Transfer tape for PhotoTex?

[II Jake]

I have been working with PhotoTex for a little bit and just recently tried to do a job with contour cut text... It has been a complete failure so far because I can't find a transfer tape that will stick to the face of the PhotoTex aggressively enough to pull it off of the release liner.

Any suggestions? Has anyone else tried to do this?

[CheapVehicleWrap]

hmmm, sticky situation. How does calendared vinyl stick/release from it?

[briankb]

do you really need to cover the entire design with the transfer tape? I use PhotoTex all the time for stickers and interior stuff. I haven't use transfer tape at all. If I do a contour cut I usually weed off the excess leaving the design by itself. It peels off pretty easy.

Instead of transfer tape have you tried the blue painter tape around an edge to get it started? If you are aligning multiple phototex panels then I could see the need to mask it.

[kraigsnowden]

Pretty sure phototex isn't meant to be contour cut. I have done it A LOT, but we have one solid piece when we do it for that reason. It's not made to stick to transfer tape. You may just have to do something with removable vinyl if it has to come off in the future.

[II Jake]

It is a couple of lines of text going up in a small boutique... It would be possible to do it all free hand, but it would be extremely time consuming.
They really liked the finish of the PhotoTex and have particular pantones they want to hit. I said, "OK" to the job when the salesperson here asked me about doing it... You know how the way that works...

Other times I've used PhotoTex it has either been regular square panels or just a large contour cut piece... This is text and a swirly logo...

[Bill Modzel]

How about a roll of 2" masking tape?
I've also used removable adhesive vinyl on products like DacTac with decent results.

[insignia]

Just did a big contour-cut piece of PhotoTex and used high tack transfer tape and it worked fairly well but it was still a bit tricky in some spots. It would be great if you could get real masking tape wide enough, that would be the ideal tack level, if you can't get it in logs, I'd say go with the highest tack transfer tape you can find...

[briankb]

I contour cut Photo Tex all the time on our CE5000-60. With the right settings and a good quality blade you can do a very clean kiss cut and I also do a perf/media cut.

[II Jake]

I contour cut Photo Tex all the time on our CE5000-60. With the right settings and a good quality blade you can do a very clean kiss cut and I also do a perf/media cut.

Are you saying that you punch the finished piece out of the release paper?

[briankb]

Are you saying that you punch the finished piece out of the release paper?

It took a few seconds to find the right pressure setting but yes I do a contour cut for labels then go back and do another cut with +2 on the pressure and it cuts through the backing to make a completed label. It's called a media bridge and the more expensive cutters will do it through a setting usually called "perf". It's not cleanly cut but it's cut enough of the backing to make it fall apart once you remove it from the machine and handle it.

[II Jake]

It took a few seconds to find the right pressure setting but yes I do a contour cut for labels then go back and do another cut with +2 on the pressure and it cuts through the backing to make a completed label. It's called a media bridge and the more expensive cutters will do it through a setting usually called "perf". It's not cleanly cut but it's cut enough of the backing to make it fall apart once you remove it from the machine and handle it.

But why would one do that for the application I am asking about? I can kind of picture making it work, but it seems kind of odd.

[Rojo]

We did this with Phototex. Taped with R-tape. Took alot of squeegee pressure to adhere to the image and remove from the backing. Had to carefully remove the R-tape to leave the image on the wall. Definitely not something I would give to a customer to self install.

[briankb]

But why would one do that for the application I am asking about? I can kind of picture making it work, but it seems kind of odd.

What where you asking about? I've been working and maybe lost a bit of the flow. If I took it off topic, sorry.

[II Jake]

What where you asking about? I've been working and maybe lost a bit of the flow. If I took it off topic, sorry.

I think I have my answer. Thanks though.

[II Jake]

We did this with Phototex. Taped with R-tape. Took alot of squeegee pressure to adhere to the image and remove from the backing. Had to carefully remove the R-tape to leave the image on the wall. Definitely not something I would give to a customer to self install.

I have high tack transfer coming in tomorrow from my vendor, so we'll see how that works.

This has turned into a classic "if you had us install it, we would've made it work and it would be done" situation.

[gb2020]

Here's what I've done when using Fabricbrite Banner Material, which is a similar acting substrate (A polyester adhesive-backed fabric that you can cut with your existing plotter. Use to add graphics to awnings, flags, table covers, boulevard banners, sails and other cloth signage.) It's hard to get application tape to stick to it, so I lightly spray 3M Super 77 Adhesive to the face just before I add the application tape. This will give it the bond you need!

Do this just before you are ready to apply the PhotoTex to the wall. Don't let it set and dry to the application tape. Use it quickly to hold the application tape and then transfer the PhotoTex within 5 minutes to the wall and remove the application tape. Works for me everytime, but you've got to be fast. Otherwise, you'll spend alot of time getting the application tape off the PhotoTex.

Try a test and see how it works.

Good luck.

[II Jake]

Here's what I've done when using Fabricbrite Banner Material, which is a similar acting substrate (A polyester adhesive-backed fabric that you can cut with your existing plotter. Use to add graphics to awnings, flags, table covers, boulevard banners, sails and other cloth signage.) It's hard to get application tape to stick to it, so I lightly spray 3M Super 77 Adhesive to the face just before I add the application tape. This will give it the bond you need!

Do this just before you are ready to apply the PhotoTex to the wall. Don't let it set and dry to the application tape. Use it quickly to hold the application tape and then transfer the PhotoTex within 5 minutes to the wall and remove the application tape. Works for me everytime, but you've got to be fast. Otherwise, you'll spend alot of time getting the application tape off the PhotoTex.

Try a test and see how it works.

Good luck.

Interesting... The customer still wants to install it himself, so I am going to try the high tack transfer first, but if it comes to me having to install it I might try this.