying paint to will make it bite better, and have less chance of peeling.

 

[bob]

If you do this using a stencil, no matter how careful and clever you are, it will look just like it was done with a stencil. As in amateur night. Hand lettered signs, done by someone who knows what they're doing, have a definite recognizable look. Corner treatment, straight edge concavity, that sort of thing. Hand lettering by someone who does 't know how also has a recognizable look. Fat overweight characters that appear clumsy and badly done. This is due primarily to the inability of the painter to pull a line so individual characters get fatter and fatter from trying to correct badly done edges.

If you don't know how to hand letter, don't try to learn on a cinder block wall.

 

[Fbermudez]

A lot of paints are formulated to repel dirt, unfortunately they repel most vinyl too. When you get requests for stuff like this, you need something aggressive, and need to do an adhesion test. If you see any issues, knowing how to paint them on is a good additional skill to have to give customers options that work. I grew up hand lettering trucks in a body shop before vinyl was common (yeah, I'm old). Today you have that great ability to also use vinyl as a stencil, making it easier to do, without having mad hand painting skills. Painted signage is a dying art since vinyl is so cheap, but still useful for some applications, it's more durable than vinyl in damp conditions like parking structures, pool areas, and on rough surfaces that vinyl struggles to stay attached to. Plus, you can never have too many skills in this business.

Like visual800 says, make sure stencil edges are set good, several thin coats are better than heavy coats. I'll add that once you get your stencils in place, a simple scotchbrite to take any gloss off of, and to prep everything you'll be applying paint to will make it bite better, and have less chance of peeling.

Yes I have had that issue with freshly painted walls in the past.
I didn't do the sign that is on the picture but they definitely want it painted to avoid the vinyl coming off.
Thanks for the help

 

[Fbermudez]

If you do this using a stencil, no matter how careful and clever you are, it will look just like it was done with a stencil. As in amateur night. Hand lettered signs, done by someone who knows what they're doing, have a definite recognizable look. Corner treatment, straight edge concavity, that sort of thing. Hand lettering by someone who does 't know how also has a recognizable look. Fat overweight characters that appear clumsy and badly done. This is due primarily to the inability of the painter to pull a line so individual characters get fatter and fatter from trying to correct badly done edges.

If you don't know how to hand letter, don't try to learn on a cinder block wall.

I have to start somewhere.

 

[visual800]

If you do this using a stencil, no matter how careful and clever you are, it will look just like it was done with a stencil. As in amateur night. Hand lettered signs, done by someone who knows what they're doing, have a definite recognizable look. Corner treatment, straight edge concavity, that sort of thing. Hand lettering by someone who does 't know how also has a recognizable look. Fat overweight characters that appear clumsy and badly done. This is due primarily to the inability of the painter to pull a line so individual characters get fatter and fatter from trying to correct badly done edges.

If you don't know how to hand letter, don't try to learn on a cinder block wall.

I agree with you comment and I respect hand done but also in the same sense aint nobody got time for hand lettering without a stencil in the commercial world, the parking decks ive done were 3-5 stories and possibly 20 columns per story on all 4 sides, stencil tore right thru them things quick

 

[citysignshop]

If nobody has mentioned it, when using a vinyl stencil, it can make a huge difference if the first coat MATCHES the background colour! Obviously, paint that bleeds under the stencil will be nearly invisible, and seals the voids.
Your topcoat of colour will leave a nice crisp line, with minimal touchup.
( a test is shown ....attached, with rather small lettering!)


or....
always ask 'WHY?'.....if it's difficult, time consuming, and expensive to put paint or vinyl on a block wall, don't do it!
Letter two 4'x8's of alupanel in your shop, go and mount on the wall with some TapCon screws. Done.

When someone scuffs or hits or graffiti's it, remove and replace...you'll be a hero!

 

[John Miller]

If your first coat is clear, it will seal the edges so the final color paint won't bleed at the edges. Easier than trying to match the wall color.

 

[The Blind Signman]

I used regular calendered vinyl i put a little baby powder in my hand clapped and lightly went over the tac side were there was a slight bite ....used a 3" black sponge roller (or quill) and it came out perfect..and it does work

 

[Fbermudez]

I used regular calendered vinyl i put a little baby powder in my hand clapped and lightly went over the tac side were there was a slight bite ....used a 3" black sponge roller (or quill) and it came out perfect..and it does work

Thanks for the tip.

 

[White Haus]

Yes, you can paint it and use vinyl for masking. For block walls, Oracal 651 vinyl is ideal. Start with a thin brush coat, then roll on a light second coat. Press the vinyl edges down firmly for a tight seal. For professional help, consider Dubai painting services. I've done several projects like this and it works well.

Does Dubai painting services do a lot of work in the US?

 

[Gino]

If they were Okay with the way vinyl looked, just not how it held up, I'm sure a vinyl stencil will be fine. All those tricks work, especially if ya know what you're doing, but it's much easier to just paint it and take the pattern off, before it fully dries. Any wicking out can either be wiped off or just touched up with the background color once it's dried. Also, a porous block wall is a terrible idea to be your first attempt, but you wanna have a first in your life, so knock yourself out.