Yesterday, we installed some fluorescent vinyl on one of our glass doors. It is actually somewhat of a mission to line up 3-color cut graphics. There is the difficult way which is to cut out the words that you need, measure each line and try to match up the spacing exactly. (This technique saves you from wasting costly Cast Premium Vinyl.) Then there is the easier way. Being a Letterpress shop, we would rather waste vinyl then our time on window signage. So we chose the easier way.

Here’s what we did:

1. Buy a vinyl Cutting machine. (Seems obvious, but yet you need to do this step to get the final outcome.) We have a Graphtec CE5000-120 it can handle  a 48″ width and is fantastic!

2. Design in Illustrator. Layout the different colors in separate layers so the machine will cut each to the correct spacing as you swap out the vinyl.

3. Start weeding the vinyl

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4. Line up each sheet and tape together on the edges. Then cut the excess paper off.

5. Put transfer paper on the sheets and smooth out.

6. Choose where the vinyl is going. Clean the window really well and measure the placement.

7. Once your placement is set. Put a long strip of tape in the center of the vinyl. Peel away about 5 inches of the bottom sheet from the top. Cut the waste paper and stick the transfer paper to the glass.Use a squeegee to rub down the transfer tape and avoid bubbles. Remove tape from the middle.

8. Next continue pulling down the backing sheet a few inches at a time and continue squeegeeing the transfer sheet down. (Side thought: the word “squeegeeing” written out looks so odd.)

 

9. Carefully pull off the transfer tape slowly and keep an eye out to make sure the vinyl isn’t stuck to it so you don’t tear the cut graphic and have to redo a section. (And yes this did happen to me and I add to redo a U)

End result: Voila!