template for acrylic letter

[bigben]

I've just got cut letters from gemini but they forgot to include the install template. The letters are installed with double sided tape. My idea is use cut vinyl as a template. For now, I will use vinyl for murals. Quite expensive, but this is what I have in stock with removable glue.

I was wondering what are you using normally? Maybe, for the future, it would be cheaper for me to do my own template.

Thanks.

 

[NP_18]

I've just got cut letters from gemini but they forgot to include the install template. The letters are installed with double sided tape. My idea is use cut vinyl as a template. For now, I will use vinyl for murals. Quite expensive, but this is what I have in stock with removable glue.

I was wondering what are you using normally? Maybe, for the future, it would be cheaper for me to do my own template.

Thanks.

We cut stencils out of paper with our Summa. Just use a dashed cut contour or flex cut

 

[Andy D]

If you have a scrap piece of clear plastic, around 3/16" or thicker,
this is how I would do it, having the top edge of the plastic at the level of the install.

 

[bigben]

If you have a scrap piece of clear plastic, around 3/16" or thicker,
this is how I would do it, having the top edge of the plastic at the level of the install.
View attachment 148718

Good idea. I like this one.

 

[Jester1167]

99 times out of 100, you forgot to order a templet. It costs extra and they aren't going to include it if you didn't ask for it.

I deal with this all the time. We order stud mounted lettering and the condition on-site won't allow stud mounting. In that case, we tape up the templet and then cut away everything but the top and bottom edge of the letters. similar to what Andy showed. make sure the tape is far enough back so the tape won't make contact with the templet, add some Lexal and stick them down. Multiple lines, cut one line at a time to keep as much of the integrity of the template.

Below was before Lexal.

You don't have a templet so if you sent the art to Gemini, just pen plot one. If you used stock letters, you can download the fonts from Gemini and make a file and pen plot that. You can do the same thing with vinyl, but it's more work. I've never been a fan of sticking letters to a full vinyl template because the weight of the letter can pull the vinyl off a painted wall over time.

 

[Pewter0000]

Yeah we've forgotten the template from Gemini before. If it's just double-sided tape, we just did a black or white cut vinyl and applied that first, and then applied the letters right on top. No problem at all, and easier than paper in my opinion.

 

[bigben]

Yeah we've forgotten the template from Gemini before. If it's just double-sided tape, we just did a black or white cut vinyl and applied that first, and then applied the letters right on top. No problem at all, and easier than paper in my opinion.

What kind of vinyl do you use if it's a painted drywall? For now, I've used a mural vinyl but it's quite expensive. I was thinking of using oracal 631. Or looking for a cheap ultra remouvable vinyl.

 

[James Burke]

Heh...I just asked this question a couple of weeks ago. Lots of good answers here as well.

JB

 

[Andy D]

If you're going to use vinyl, I would think it would be better to use spray-mask or fathead, pull the vinyl copy & then remove the vinyl template after done installing.
I wouldn't trust adhering dimensional letters to vinyl applied to a painted wall, too many ways it could fail.

 

[jfiscus]

Do an offset path to your original art of about 1/8".
Then reverse cut and weed the letters out of cheap low tack vinyl.
Apply that to the wall, install the letters and remove the template.
Easy peasy.

 

[Pewter0000]

Do an offset path to your original art of about 1/8".
Then reverse cut and weed the letters out of cheap low tack vinyl.
Apply that to the wall, install the letters and remove the template.
Easy peasy.

Yeah this ^
I should have clarified, we've done this both ways. Directly on a wall it would be probably better to install the letters in between the vinyl, not on it. Remove vinyl after. We haven't ever had problems with cut (orofol 651) on alupanel, but if you had lo tack for a painted wall that would be a safer choice, I'm sure.

We did do one on top though - we had wrapped the wall in Avery 2611 with a mural previously, and then put the cut vinyl down on that for a template. It was already letters-on-vinyl so we didn't worry too much. This was a cheap job anyway - we had a local guy CNC the letters from Komatex or Komacel instead of ordering Gemini. You know the client: "I need a deal! Can you make it any cheaper???"

 

[bigben]

Do an offset path to your original art of about 1/8".
Then reverse cut and weed the letters out of cheap low tack vinyl.
Apply that to the wall, install the letters and remove the template.
Easy peasy.

What kind of low tac vinyl would you suggest? I was thinking of oracal 631 that is a very low tac but I'm looking for other avenue since most supplier don't have this one in stock.

 

[TammieH]

paint mask works ....
we use to cut out our own letters by hand...jigsaw, band saw and scroll saw...letters laid out by hand, perforate your pattern for the letters and install pattern.
We would make our own install pattern for Gemini as well, stud mounted or adhesive.
Now a Days, our installers prefer a plotter paper pattern and they cut notches in the letters to align the copy. They do not like ponce dust ;p

 

[jfiscus]

What kind of low tac vinyl would you suggest? I was thinking of oracal 631 that is a very low tac but I'm looking for other avenue since most supplier don't have this one in stock.

We use GerberMask here since we always have it in stock.
Some customer's walls are always painted poorly so be sure to use as low of tack vinyl as possible unless you want to deal with paint pulling off.

We have our own router so we always make our own patterns for letters/studs.

 

[visual800]

we ink our own patterns on paper on the summa UNLESS stud mounted and use the bottoms for placement

 

[DRPSignsNGrafix]

You can order roll of paper. Switch out blade in plotter for marker or pen. Most plotters have an option for this. Load the paper and design your template and send to plotter. Draws it out perfect. Tape paper up and do what you need. This is what I use to do at a company i was doing all there design and print cut stuff for. This is how the production and install guys wanted me to do it. They said it worked out great.

 

[gnubler]

I'm about to do a similar install.

Somewhat related question: For those who outsource sign letters like this, do you unpackage/peel off any protective liners and inspect everything before taking to the job site?
I usually do, as I've found a few rough edges that needed to be sanded down. Once I got a letter "D" that was taped on the wrong side! I usually do a mock layout on the table at the shop to make sure everything looks good.