About the vinyl...
The vinyl media I use is rated for use at -40º F to +225º F. Its rated vertical exposure life is five to seven years.. Pretty tough stuff..
How will it look when I receive it?
The lettering as received is of 3 parts:
The bottom part is the paper BACKING.
In the center is the VINYL media (Lettering), with it's pressure sensitive adhesive.
On top is the TRANSFER TAPE....
The TRANSFER TAPE is the key to easy installation. It is designed to stick to the vinyl media well enough to lift the media from the backing, while holding its spacing, and will lift free of the vinyl media once it is pressed into its final position.
Note: Some of your lettering may be "stacked", one word above another, leaving the final separation cuts for you to make. I'm not lazy.... I have found through experience the lettering survives being mailed MUCH better this way. On occasion smaller lettering strips have "bunched up" in the envelope, causing some problems... Leaving the strips as wide as possible virtually eliminates the chance of shipping damage. These separation cuts will always be able to be made with a straightedge.. Just be careful not to cut through another word... (been there, done that, got the t-shirt..) And be CAREFUL with that X-acto knife.... The lettering strips may also have been folded to fit the mailing package. This will not damage the lettering.
Yeah, but what's it look like NOW???...
This is where the power of the internet can help us... I can lay out your lettering and place it on a temporary web page for you to view before approving it. If you have installed on your 'puter the same font you choose for your lettering, I can just type the lettering into the page and you can see it... Waaaaait a minit... If you HAVE the font you already KNOW how it's gonna look.... But, if you DON'T have the font you want to use I will compose an image of your lettering and place it on the page at your request. It still won't look as good as the final product, but will give you an idea of what you'll get. Howzat for service??
I know you cut letters, how about graphics?
The machine I own is not the largest around, but does a excellent job of cutting... The software that drives it is elaborate, and for its size, this cutter gets the job done as well as a big machine. I CAN cut graphics as long as the image is no larger than about 11" in any one direction. A tall, skinny image can be cut on its side... But the maximum measurement is 11", one way or the other... I can work from your image in just about any format, the larger, the better... (It's a resolution thing...) The machine needs a proprietary image to cut from, but I can almost always convert your image to the format I need. I also have a scanner, and can scan images mailed to me. I do NOT charge extra for scans used in your layout.
How do I apply this stuff?
These instructions also included with lettering...
Application is relatively simple, using these steps:
1. Have a roll of masking tape at hand.
2. Be sure the surface for the lettering is CLEAN, DRY AND OILFREE!!
3. Before starting, squeegee the transfer tape down against the vinyl media,
to ensure it's bond. Use a credit card or the like.
4. Place the lettering in the desired position, and hold it there with a strip
of masking tape placed vertically on the left edge (right edge for lefties).
With pieces longer than 12" , place the tape strip near the middle and
work outward from the center, cutting away the backing on one side first.
5. Fold the lettering back over the masking tape,
like a hinge, and carefully remove the backing, being sure the vinyl stays attached
to the transfer tape. DO NOT touch the adhesive side with fingers!
6. Holding the transfer tape by the end opposite the masking tape hinge with
SLIGHT tension, fold the letters back over, and close to the surface to which
you are placing them.
7. Hold the tension, and with the other hand & the squeegee, press the letters
gently down, working outward.
8. Squeegee the transfer tape & vinyl down firmly against the surface, to
bond the letters. (MODELERS ONLY... EXCEPTION.. ON MONOKOTE, TRY TO JUST TRACE
OVER THE LETTERS & REMOVE THE TAPE BEFORE SQUEEGEEING.) The "wet method"
also works well on MonoKote. This method uses a wetting agent made from a quart
of tap water and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid soap. Apply as above, but
wet the surface and the lettering before squeegeeing in place. Allow to dry
overnight.
9. Slowly and gently, carefully remove the transfer tape, peeling it back over
itself from a corner. Take your time!! The lettering will remain adhered to
the surface.
10. You're done!! Stand back and admire the job. If your'e a modeler, as I am,
you may now make appropiate engine sounds while viewing your pride and joy.
I always do...
Thank you very much for your consideration. If my service pleases you, please
take time to email my website's URL, http://www.customcutgrafix.com,
to friends and family on the web. Web referrals are the heart of this service...
If you have any difficulty with your lettering, contact me via email at grafix01@cox.net
or by office telephone at (504) 392-3620, or cellular telephone at (504) 234-0351.
My products are FULLY guaranteed. PERIOD!!
Ordering tips.. Info I NEED for basic jobs....
(My online order form will be debugged soon... For now, please use Email..)
Let me know your choice of FONT, COLOR and SIZE, based on capital letters, and the quantity of each set you wish.
Enter the words EXACTLY as you want them in a separate paragraph in your email. Put quantity, size, font and color desired on the first line, and the desired lettering on the very next line, EXACTLY as you wish it to look. I will cut based on that info. I generally try to cut and paste the lettering as you show it into my cutting program to eliminate errors.. If all capitals or lowercase are desired, type the words as such..... Doing it similar to this example would serve well:
(6) 1" Arial BOLD - Black
John Smith
or
(4) 4 1/2" Challenge Extra Bold - (2) Red & (1) White & (1) Black
SPACEWALKER
Font heights are based on the height of a capital letter "L". Remember that a 3" letter may take up more than 3" of height because of descending or ascending letters, such as "y" or "f". Because of this, some fonts cannot be cut at the nominal 11" maximum, because the overall height could then become beyond the cutter's capability. If space is a constraint for you, tell me the maximum height and/or width we have to work with. I can adjust the lattering, based on height, width, or BOTH, although I have seen some weird looking letters come from this last option....
Lastly, tell me if you have the FONT you wish to use for your lettering on your own computer. If you do not have the font, I will be happy to create a graphic to display your lettering on a web page for you, so you may see how it will look.
Samples??? Sure, just click this link for information..
Contact Information:
Internet:
http://www.customcutgrafix.com
Email:
grafix@customcutgrafix.com
Telephone: (504) 392-3620
By
Pony Express: Bill Fulmer
356 Bellemeade Blvd.
Gretna, LA USA 70056
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