posted
Hi. I have 2 awnings to do tomorrow which are my first. (been in business for 3 months) Any special hints or tips on this? Would it be better to do it wet or dry? Also need to remove letters from one of the awnings, any tips on this? The letters haven't been on but 2 weeks. The guy didn't like the font so he called me. Thanks everyone for any input.
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Posts: 113 | From: Galax, Virginia USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Cynthia. are these VINYL letters on a CANVAS awning??
------------------ St.Marie Graphics & Makin' Tracks Sound Studio Kalispell, Montana stmariegraphics@centurytel.net OR www.stmariegraphics.com PEACE, through superior chisel-power! We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)
If the "Vinyl" letters have a polyester frabric feel to them, they are probably "Dac-Ease". It is a vinyl specially designed to go on to canvas or sunbrella awnings. The problem is probably going to be in removing the adhesive residue from the fabric if the letters have been on for a long time and in the sun. I've yet to find an efficient and effective way to clean it off. Since yours have only been on for a couple weeks, I wouldn't think you'd have too much trouble.
If the awning is going outside, I don't recommend using regular vinyl. If you do, put it down dry and then use heat and a rivet brush to work the vinyl down into the fabric. If you have the time, I really recommend using Dac-Ease. You can get it from Advertising Ideas. I think Kapco carries it as well. It is designed to cut and apply like vinyl for canvas awnings.
Personally, I prefer to paint the letters on the canvas fabric with Nazdar Permaflex ink using intermediate vinyl as a paint mask. I've got lettering on awnings that outlasted the awnings themselves.
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:) Design is Everything! :) Glenn Taylor in beautiful North Carolina
posted
Well, I'll admit, I haven't done an awning in a good long while. But I always painted canvas ones, as that was always the best solution for them. Perhaps something has changed in that respect?
Cynthia, do you mean canvas, as in "Sunbrella"?
Sunbrella must be either hand painted, or masked off with a very agressive mask (like gerber high tack) and then painted. Vinyl lettering does not stick to Sunbrella effectively.
Vinyl Ink, or Vinyl lettering on a vinyl awning is an appropriate combo, unless you prep it to be enamel receptive, at which point you can paint it with One shot.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Nettie
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posted
This is part of an e-mail that I sent to someone last night. I hope this makes sense......
First, using intermediate vinyl I cut a paint mask. I use a medium or low tack transfer tape to mask it. I then flip the vinyl paint mask over face down and remove the carrier. Then I spray the adhesive side with 3M Super 77 spray adhesive. Next, I apply the paint mask to the fabric. Then I carefully remove the transfer tape. This is where I appreciate using a low tack transfer tape. After the transfer tape is removed, I am ready to paint. Using a 1" foam brush or a lettering fitch, I brush the ink onto the fabric. I use the ink directly from the can - no thinner. The thinner will cause the ink to bleed through the fabric. As you apply the ink you will find that it lays down and levels out quite easily. After a couple of coats, just remove the mask and you are done. If any ink has bled under the mask, just let the ink dry thoroughly and then scrape off the excess with an exacto knife. If any adhesive residue is on the fabric, just use some packing tape to lift off the residue. You'll be surprised how easy it is once you become comfortable with this method.
I have a 10'ft awning to do for an awning company tomorrow. The graphics include doing the face, the front valence and the sides. It will probably take about 30 minutes of actual time to do the job. Of course, it'll take the ink about 24 hours to dry completely. Last week I had an awning to do that involved doing a gold bevel effect with outline and shadow on a green awning. To do the job, after I applied the mask, I put down a thin coat of Super Opaque White Permaflex ink. I let it tack for about 30 minutes. Then I put down a thin coat of yellow even though the white ink was still wet. As long as you don't over work it, the yellow will just lay on top of the white without mixing together. Then I let it dry overnight. The next day, I used a white Stabilo pencil and roughed in the guide lines for the bevel. Then using Gold Permaflex ink, I brushed in the ink with a china bristle brush (the cheap ones from the hobby shops). For the straight lines, I used packing tape so that I would have a hard clean edge between the yellow and the gold.
The main thing about applying the ink is to brush from the mask to the center of the letter. That way you won't accidentally push any ink under the mask.
Well, I hope this helps. Get some scrap fabric and try it out. I think you'll like it. I used to dread lettering awnings and now I love them. They have become much more profitable to do once I learned the technique.
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Design is Everything! Glenn Taylor in beautiful North Carolina
posted
I like Glenn's 77 idea. I've never had what I consider sucess using masks on Sunbrella. By the time I completed all the clean up from bleeds, I could have just lettered it and had a better time.
On dark fabrics, I dust on my pounce pattern with white powder, lightly, and blow off all the powder that will blow off with air. Give a very light spray of Phroggie Juice to act as a fixitive. Letter it with 1-Shot silver. This color has enough metal in it to seal the pores of the fabric and cover extremely well and dry fast. I can go over this with white or another light color, and it'll cover in one coat. This might not be the way for a newbie in the business to proceed. Guess I should have said "thank you" to Glenn for the fabric vinyl tip.
Oh, the best sucess I've had with a mask was to paint the first coat with a matt clear like Ti-Coat, and that could leak and not show. This would also seal the edges for the color coat. ------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
[This message has been edited by Rick Sacks (edited June 08, 2000).]
Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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