Oracal vinyl waiting to be converted.
Sometimes we need a place to keep our important things. You probably have a receipts drawer, tool box, or an art supplies box.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a handy place to store all the SignWarehouse blog articles pertaining to vinyl signs and graphics? We thought so too. So we humbly present our vinyl graphics topical index.
Self adhesive pvc vinyl in a multitude of colors has spawned and entire industry. You can stick letters, decals, shapes, and designs to virtually any surface, both indoor and outdoor. It’s easy and simple to do, and best of all, it’s creative and fun. You also can make a living from it, as well. Who could ask for anything more?
Browse the links below to find all the articles we’ve published to date about creating signs and graphics with adhesive backed vinyl.
Types of garment imprinting done with a heat press.
We’ve compiled several articles about different aspects of garment decoration. As the list grew, it became apparent to us that we needed a quick reference guide readers could use to sort through the articles and find the one they need most.
And, we thought it would also be helpful to have them all in one place so you can read through all the related articles at your leisure to deepen your understanding of a particular field.
So without further ado, we present our first topical index; the complete guide to Garment Decoration Content. Browse the list below to find and archive the information you need most.
Chart showing minimum surface temperature for Oracal vinyl.
This time of year, many of us start a conversation with “Is it cold enough for ya?”
In the sign industry, we have to turn this around and ask, ‘is it warm enough to install that vinyl graphic?’ This question was posted recently on the SignWarehouse Forum.
The answer is; it depends. All vinyl has an optimal temperature range. Extreme cold can affect the performance of the face film and adhesive complicating successful installation. What are the risks? How do you know when it’s too cold for your planned installation?
Trying to cut a raster or bit image clipart give the "no cuttable object" error message.
Last week’s article dealt with compound vector clip art files and the problems in cutting them.
This week, we’ll tackle an even more common and vexing problem; the ‘no cuttable object’ error message. This is the uncooperative reply you get from your sign software when you try to plot an image that is not in vector format. What you have is a raster image masquerading as a vector file.
Sending a raster image to a vinyl cutter is like trying to enter a speedboat in a NASCAR race. It’s a non-starter. Before you can cut that image, you have to convert it to a cuttable object. This can take a few seconds or the better part of an hour depending on the complexity of the file. And if you don’t have the right software, you can’t even get started.
Let’s take a look at the problem, the solution, and the process for turning a “no cuttable object” message into a finished decal.
Lxi vinyl cutting software with clipart showing the effect of the compound command on vector paths.
Whether you’re working on a custom printed T-shirt or a vehicle wrap, the design phase is often the most time consuming part of a graphics job. Efficiency gains made in the design phase can pay big dividends in overall profitability. That’s why everyone should know how to use clip art. Proper use of clip art can greatly enhance your efficiency and therefore your bottom line. The term “clip art” is a throwback to the days of print publishing. Before “desktop publishing” commercial artists would clip a piece of artwork from a sheet –yes with scissors– and paste into a layout. These days cutting, pasting and clipping are a thing of the past, but the terminology persists.
Clipping a virtual art file and ‘pasting’ it into a digital sign design is quick and easy, but can also be more challenging because of the various digital technologies used to create the files. This article will examine the most common challenges to new users of vector clip art; compounded paths. Often clip art designers will compound the various paths or elements in a design to make it easier to import and handle. But if you’re not aware of this, it can become quite frustrating when it’s time to edit or plot the image. Compounded clip art files often confound new sign makers. Here’s how to uncompound your files and un-confound yourself.
