How Calendered Vinyl Films are Made

I usually compare the calendering  process to rolling out pie dough. In reality, the manufacturing process is a little more complex than that. In the calendering process, PVC material is squeezed between gigantic, heated, polished-steel rollers that form the vinyl into a very thin sheet of film. Read more »

How to Minimize Ghosting on Dry Erase Boards

Ghosting on dry erase boards is usually the rule, not the exception. If you want your dry erase board to look good years from now with minimal ghosting, you have to condition the surface, before you use it and you have to use the right markers.  I have used the RTape EZErase™ film on my […] Read more »

System Inc. Takes Dominion on Powerboat Wrapping Industry

Feeling creative? The water sports industry is hungry for cutting-edge designs printed on vinyl and applied to powerboats that are ultimately seen by hundreds of thousand of people in competitions around the country. Read more »

Vehicle Wrapping Contracts 101

Wrapping vehicles without a signed contract that spells out what the customer should expect – and shouldn’t expect – from your sign shop is a mistake that could cost you. Find out how to avoid liabilities with a solid contract. Read more »

Wrapping Oil Rigs

A Texas sign shop is wrapping the big rigs ­ and we don’t mean trucks. Discover the ins and outs of wrapping in an oil field. Read more »

How to Wrap a Red Hot Ferrari

Wrapping a Ferrari may sound like a sexy job – and it is – but it’s unlike most other vehicle wraps. Find out how. Few cars are curvier than a Ferrari. Discover how to navigate the challenges of applying vinyl to a racecar. What do you get when you cross Avery Graphics film with a […] Read more »

Processing and Installing VinylEfx Films

ABOUT VINYLEFX® FILMS Eye-catching RTape VinylEfx® metalized vinyl media give your designs a distinctive look, which attracts attention and creates favorable visual impressions. Your graphics are noticed, read and remembered. That’s your competitive edge! The rich look of these metallic vinyl films is perfect for  signage, POP, exhibits and store interiors. Read more »

Peel Recommendations for Heat Transfer Films

After you heat press an applique to a garment, how long should you wait before peeling the carrier or the hot mask from the applique?  A number of variables come into play, which are covered in my story: Heat Transfer Films: Hot, Warm or Cold Peel. The physical properties of the particular flex or flock film that […] Read more »

Cleaning Polycarbonate Sheet Before Vinyl Application

Polycarbonate is one tough plastic.  Not even Dirty Harry with his .44 magnum could blast through a one-inch sheet. To use Harry’s words: “a man has to know his limitations”. Read more »

Gild like an Egyptian

Gilding is an ancient art that dates back to Egyptian times. Get some time-tested tips from modern-day pros.  Gilding with gold leaf is the ancient art Egyptians used to decorate King Tut’s coffin, but 21st century artisans are continuing the tradition on everything from automobiles to store windows.om modern-day pros. Read more »