Back to School: Sign Makers Seek CNC Router Education

Are you ready for prime time? Learn about educational programs that teach you the ins and outs of computerized routers. As dimensional signs gain momentum, many sign makers are seeking formal education to help them get the biggest bang for their routing bucks. So you’ve made a major investment in a CNC router. You went […] Read more »

Removing Rock Hard Tape Adhesive

 Application Tape Tip Every so often, I get a service call involving a sign maker or painter, who cannot remove the adhesive of our application tape from a substrate. I just receive one yesterday from a woman in southern California, who had left masked painted panels in the sun. The panels became so hot that […] Read more »

Priming and Painting for Wall Graphics Applications

Drywall Preparation, Priming and Painting In my story, Preventing Wall Graphics Failures, I mentioned that new drywall must be primed and painted properly to ensure good adhesion of pressure-sensitive vinyl wall graphics. You wouldn’t think that applying vinyl wall graphics to newly painted drywall should be a problem.  Of course, problems can and do happen. Especially when […] Read more »

Printing Claritex® Top-Coated Polycarbonate Films

Tips for Digitally Printing & Laminating Top-Coated  Polycarbonate Films  RTape’s Claritex® 10 mil bright white velvet-matte polycarbonate films feature a specially formulated ink-receptive coating for solvent, ecosolvent and latex inkjet printers. The good hold out characteristic of the top coating keeps the colorant of the ink on its surface for brilliant color reproduction. The coating […] Read more »

Painting Flames

And Other Uses for Application Tape. Protecting and transferring vinyl graphics aren’t the only uses for application tape.  Here are some other uses for paper application tapes. 1.      High tack application tapes, such as RTape 4075, are also used by painters and artists as a paint mask for custom painting of motor cycles, cars and trucks.  […] Read more »

Choosing the Best Ink to Print on Vinyl

Some digital print shops stick to the ink their printer manufacturer offers. But that might not always be the best choice for your vinyl print job. Your overarching goal is to match your ink to your media. Find out what you need to know. There are enough ink options on the market to make your […] Read more »

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark offers proof positive that effective sign design can inform, entertain, commemorate ­ and stand out in a crowd. Signs speak volumes. But signs in hustling bustling environments often speak too much, too loud, or perhaps even too subtlety to communicate the message. Let’s face it. Poorly designed signs breed a sense […] Read more »

Blasting Your Way to Profits with Glass Etching

Blasting glass can help boost your bottom line. Find out how sandblasting glass is the same ­ and different ­ from other substrates. Can you sandblast with the best of them? If you’ve got the equipment and the skill to blast stone, ceramic or wood, then there’s no reason not to consider expanding your business […] Read more »

Applying Vinyl Graphics to Aircraft

Are you ready to let your business fly high? Applying vinyl graphics to aircraft may be your next big opportunity. There are opportunities to apply vinyl to aircraft, but it takes special materials and a steady hand to get into the business. Read more »

The Challenges of Creating Architectural Signage

Understanding the common pitfalls of creating indoor and outdoor architectural signage before you begin can save headaches for you and your customers. Your clients depend on architectural signage to do more than communicate a message. Architectural signage must also help build the brand name of the company it serves. Read more »