wrap print around pan face for colored background

[tiredcreations]

Does anyone do this?

I have a customer who wants his new logo on his existing pan faces. The problem is that he wants the background to be black with a honeycomb type pattern in it.

It's a lit sign so I'm not sure about piecing it or having cuts & overlaps.

It looks like it was done here:


I'm trying to avoid this look:


but it may be my last resort. Any tips?

 

[d fleming]

The edges on the first one look as if they might have been sprayed black

 

[MikePro]

is the original sign's print applied first-surface? or is that graphic on the backside of the pillow-face?

i wouldn't worry about seaming/overlapping if you were to do the sign in two parts:
wrap the returns in 4 strips and onto the face, trimming the rectangular v.o., and applying your illuminated print with a slight overlap around the perimeter.

 

[tiredcreations]

is the original sign's print applied first-surface? or is that graphic on the backside of the pillow-face?

i wouldn't worry about seaming/overlapping if you were to do the sign in two parts:
wrap the returns in 4 strips and onto the face, trimming the rectangular v.o., and applying your illuminated print with a slight overlap around the perimeter.

I don't know how that sign was done, I just found it online.

The strips sound like a good approach, but maybe I should just do the perimeter in black instead of trying to line up the honeycomb pattern. I have bad luck with seams on translucent.

 

[gnubler]

wrap the returns in 4 strips and onto the face, trimming the rectangular v.o., and applying your illuminated print with a slight overlap around the perimeter.

Zombie thread bump.

I'm quoting a job like this where the customer wants pan faces with a full wrap of translucent vinyl to the edges so white isn't peeking around the perimeter.
Is this the best way to wrap it? Four strips along the returns with face graphics overlapping a bit?

 

[MikePro]

gross. thanks for the reminder that i've catered to such demands in the past.
however, you can get pan faces formed with a color applied 2nd surface, or even full color graphics.
you're already outsourcing the face I'd imagine, so why not just have them quote graphics too?

its possible, and i've done it before, but its not just flat faces to flat edges..... so considerations should be made as to which graphics will stretch/contour around the bevel and which will overlap to lock it in.
BUT, now you'll have way more than just a few seams and personally i think they're disgusting although necessary because zero-line seams degrade in the elements while a ~0.90"+ overlap will last for years.

buuut if I had to do it again, i'd prefer to simply apply the face flat and then heat the piss out of my vinyl to stretch over the bevel on all 4-sides, and then heat the piss out of it some more to shrink-back to its "cast"-form for the returns and try to isolate the stretching of the vinyl/color to be uniform at the bend lines of the formed face.

 

[gnubler]

Thanks for the info. Customer already has the pan face panels, stripped off old vinyl and wants new vinyl installed.

 

[MikePro]

its stuff like this that makes me wanna make a jig to utilize my cnc's vacuum table as a thermal former.
...the boss, however, prefers that I don't attempt to find ways to burn down the shop.

man, 2012 really brings me back. that was a good year. 29 years young and undeated at picking presidents.

 

[gnubler]

This became a job, customer brought in the pan face panels after stripping off the old vinyl. The panels are only a year or so old, I'm surprised at the amount of ghosting they have.
As mentioned above, they need to be completely wrapped edge to edge. Pics below of what used to be on the panels and the new logo. My question is should I print on clear or use translucent cut vinyl? Is one better than another for obscuring the ghosting and also to conform around the bevels/corners? I'm going to experiment with both to see which is easier to work with.

These are national brands, has anyone ever made backlit signs for them before and what vinyl did you use?

 

[MikePro]

i'd prefer to work with colored vinyl vs. printed&laminated on clear
if you DO print it, do not use white trans unless you intend to dim the illumination dramatically.

I wouldn't "wrap" it, easier to treat it as two seperate parts:
pre-stripe the sides, seams wherever you see fit, with vinyl that rolls onto the "face" and trimmed to ~.125" perimeter, and then apply the "face" seperately.

 

[gnubler]

i'd prefer to work with colored vinyl vs. printed&laminated on clear
if you DO print it, do not use white trans unless you intend to dim the illumination dramatically.

I wouldn't "wrap" it, easier to treat it as two seperate parts:
pre-stripe the sides, seams wherever you see fit, with vinyl that rolls onto the "face" and trimmed to ~.125" perimeter, and then apply the "face" seperately.

That was my plan - do the four bevels separately and then put the face on top.
I think translucent vinyl will conform better around the curves/corners. I outsource printing on clear and am limited to Orajet from S365 (no white printing).

 

[Stacey K]

I did this a couple years ago. I cut black strips from Oracal 751 and did the perimeter in that. Then I added the top. If I remember correctly the strips went over the curve about 1/8" and then I added the top piece.

 

[gnubler]

Great, thank you! This probably won't be as hard as I thought.

 

[Stacey K]

Great, thank you! This probably won't be as hard as I thought.

Nope, you will figure it out. I don't think it matters too much which vinyl goes over the curve but obviously if that little bit makes you have to add a bunch of extra square footage on the printed then use the black to go over ridge since it's cheaper.

 

[JBurton]

Print on white to hide the ghosted elements. Which means you'll really want to block out the perimeter or it will outshine the face.
What's wrong with a little black paint? Apply new graphics, mask off, and shoot some black acrylic. Scuff the surface first for a good bond.

 

[gnubler]

My background is blue and I ordered 3M translucent 230 in cobalt blue to wrap it from edge to edge.

 

[JBurton]

IDK about 230, but I would do this in 3m 3630.

 

[gnubler]

IDK about 230, but I would do this in 3m 3630.

Comparing the two, they're both a 2mil cast vinyl. 230 is rated for 6 years and 3630 for 7 years. Doesn't strike me as much of a difference.

The data sheet says that panels should be overlapped by 1/16". Am I okay to give it 1/4" instead to give me some more wiggle room or will it be too noticeable when the box is lit? Tight registration, as you can see in the Federated logo above.

 

[JBurton]

My distributors don't carry the 230 any more, I guess the pricing is probably out of date, but I see I can get a yard of 3630 for $23.55 at 48" wide. All the 230 I saw was overpriced and punched.
At any rate, you'll really have to determine that yourself with vinyl in hand. Some of the translucents like 'electric blue' are damn near clear, so two layers is noticeably darker than one. I'd aim for a .5" overlap, then trim it back to where I feel comfortable. Most 3m product you could nearly butt the seams together without worry about shrinkage. I'd go for 1/16-1/8" overlap.

 

[gnubler]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.