What goes into layering vinyl

We got a call yesterday from a customer all in a panic. They needed a sign to take with them to a relatives to give them before Christmas. They remembered me from my facebook page and gave me a call. Panic part was they needed it tonight. I went over with them the supplies I had available to be able to give them what they wanted in a very condensed time frame. Quickly got to work on the design and had approval within a couple hours. Off to the races to get the alumicor cut to the right dimensions. The great part is they wanted something done that I love doing, layering vinyl.

After getting the initial layout and design completely nailed down it was off to the vinyl cutter. I cut the black in the exact locations that they were being transferred over to save time and measuring. It was being used as the bottom layer so alignment was critical. The second layer cut was chrome. To save on vinyl I was able to line things up to maximize the yield. Chrome is a lot more expensive than black so saving wherever you can is key.

This is what the vinyl looks like when it first comes off of the cutter, next step is weeding the excess vinyl from the page.

The next step involved is transferring the chrome to the black. I was able to eyeball the locations pretty easily because I use a clear transfer tape. For more intricate patterns or more than two colours I would have made registration marks on the file to assist with the alignment. A little trick to help with multiple layering is to deaden the tackiness of the tape by placing it on your pant leg or shirt so you can more easily remove it from the graphic to add the next layer without pulling up your existing work.

Place the transfer tape onto the components that you are ready to transfer but keep the tape smooth. Use your squeegee to press the vinyl onto the transfer tape and peel it up off of the backer. Go slowly. Saving time by going fast will not save you money in this stage. Make sure that the black layer is held down and flat when lining up the graphic because there is a static charge to both the vinyl and tape . You don't want any inadvertent contact. Line it up and smooth it down with the squeegee and it will look like this. 

After you've lined up and stacked all of the components they are ready to transfer over to the final substrate. Another job completed. Another satisfied customer.

A bit of a side angle shot really shows how well the layers look and bring out the 3d aspect.

Enjoy and stay creative.