posted
Having not lettered on awning material in maybe 15 years, can I get a tutorial from you guys on what to use? Image may be too large to mask, I'm not sure.I believe it is black Sunbrella type material. I can do it on the ground, the only reason I'm interested in the job.
-------------------- Gerald Barlow Artworx Turlock, CA
95380 artworx@bigvalley.net Posts: 198 | From: Turlock, CA 95380, USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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Good Day Jerry, How did you do the last one? Do this one the same way. Draw the letters using white chalk or black charcoal stick. Open the can of 1-Shot, smell the fumes as you pour some into a empty can of tuna and thin it a bit. Grab a stiff hog bristle or soft fitch and get to painting. Or if you want, you can use some house paint. I hate using house paint (Latex) for lettering. Some people like it. You could try using that water based paint the Walldogs use, it's called? It's made in California, it's called,,,,,,,Nova Colors. If the bckground is dark and lettering is a light color, you will have to first hit it with white. Otherwise, it will never cover.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks Rick and 'licia. Mask is very interesting, I watched the demo. All these steps makes the job just that much more expensive. What does this go for...sq. ft.?
-------------------- Gerald Barlow Artworx Turlock, CA
95380 artworx@bigvalley.net Posts: 198 | From: Turlock, CA 95380, USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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Depending on the layout, the old way is the most profiting way. The FabTac, although a very good product, is gonna add at least $120.00 to your bottom line.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Jer, we've also had success using a high tack vinyl and putting down a couple coats of a latex acrylic paint the color of the fabric and then top coating with color. The base color can seal the surface to hide any leaks.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I have painted well over a thousand awnings since 2005. I do it the way Rick Sacks mentioned. There's no need to buy specialty materials like FabTac. They don't work any better, cost more, and don't have a very long shelf life before the adhesive turns to goo that doesn't hold the masking down well and gets all over when you're trying to use it.
More details on my process follow. Doing it this way works consistently well:
Apply weeded high performance cast vinyl to the awning. I've found that going over it with a clothes iron before I remove the masking helps with adhesion.
Carefully remove the masking. The vinyl won't be stuck very tightly.
Use a hair dryer to soften the vinyl to stick over seams and then push it into place with your fingers. Pay attention also to creases if the awning was folded prior to delivery to you. These need to be really stuck down.
Paint two coats 100% acrylic the same color as the background. Pay special attention to the creases and seams. If the masking looks like it wants to pull up there, push the masking down and dry the paint in that spot with a hair dryer and then add another small dab of paint and dry that with the hair dryer. Doing this will seal the edge.
Be sure to check the recoat window of your paint product. Just because it's dry to the touch doesn't mean it's ready to recoat. Not allowing it to dry properly between coats can result in adhesion problems when removing masking.
I paint three finish coats. Two should suffice but that third coat is insurance. After the first coat of finish color, I lightly sand the lettering with 220 grit drywall screen sandpaper. It knocks off bits of fabric "grain" that get raised by the paint process and allows the last two coats to go on with a very smooth finish.
Carefully weed the vinyl by pulling away from the outsides of the letters.
In areas that have bled under the masking, a #16 X-Acto blade used as a scraper will scrape the excess paint off quite well. A metal straightedge held along the flat parts of the letters allows scraping and cleanup on straight portions of the graphics.
That #16 blade is also useful for touch up painting. A dab of paint on the blade can be precisely positioned for small touch ups. A razor blade held against the outer edge of a touch up is a good paint shield for small work.
I've tried paint masking, intermediate vinyl, translucent vinyl and not been impressed with any of those. They don't stick as well or conform to the extent needed if there are seams to letter over. High performance cast vinyl and wrap material work quite well.
I use 100% acrylic satin or semi gloss paint. They stick to the fabric a little bit better than flat paint. For colors I won't use often, I often buy the sample size at Home Depot or Sherwin Williams. Home Depot's Behr Premium Plus is the most common paint I use and has a 2 hour recoat window. Behr Ultra has a 4 hour window. You don't need to pay extra for Ultra or Behr Marquis. Fabric awnings have a 5-7 year life. The more expensive Ultra and Marquis paint won't look any better or adhere any better for the life of the awning material. Some of the more expensive paints advertise "One coat coverage" but I lightly sand the first finish coat and once everything is all set up, an extra coat takes perhaps 5 minutes to apply, not counting the dry time in between.
Since I do work for several awning companies, the awnings are almost always brought to me to be lettered prior to installation. If done in my shop, the charge for painted graphics on an awning will be approximately three times the retail price of comparable cut and installed vinyl.
If they want it done onsite, you'll need to figure about an extra day labor charge since you'll be there all day, unless the job is really close to your shop. Periodically, I have to do it onsite. Sometimes, the charge to have the awning taken down and put back up by an awning company is less than the price difference I'd charge for doing it in shop.
[ September 05, 2018, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: David Harding ]
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Wow, David, you are a through guy. I hate to fizzle out the thread as I learned several interesting facts...but...the awning proved to be a banner screwed to awning deal. I've never seen this before but the awnings on the building are all made with a frame under the face so that a banner could be attached to it in overlay. So I just hand lettered the logo on my board in the shop and the customer hung it. Wish all my problems were so easily fixed.
-------------------- Gerald Barlow Artworx Turlock, CA
95380 artworx@bigvalley.net Posts: 198 | From: Turlock, CA 95380, USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
That's what people are doing here in Puerto Rico. Even for main signs people are just printing a banner, and tekking it onto an aluminum or galvanized frame. Seems like it makes more sense to go to the light and sell water bottles for a buck than to make signs down here nowadays.
-------------------- Felix Marcano PuertoRicoSigns.Com Luquillo, PR
Work hard, party like a tourist! Posts: 2274 | From: Luquillo, Puerto Rico, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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