Discover the ins and outs, dos and don’ts of installing vinyl graphics over rivets. What you find out may surprise you. Dealing with rivets is the price you pay for greater profits. But applying over rivets need not be a nightmare if you have the right knowledge and skills. Read more »
Avoiding Airbrushed Vinyl Mistakes
Perfecting the art of airbrushing on vinyl takes time but you can avoid beginner’s mistakes with a few insiders’ tips. Before you make big bucks airbrushing on vinyl, you’ll probably make plenty of mistakes. Find out the common pitfalls so you can steer clear of trigger-happiness, poor lettering and the like. Read more »
Should You Buy Ink in Bulk?
Discover the pros and cons of buying ink in large quantities. Want to save money on your ink budget? Barring using third-party inks, you have two options: buy in bulk or install a bulk ink system. Read more »
Choosing a Floor Graphics Overlaminate
Which Film is the Best? Today you have many more overlaminate options for floor graphics than were available ten years ago. Polycarbonate and vinyl films — most of which are pressure-sensitive — are often used to protect floor graphics. Read more »
Safety and Latex Paints
In my articles on wall graphics I make a few recommendations on painting with latex paint. What I did not do was make any recommendations regarding safety. Who would think that there are any health concerns when painting walls with latex paint? I never did. After all, latex paint is water-based and that’s safe, isn’t […] Read more »
Application of Vinyl Graphics to Acrylic Signs
When decorating acrylic sheet, selecting the right vinyl film for the job depends on a variety of factors: Read more »
Gold Leaf: To Clear or Not To Clear
Most gilders agree that for most sign applications, you should not clear coat 23-karat gold leaf. What differentiates gold from other metals is its brilliance. Clear coating diminishes its shiny surface. But as with all rules, there are exceptions. If it is likely that the general public will put their grubby mitts on the gilded surface, […] Read more »
Time Management Tips
Getting Control of Your Day Time can easily slip away. When this happens, promises to customers are broken, return phone calls aren’t made, appointments and deadlines are missed and new sales opportunities are lost. Read more »
Adhesion to Powder Coated Paints
Why Pressure Sensitive Materials Fail to Adhere to Powder Coated Surfaces? Adhesion failures of pressure sensitive materials, such as labels, decorative films, foam tapes and graphic panels, to powder coated substrates are quite common. Just as there are several reasons for these failures, there are several steps that the fabricator can take to avoid […] Read more »
Traditional Water Gilding
While you might have experience in oil gilding exterior signage or water gilding on glass, you may never have attempted traditional water gilding, or what is also called bole gilding. This technique is used for interior applications, primarily gilding wood picture frames. The process involves coating the wood with several layers of gesso and clay […] Read more »
