Cutting and printing on the same graphic

[pgettys]

Hey guys,
I am trying to cut about 3 lines of text say on white vinyl and then print the last 2 lines of text (phone numbers) in red and then cut those out what procedure what i use to do that if it is possible?

I am making yard signs and i am trying to get a quicker solution as to what i am doing now.just printing them right out on white calendered vinyl or cutting them on the color of vinyl needed

Thanks
Paul

[OldPaint]

what you got to print cut with?

[Tony Mc]

If it's all red, I would just cut it all in one piece....it would be quicker to make and apply.

Unless you contour cut the printed lettering, it might resemble a bandaid. If you printed the whole sign..that's a different story.

[Fred Weiss]

If the work isn't printed and is to be used as RTA, then I would consider replacing sections of white with red before cutting. If I'm doing the applying, I would just plan of two separate applications with registration marks for quick positioning of each application.

Since you do say though that you're printing and cutting, just set your white text as contour cuts and create contour cuts with a bleed for the red text.

[jimdes]

Cut them out of white, make a window in a piece of cardboard, use the window to expose the area you want red, spray with red Krylon, weed your two color graphic, let dry, premask, apply.

Old school baby!

[pgettys]

versacamm sp300, well it's 3 lines of blue text it has changed since earlier
and then the 2 phone numbers they want in red but they want 50 18x24 yard signs/real estate signs.

So i am trying to figure out a way to do everything for 1 sign on one piece of vinyl

what i was thinking was i should be able to basically print the blue and red text out and then go back and contour cut both colors and then apply the tape and transfer it to the coroplast signs.
am i thinking to simple here? or should that be a problem?

i am still learning flexi so bear with me .
Thanks
Paul

[pgettys]

http://www.signs101.com/photopost/data/500/1821NA-med.jpgthis is the sign

[Scott Reynolds]

I dont get it. Print the things on 3 mil, contour cut a 17.5X23.5 box, and aply. If you have a laminator, just cut the prints apart, center on the coroplast, put masking tape on one end, put the blank on the laminator, flip the print over the top, pull the liner back and shoot it though. You can do two a min. no prob. 30 setup, 30 laminating, no transfer tape. A mostly white print in the Roland with OEM inks should not cost more than 20-25 cents a ft.

[Fred Weiss]

No, it's pretty much that simple. What you next need to do it to create cutpaths in Flexi to go with the printed text and you're good to go. Do you know how to do a bleed on the text?

Or follow LVDecals suggestion which is also easy enough to do and a lot less labor.

[Barry]

Just make sure you do not cut ontop of where you printed or the vinyl will curl over time.

Honestly I wont touch a coroplast job that big, I always send them out to get screen printed. My screen printer will provide the coroplast. For 50 24x18 signs 2 color screen printed (Including the Coroplast) only cost me $2.55 each. There is no way I can compete with that price on my printer or with regular vinyl. Who would want to compete.

[pgettys]

i do not know how to bleed the text in flexi.
LvDecals i have been just printing them on the versacamm and putting the 17.5x 23.5 directly on the coroplast but i didn't know if it would be cheaper to actually just pu the letters on there?

Thanks for the help
Paul

[Fred Weiss]

A bleed in this context is where the printed image extends slightly beyond the limits of the cut paths of each letter.

In Flexi, simply outline the letters by about .04" to .05" and give them the fill assignment for the print. Then go back to the original letters and select them and assign them to be a contour cut.

[Scott Reynolds]

You have to look at both time and materials. Saving .60 per sign is not off set if it takes you 6 long hours to cut, weed, tape, registrar, aply, and peel. Use the strength of the Versacamm, it prints and cuts while you pick you nose and watch TV. Im just kidding,,, Im sure you dont watch that much TV. Any way, just my two cents, Im often wrong. Scooter

[pgettys]

Scooter,

thanks that is what i am wanting to hear,i just wanted to make sure i wasn't paying for the signs myself
Thanks again everyone
Paul