to the sign painters

[slappy]

Well, i'm thinking about painting and using vinyl for the first time together to cut cost on materials. My question, how would you go about doing this layout with paint and vinyl?

Paint the red first then lay the black then paint the white? (which would probably require a few coats over the red?

Lay the black out, then paint around it?

Paint the red and use both black and white vinyl?

I'm not worried about the added stripes, just the sign part.

Thank you

 

[threeputt]

Can't imagine doing this in paint, but roller coat background red bulletin enamel.

Make pattern for white text. Blue your One-shot white just a bit for maximum coverage. Possibly get by one coat. Follow up with black outline.

 

[slappy]

ronan bulletin enamel was what i was planning on threeputt, now are you suggesting me make a pounce pattern?
And i don't understand the "blue your one-shot"... lol.. this will be my second time with oneshot and first time doing a sign such as this.

Also, this sign is 44"x18' and will be on both sides
they will provide scaffolding for me to get up there from what i understand

 

[Jillbeans]

Paint the background and stripe red with Ronan Speednamel and a low-nap roller.
Tape off the edges with fineline pinstriping tape from the auto parts store.
Use plenty of dropcloths.
Do the white in high performance vinyl.
You may need a felt squeegee.
Don't do it on a real hot day or you will have to do a wet app.
Outline with black Ronan bulletin enamel and a fitch.
(you can buy all those from Glantz)
If you are not a painter you will cost yourself more time that you will in materials.
That will look nice when it's all done.
Love....Jill

 

[Mosh]

Paint the panel white, mask off the copy and paint the red. Then go back and paint the black outline on. No vinyl needed.

Does this light up? If so back spray it, you will have to reverse the steps, and start with the black then red then white (painting the whole thing white for a filter. and be sure to use the correct paint for lighting up.

 

[Gino]

Slappy….

If I was you and had your level of painting background….. I would sand the area to be red and then tape it off and roll at least two coats of red bulletin on it. As always discussed, let this thing dry for about a week to 10 days before you go to the next step.

I would make a very simple pounce, but not to paint, but to make guides and use white and black vinyl and lay it down and use a helper. In this kinda heat… most paints will dry prematurely and still be somewhat wet or gooey underneath because the surface dried far to fast and needs extra curing time, so your stabile pencils can make permanent marks

It might take you a day for the red and maybe a day for the copy, but going slow when on site and doing it correctly is far better then moving at a pace and messing something up.

As for you hand-painting it…. I would not recommend something like this to someone that is not used to doing this sort of work in this kind of sun and heat. Things will dry up on you, in the heel of your brush and quickly become frustrating. Heck, it’s not easy for an experienced person in 90 degree weather with the sun beating down on you. If you could work wet on wet and use some old tricks, that would be a different story, but many inexperienced painters will continue to thin their paint down to keep the brush flowing, thus cutting the paint’s durability down to almost nothing.

 

[ddarlak]

roll the red out in ronan bulliten.

wait 2 days

go back and stick the black and white vinyl

remember, there are three ways to learn and the last is disaster

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Assuming I'm starting with a white background, I'd cut the white lettering from paint mask, apply it, and roll the red over it. After the red is dry, I'd peel up the white lettering created by the mask and do the outlining freehand and bullet panel. Simple, straightforward job. Lots of room for having fun on this one - I love outlining lettering.

 

[slappy]

thanks all.. great knowledge you all had to share with me. I greatly appreciate it.

now,.how much would you guys be for something like this? 2 sides 44"x18'

 

[OldPaint]

belive it or not........IAM WITH MOSH on this, he does know something))))))).
RED PAINT, background, IS GONA BE A BEAR TO COVER WITH WHITE!!!!!!!!
so, do an all white background, cut in the RED, leaving white letters, and then outline with black. if you not really good at doin a thin outline, then i would suggest cutting vinyl strips, the thickness of the line you want, or just cutting the outline of the letter.
NEVER do light colors over a dark background...........if you can help it.

 

[Mosh]

$500 a side (max metal and vinyl)

 

[John Butto]

Mosh & arlo

Assuming I'm starting with a white background, I'd cut the white lettering from paint mask, apply it, and roll the red over it. After the red is dry, I'd peel up the white lettering created by the mask and do the outlining freehand and bullet panel. Simple, straightforward job. Lots of room for having fun on this one - I love outlining lettering.

What they said, but saving money by painting, 1 quart of red lettering enamel is not cheap and you can buy red vinyl by the yard from fellers and the time that you save with vinyl would outweigh painting.

 

[Gino]

:Oops: Out here on the free boards..... alot !!

 

[Steve C.]

If the sign is lighted, then the paint mask is the way to go. If not, you are
only adding an extra step with the mask. after a coat of primer and 2 coats
of red bulliten put the white on with hp vinyl and outline withe black lettering
enamel. Paint the panel for the phone # , then white vinyl for the number.
You may have a better quality sign with all paint, but will you be able to
charge enough for the extra step?

 

[slappy]

Thanks all again! this is not a lighted sign, i guess i should have mentioned that. I'm somewhat scared to get up there, but will take the challenge to start doing more things other then what i'm doing. Just looking to open a few new doors here.

John Butto, i priced out a gallon of Ronan Bullet enamel, $58

 

[Billct2]

I'd do the same as Arlo

 

[Jillbeans]

Try the Speednamel, it worked great for me last summer and only one coat.

 

[ddubia]

I'm with old paint. Roll the sign white. Pounce a pattern on. Paint the read around the lettering staying back off the line just a bit. Then outline in black. Hand letter the web address and the yellow "1945" bit.

I wouldn't be doing it on this sign since I'm not painting white over anything, but someone mentioned "blue your one-shot" for better coverage. I'd do that over blue. But I'd "red my one-shot" over red. I've always put a bit of the background color in my white for better coverage. On a job like this you could dang near put enough red in it that it would look "pink" in the cup, (no need to go too far), but against that red background it will look bright white, and in one coat. Others may do it different but that's what I've always done.

Paint would look great on a sign like this. Rich, bright colors that would really pop!

 

[Gino]

Slappy....

Quick question for ya......

Have you ever used a paint brush cutting in outlines or small lettering with two feet on the ground ??

Do you think it will be any easier up about 12' 0r 15' in the air with tough summer sun beating down on you ??

These guys are giving you great ideas and advise, but one thing I think they're forgetting is... you're not a hand painter.... really at all.

You must decide if this is the kind of thing you wanna have fun with.... at your own expense. We can give you all the pointers in the world, but once you're out there and get started..... if something starts to go wrong... do you have any basis from which to pull to solve problems on the spot ?? If not, something of this nature could snowball on you and start costing you a lot until you remedy the problem. Most people will take a helper, but either your helper or you should know what you're doing. Remember, this is a big expensive item that you are about to put paint on. That's kinda permanent in my book. You can't mess it up.

My last question is.... do you have the proper insurance to be 12' in the air with paints, scaffolds and sharp objects ?? You better check and make sure.

​

 

[G-Artist]

If it was a regular backlit panel, it would be a simple spray job with some Spraylat and a computer cut mask.

No way I'd ever use vinyl plus paint on that for the finished product. Go all vinyl or all paint.

You don't say what is on there now or what the substrate is but like on any repaint, one generally scrapes and cleans well (proper prep can be 1/2 the work at times) and then applies a coat or two of a good blockout primer then a total white finish of one or two coats then letters the red and black.

I'd also apply a black outline around the yellow date or eliminate the yellow for the date altogether and leave that part white.