Category: Car Maintenance

Car detailing companies have been providing greater in Australia with car paint protection film installation, car ceramic paint protection, paint correction and car detailing. Your responsibility as a driver doesn’t begin the moment you start your car and end when you have followed all the rules. Of course, you have to ensure that it is clean both inside and out as well as working excellently. If you have a luxury car, there is more need to pay attention to these things.

As an expat in Dubai, you surely are familiar with the weather conditions in this region and how they take a toll on cars. Hence, you need to take your car to a workshop that specializes in providing an outstanding detailing service for luxury cars. This process entails cleaning, restoration and finishing of a car both in the interior and exterior. Therefore, you can rest assured that the exterior is free from dust, dirt, scratches and dents.

The key area and goal of car detailing is to fully improve and restore the paintwork of the car by eliminating light swirl marks and scratches that have been inflicted over time and that reflect the light in such a way that they give cob webbing effect on the surface of the clear coat or paint. To ensure that the job will be done as effectively as possible, only professional products and tools are used.

Aside from the exterior, the interior also deserves thorough cleaning. If you feel like the quality of air inside your car is not as good as it used to be, you need to avail a car interior detailing service. This entails cleaning and vacuuming of the dashboard, carpet and seat covers. When the service is done, you will see, feel and smell the difference.

Apart from detailing, you also need to ensure that other parts of the car are working well. Don’t neglect oil change and vehicle checkup as they will help your engine stand the test of time.

These are just some of the things you need to remember when you own a luxury car. In order to maintain the value of your prized possession and ensure that it will stand the test of time, you just have to find the best car care center in Dubai that will bring out the best in your car’s appearance and performance.

Car paint protection Sydney provides superior scratch resistance, UV protection, and chemical protection and can only be applied by Approved Applicators. You may feel at a loss when you have to deal with your car problems. You must do something because you don’t want to have to feel this experience every time. Continue reading to find out how you can get a better grasp of what to do when making repairs that come up with your car.

This certification means that the technician has completed a written test and has more than two years of experience under his or her belt. This will ensure that you have a capable person working on your vehicle.

If you do not understand something, clarify it with the service adviser or mechanic before starting any repair on the car. You don’t want to be hit with unexpected charges after the car has been repaired.

You do not have to contact a mechanic every time your car to the shop when there is an issue. There are several things that could be fixed very easily. If it is a simple fix, make the repairs yourself to save money.

Make sure to have car records on hand. You may want these with you when you go to get repairs done; a great place to store them is the glove compartment. The auto repair professionals will need to refer to these records. This can make the problem quicker and more precisely.

Make sure you specifically request OEM parts. These are directly from the manufacturer of your vehicle. While generics are much cheaper, you’ll never know how good the quality is. It may cost you more in the amount later as OEM components to begin with.

If you notice your headlights do not shine as brightly as they used to, check to see if they are clean. Clean theses with a glass cleaning agent to get them as clean as possible.

Although most auto shops are reliable, you may end up paying for extra repairs you don’t need. Search for a reliable shops that specializes in repairing the make of vehicle you have. These types of shops will give you the best bang for your car repairs.

Think about finding a mechanic who does repairs in his own garage. If they possess sufficient experience, you can get the same work done at a much cheaper price. You could save hundreds on the cost of money this way.

The weight of a big key chain. If your key sticks, then you must get rid of all the extra stuff attached to your keys.

Be sure that you make a note of your oil needs changing. You have to change it regularly to keep your vehicle runs smoothly. If you don’t change it, your car may not last as long as it could.

If your car has been having a small problem that you think is minor, you should take your car in to check it out anyway. A seemingly small problem can become a big one if it is left unchecked.

Warranties really come in handy when it comes to fixing expensive parts. Ask the mechanic about the warranties on parts they ordered for you.

If you need your car fixed, but need auto repairs, you can visit a vocational school in your area to have the automotive department do repairs. You can pay much less for service since students do some work on your vehicle while a mechanic looks on.

Bleed your brakes before you take your car on them. Test for leaks to ensure that no fluid coming out. You are then ready to take your car on roads that don’t have a spin down less-busy roads. Start slowly to make sure that the repair is done well before risking higher speeds.

Original Equipment Manufacturer is the acronym OEM. Remember this when you need to have car parts replaced. You will seem like a knowledgeable person on auto repair by telling your mechanic you only want OEM parts. This means you’re less of a chance at getting used parts from someone.

AAA is a good company to look into when you need auto repair issues. You can often find discounts for repair costs from AAA.

After having a mechanic replace a car part, ask him to give you back the one that he removed. If they refuse, he probably never replaced the parts he said he did. This is a red flag that should call him out on it.

Always listen to the sounds what you’re driving is making. Noise can indicate a problem if you know what to listen for.

If you go to a auto body shop and they do good work, you should get back with them the next time your vehicle is having trouble. You will get discounts for your continued business.

Now you’re armed with how to deal with auto repair! You can find the repairs you need at a price you can afford, without sacrificing your safety. Continue to learn all you can about care repair, so this never happens to you.

Our new generation automotive paint protection coating, carefully designed on a nanoscale.Everyone dreams of having their own car some day but as we all know, cars don’t come cheap and they surely are not easy to get especially if you are a first time car buyer. The first and major setback could be their credit score in itself. When they find out that it is not good enough, they give up then and there. But what they don’t know is that there are still ways to get a car loan. Read on to learn more on how you can get yourself your own car loan.

1. If you are trying to apply for a car loan, then you might as well do a check credit score and credit report to find out if it is in good shape and if it will get you the loan. Banks and financers will do a credit check whether you like it or not and a credit report with tons of negative items on it won’t do you any good.
2. Go to the financial institution from which you carry on your regular financial activities because they will be more likely to be considerate to you due to their familiarity with your background and your ways and methods undertake the finances. It also helps to get started on this as early as possible. If you are looking for used cars, dealers will usually work with an outside company to check up on your credit and to get the customers an approved loan. Despite the help that these companies are doing, a credit check is still inevitable.
3. First time buyers often don’t have negative items on their credit score. Though that may sounds good, it would also seem that the customer is not credit worthy or they don’t have enough credit history. The best way to get a loan without enough history is to get a co-signer to help you out. This may not be easy but it is still worth the shot. Just make sure that you’ll be able to pay for the monthly payments to avoid giving your co signer and you more problems. Other than that, you might want to improve your credit first before taking any other step.
4. Your credit score and credit report is not the only thing that is needed for your loan application. Your monthly income will be of importance for this as well. A person who earns a good sum every month will get a loan application easily even if he or she doesn’t have enough credit score or history. A good history of healthy paychecks, a good paying job, and a steady savings account are some of the things that will help you out with your car loan application.

There are also first time buyer programs offered by car seller often set the bar low for down payments and credit requirements. To sum it all up, it may be best to improve your credit first to avoid getting denied and to avoid the disappointment. Follow these tips to get your own car in no time.

In the first place, chips and scratches caused by rocks and road debris can be eliminated of you apply a paint protection Adelaide. There are a few basic car paint job steps that are considered “must knows” in the industry. At nanoshine.com.au, you will learn these steps in an easily understandable format. Of the many sites and courses that offer basic car paint job steps, you will quickly find that nanoshine.com.au is ahead of the curve.

For example, one step that you must know how to do will be assessing the scope of your project. If you just want to fix up minor scratches and blemishes in your finish, your job will be quite small and easily completed. You will likely require a small touch up can to do this. These can be purchased in your local auto body store.

If you find that you are painting to fix large areas of collision damage, long scratches that go across panels or a complete repaint you will need a spray paint gun. While these are not cheap, they are one of the best tools you can purchase. If well maintained, they will quite literally last forever. If you are on a budget, these can be rented from auto body shops. If you do this make sure to check that the gun has been well maintained and cleaned after each use.

In addition, you should prepare an area to paint. This could mean constructing a paint booth in your home garage. Alternatively, you can rent one, but it may be out of your budget. Just make sure your garage is adequately ventilated by propping up a fan in between the ground and the garage door. You should also clean the area to make sure it is free of dust and debris particles. Rentals will have these considerations in mind as they are often cleaned and have fans built into the walls.

Another one of the basic car paint job steps would be preparing your surface for fresh paint. If you must remove paint first, you will have to use a hand sander. You can also use a media blaster or chemical remover. While these methods are less labor intensive, they are also messier and more dangerous. You will want your paint surface to be as smooth as possible. This will ensure a professional look when you are finished. You do not want your paint to look bumpy or find blemishes after you spend hours completing your new finish.

For more information on how to paint a car, I would recommend nanoshine.com.au. This is where I found these steps. Here you will find a course that explains these steps in depth while also offering everything else you need to know to learn how to paint a car.

The first step in terms of car paint protection Sydney from UV rays is keeping your vehicle under a shaded area, be it a garage, carport, etc. People generally apply the highest measure of protection for a particular object when either the thing is very costly or it is very close to their heart. Your car has both these qualities; it is your favourite and it is an expensive object too. Hence, you must consider applying some added protective measures to ensure its beauty for longer period. The use of Paint Protection can help you in this matter a lot. These Paint Protection Films or PPFs are specially developed to cover the entire car and protect the upper coat of the paint from any kind of damage.

Maintenance Is Tough

At a certain time you will see that your car does not look as gorgeous or attractive as it was in its first days. On the other hand, the owner of the car you want to keep it as neat and perfect as possible. But the fact is it is very difficult to maintain the paint and the shine of the car body for a long period. Every day, you car goes through different kinds of surface attacks that includes scratches created by contaminants which is an unavoidable part of owning a car. In most of the cases you cannot even see some scratches in the beginning until you feel that the shine and attraction of the vehicle’s body has gone and it starts looking dull, pale and damaged.

The Right Solution

Painting of the body of the vehicle is for making it beautiful, but to protect that paint you must have Car Paint Protection. This is a great invention in the automobile industry which makes it easier and smarter for the car owners to keep the paint protected from outside damage which can ruin its glow and shin easily.

How Does It Work

There is Opticoat paint protection and Suntek Paint Protection Film that can offer complete protection for your car from scratches made of dust and other sediments. They are hard wearing and ceramic clear coat for superior resistance to scratching. The protective films can also protect your car paint from chemical etching which can cause due to environmental impacts.

Top features

• The latest coats available in the market cannot be washed off easily.
• They stay for longer period to provide complete protection to the exterior of your car.
• This type of coat is completely resistant to various acidic substances that are present in the environment, i.e. bird lime or bird droppings.
• This type of products helps you in saving money by offering long life to your car’s paint.

While looking for the Best Car Detailing Paint Protection available in the market, you should do a little research. Know where you can get the right PPF for your car. There are many websites that sell such products. Some manufacturers also have their online stores for their clients. You should understand the material they use and the process they apply to install those protection films on your car.

This is a kind of Paint Protection that only offers protection but improves the overall look of the car instantly. Hence, most of the car owners cannot say NO to this one and buy the most popular PPF from the market.

Leather has to be cared for to prolong their use. They must be cleaned regularly to free them of substances that can slow down their performance when used for the production of articles. Every type of leather has a special way of caring for it. For instance, Deerhide, Buckskin, and Elk leathers can be cleaned by washing them with mild soap and water. However, do not squeeze or wring it dry because it brings wrinkles in the leather. The carnauba wax are one of one of the most efficient ways of cleaning up your vehicle.

Suedes are cleaned using a stiff bristle brush or fine sandpaper can be used to clean away dirt and most spotting on them. The suede is brushed vigorously until the dirt disappears. It is then wiped with a damp sponge. An art gum eraser can equally be used to remove dirt on suede. A commercial suede cleaner can be purchased and used to clean suede.

Smooth leather is cleaned with several commercial leather cleaners such as Saddle soaps, Omega Carnauba cream as well as leather conditioners can be used to clean smooth leather. Saddle soaps are applied with a wet sponge or brush worked into thick leather. It is then wiped off with a cloth and then polished to a soft luster. Examples of saddle soaps include Kiwi saddle soap, Belmont saddle soap, Propert saddle soap, Castile saddle soap and Blue Ribbon saddle soap.

Don’t store leather garments in tightly sealed plastic bags. Leather garments should be stored in an area where there is both ample space and circulation of air. Plastic bags tend either to stick to leather or even discolour it. Also, do not spray commercial moth repellent sprays on leather since they contain chemicals that may discolour it.

All dye applicators used in water-soluble dyes can be rinsed clean in warm water. However, those used for oil and spirit solvent dyes can be rinsed clean with a mild alcohol solvent. After they have been rinsing cleaned, they should be washed with soap and warm water and then dried.

Leather items are affected by several factors and conditions. Most of these are environmental factors. If these factors and conditions are not controlled or curbed effectively, the leather articles cannot perform their functions well. It could even result in the spoilage of the leather items. Some of these factors are dirt, water, oil or grease, chemicals, and drying.

1. Dirt

This is the common factor that can affect virtually all leather items due to the fact that it is circulated with air. Therefore, leather product users should on a regular basis clean off the dust that finds their way on their leather items. A clean, damp cloth can be used to wipe off the dust from leather items. However, dirt in eyelets and closed up the corners of leather products can be blown away with a blower. Leather items on showcases displayed for sale should be covered with a transparent rubber to shield them from dust.

2. Water

Water can cause leather items to warp or shrink. It can render them very weak, dull and unattractive. All leather users should be very cautious of its effects. Water should be kept away or far from where leather items are stored or kept. If water mistakenly pours on a leather product it should be wiped out immediately and allowed to dry slowly at moderate temperature.

3. Oil/Grease

Oily substances though can be used to enhance the surface quality of leather items when they are applied well, they can also cause adverse effects when they find their way expectedly on finished leather products. They can soil or stain an aspect of the leather item. This certainly affects its general outlook.

4. Chemicals

Chemicals can cause drastic effects on leather items. They can eat off the top layers of the leather items. All chemicals, especially corrosives ones like acids must be kept away from all leather items.

5. Drying

Leather items should be dried slowly at moderate or room temperature. They should not be exposed to the harsh radiation of the sun. Exposure of leather items to the radiant heat of the sun can cause them to fade or pale. Continual exposure can cause the leather products to shrink in size.

There are some time-tested ways of taking care of leather. Some of these ways include storing, cleaning, conditioning and flattening.

1. Storing

Store the leather in airy places. Humid atmosphere or environment must be avoided. Crumpling of leather must also be avoided when storing a pack of it. They must be flattened. Already finished articles in leather must be stored with stuffings. The storage area must be free from excessive heat, which would definitely affect the leather. Before the artifacts are stored, they have to be dried thoroughly. Special fungicide compounds must be sprayed on the stored leather material to prevent molding.

2. Cleaning

Smooth leather must be cleaned by the use of neutral soap. The soap would help remove the soil at the surface of the leather. The surface dirt can also be cleaned by brushing or wiping with a damp cloth. Suede leather can be cleaned with a stiff brush or fine wire brush to remove dirt and restore the nap effect or texture.

3. Conditioning

Wet leather articles have to be dried slowly at moderate temperatures. In all conditions, excessive heat must be avoided. Solvents such as benzene, carbon tetra chloride or naphtha should be used with great care to remove soil or dirt spots. Dirty spots are stains or spots which do not yield to soap and water. They are cleaned by the use of solvents.

4. Flattening

Crumpled and rolled or folded leather need to be straightened and flattened. It is achieved by rolling the leather on the opposite side/surface while moistening the leather and placing it under a flat weight. It is then moistened and rubbed with a flat tool. Finally, it is moistened and toggled to achieve flatness.

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It is inevitable that your vehicle will need to be washed, and it’s convenient to do so when you go to a gas station to fuel up. For professionals industry of car wash products range offers superior car wash shampoos, wax, polish, car center maintenance. Many gas stations have a car wash on site, whether it is a:

• Coin-operated hand wash
• Drive-through car wash
• Prepaid self-serve car wash
• Touchless automatic car wash

There are benefits to each method of car wash, ranging from the quality of the wash to time constraints.

Method 1 of 4: Using a coin-operated car wash

Some gas stations have coin-operated car washes where you wash your own vehicle using their equipment and tools. It’s a hands-on procedure where you need to be prepared with the right clothing and footwear, and have a pocketful of change for the machine.

Step 1: Get the right change. Check with the cashier at the gas station for the correct form of payment for the car wash. Some coin-operated car washes require quarters while others may accept other types of coins and bills.

Have the cashier change your cash into the right form of payment for the machine in the car wash.

Step 2: Park your vehicle in the car wash bay. Coin-operated car washes are typically indoor car washes with an overhead door. Pull into the bay and close the overhead door.

Close your windows all the way and turn your ignition off.

• Warning: If you leave your vehicle running in an enclosed area, you could experience carbon monoxide poisoning that can potentially kill you.

Exit your car and make sure all your doors are closed.

Step 3: Insert your payment. Start the car wash by inserting payment into the machine. As soon as you put money in, the car wash is active and your time starts.

Be aware of how long the car wash operates on the amount of payment you put in, and have additional money ready to put in once the car wash turns off.

Step 4: Wet your car completely and rinse loose dirt off. Select the pressure washer wand setting if necessary, and spray your whole car down.

Focus on badly soiled spots with heavy dirt. Get off as much as you can with the pressure washer.

Step 5: Select the soap brush setting. While your car is wet, scrub it completely with a soapy brush, starting at the top and working your way down. Clean your wheels and heavily soiled parts last.

Step 6: Rinse the soap off your car. While the soap is still wet on your car, select the pressure washer wand again and fully rinse the soap from your car, starting at the top and working your way down.

Rinse with the pressure washer until there are no more suds coming off of your car.

Step 7: Apply any additional processes (optional). If there are additional processes such as spray wax available, apply them per the instructions at the car wash.

Step 8: Pull your vehicle out of the bay. Be as quick and efficient as possible to save yourself time and money, and also to allow the next person to enter the car wash as soon as possible.

Method 2 of 4: Using a prepaid self-serve car wash

Some car washes at gas stations are prepaid by time, though fewer now than before. It is essentially a self-serve car wash where you use their equipment and materials similar to a coin-operated car wash, but under a less stringent time restriction. You can often expect to pay in time blocks of 15 minutes, after which the services will turn off and you’ll need to pay for more time from the attendant.

Step 1: Pay the attendant for your foreseeable time in the car wash. If you are doing a quick exterior soap and rinse-off, you may be able to do it in just 15 minutes. If you have a larger vehicle or want to perform a more in-depth clean, you’ll need to pay for 30 minutes or more.

Step 2: Pull your car into the wash bay. As in Step 2 of Method 1, close your windows all the way and turn off your ignition before exiting your car. Be sure that all of your doors are closed.

Step 3: Wet your car completely and rinse loose dirt off. Select the pressure washer wand setting if necessary, and spray your whole car down.

Focus on badly soiled spots with heavy dirt. Get off as much as you can with the pressure washer.

Step 4: Select the soap brush setting. While your car is wet, scrub it completely with the soapy brush, starting at the top and working your way down. Clean your wheels and heavily soiled parts last.

Step 5: Rinse the soap off your car. While the soap is still wet on your car, select the pressure washer wand again and fully rinse the soap from your car, starting at the top and working your way down.

Rinse with the pressure washer until there are no more suds coming off of your car.

Step 6: Apply any additional processes (optional). If there are additional processes such as spray wax available, apply them per the instructions at the car wash.

Step 7: Pull your vehicle out of the bay. Be as quick and efficient as possible to save yourself time and money, and also to allow the next person to enter the car wash as soon as possible.

In this method, you can be less focussed on making sure the machine is plugged with coins and more intent on cleaning your car thoroughly. This method is also excellent if you plan to dry your car in the wash bay after washing it.

It is usually less expensive to use a prepaid car wash than a coin-operated one for the same period of time.

Method 3 of 4: Using a drive-through car wash

A drive-through car wash is a convenient option to use when you aren’t dressed to clean your car yourself, or when you have limited time to wash your car. The drive-through car wash lets you sit inside your car while the machines do all the work, including pulling your car through the car wash.

The downside to drive-through car washes is that they are typically more harsh on your vehicle than self-serve car washes and touchless car washes. The brushes can cause abrasive damage to your paint or break wipers or radio antennas with their rotating motions.

Step 1: Pay for your car wash at the gas station counter. You can often select a higher grade of wash that includes a spray wax or undercarriage wash as well.

In most cases, you’ll be issued a code to activate the car wash.

Step 2: Pull up to the car wash and enter your code. Enter your code in the machine outside the entrance to the car wash.

While you are waiting to enter the car wash, roll up your windows, put down your power antenna, and turn off your automatic wipers (if equipped).

Step 3: Line up your vehicle for the car wash. You’ll need to be aligned in the car wash lane properly to prevent moving car wash parts from damaging your car.

The car wash will indicate if you will be pulled through. If the car wash is designed to pull you through, put your car in neutral. A floor track will raise a mechanism and pull your car through by a wheel.

If the car wash moves around your stationary car, pull up to the spot indicated by the car wash and put your vehicle in park.

Step 4: Let the car wash do all the work. It will completely wash your car’s exterior and dry it, along with any additional wash features you may have selected with the cashier.

Step 5: Pull out of the car wash. Once the car wash is complete, put your vehicle in drive and pull away with a clean car.

Method 4 of 4: Using a touchless automatic car wash

Touchless automatic car washes operate in exactly the same way as drive-through car washes. The major difference is that touchless car washes rely on soap and water pressure to clean your car, instead of rotating brushes attached to machines.

Touchless car washes are safer for you car’s finish because there is no contact with your car, eliminating the possibility of abrasive scratches or damage from the brushes to your wipers or antenna.

The downside of touchless car washes is that for vehicles that are badly soiled, and even in abnormally hot or cold temperatures, the touchless car wash won’t do as good a job removing dirt from your car.

Step 1: Follow Method 3, Steps 1-5. To use a touchless automatic car wash, follow the same steps as indicated in Method 3 for a drive-through car wash that has brushes.

Overall, these four types of car washes each have their own benefits. Choosing the right one for you and your vehicle depends on the amount of time you have to spend on the wash, the amount of work you want to put into it, and how dirty your car is. There are also factors of cost and damage potential to take into account. But by knowing the methods, advantages, and disadvantages of each of these types of car wash, you can feel confident in making a sound decision.

So you bought a vinyl cutter or are thinking of getting one. You want to start covering all the doors, windows, and walls in your world with superb signs, dazzling decals, and inspirational decor. But you still have many questions about what you need to get up and running quickly. The good news is, it’s easier than you think. Start here with our Basic Guide to Vinyl Signs, Decals, and Graphics. We’ll cover the basics on the hardware, software, and supplies required, and give you an overview of the process of creating vinyl signs and decals. We manufacture signage in-house we can maintain a high level of quality and offer the best value for signs Sydney in Australia.

Signmaking Hardware – The nuts and bolts

Personal Computer: The first thing you need is a personal computer. Today’s sign software is in the ‘Cloud’, so you’ll need internet access; broadband if possible. You’ll want enough processing power and RAM to run the software efficiently so look for a PC with a 2.0 GHz processor or better, 2 GB of RAM, and 4 GB of open space on your primary hard drive. 4GB of RAM is recommended. Your monitor should have a minimum screen resolution of 1152 x 854 and be capable of 16-bit color. Those are pretty easy targets to meet these days so you don’t need a state of the art computer.

An Apple MAC will work, but you’ll find that in the sign industry, you’ll have a lot more options with a Windows PC. If you’re a die-hard Apple fan, you can use Adobe Illustrator, but you’ll be limited to buying specific brands of vinyl cutters that come with Mac compatible plugins. Please click here to read more about those.

Vinyl Cutter: We have a staggering variety of cutters available: too many to talk about here. If you don’t have one, you’ll want to start here with our Basic Guide to Choosing a Vinyl Cutter. Here are a few quick tips. For small, simple graphics less than 10 feet in length, a Vinyl EXPRESS R Series cutter may be ideal. If you plan to make small intricately detailed images, the Vinyl Express EnduraCUT 2 will excel by virtue of its advanced digital servo motor. To add longer jobs and thicker media to the mix, a Vinyl EXPRESS Qe6000 is the best value. We have over 20 other options, including plotters for high speed sign production, T-shirt transfers, contour-cutting printed graphics, automotive window tint applications, sandblasting, and more. So check out the aforementioned buyer’s guide or give us a call and we’ll try to find the best cutter to help you meet your aspirations.

Signmaking Software – The Secret Ingredient

“Starter” Package Perils: Most people entering the sign market either as a vocation or hobby spend so much time deciding on which cutter to buy that they give little thought to the software purchase. This is a mistake. Whether you’re making inspirational wall decor or commercial banners, choosing the right software can mean the difference between fulfillment and frustration. This is because the difference between good graphics and great graphics is often in the design. The design tools are in the software, not the cutter. Choose wisely. Click here to view a summary of the various design tools found in our four levels of LXi Software.

Some companies offer trial or temporary software that has to be renewed every month or year. Or cracked and pirated software that could contain viruses and malware. Avoid this like the plague it is. You need real, professional signmaking software with the features you need to be successful.

Use your own software? Many people come to the vinyl graphics game with other software applications they’d like to use. The most common of these are CorelDRAW, Illustrator, and PhotoShop. Some of these applications will work. Others won’t.

Vinyl sign cutters use vector graphics, which are composed of straight or curved paths connected by points or nodes. It’s line art in its simplest mathematical form. These paths determine the motion of the blade on vinyl and therefore, the shapes the cutter produces.

Page printers, like the one on your desktop, are driven by software applications that convert pixels to dots. These are referred to as raster or bitmap images. Raster based software is difficult if not impossible to use for vinyl graphics because its output is in dots; a form your vinyl cutter can’t convert to shapes and letters. The most popular of these raster based graphics applications are Microsoft Paint, Corel PhotoPaint, PaintShop Pro, and Adobe Photoshop.

CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, and AutoCAD are all vector applications that can be used with vinyl cutters. Depending on which cutter you choose, you may be able to send your artwork directly from the software to the plotter, or design the artwork in your vector application and send it indirectly by using a dedicated sign software (CAS) application like FlexiSign or Vinyl Express LXi.

Sending files directly from CorelDRAW or Illustrator requires a plug-in. These are most commonly found in brand-name plotters from companies like Graphtec and Roland. Sending files indirectly by using FlexiSign or LXi is a more common process that gives you more options in the brand and cost of the vinyl cutter you choose. This requires exporting your art in a common file format, then importing it to the sign software, before sending it to the cutter. While it can be done, there are tradeoffs. Producing the artwork entirely in dedicated sign software is the most efficient and reliable option.

Converting raster graphics to vector objects: Many clip art packages are provided in raster format instead of vector format. This means they print fine on your page printer, but not on a vinyl cutter. How can you convert these raster images into vector objects? Built into our LXi Expert, Master and Master Plus packages are an auto-tracing feature which creates vectors from raster or bit images. These are not perfect vectors, and often need hand or manual optimizing and tuning, but this feature can save you a lot of time.

Signmaking Supplies

Vinyl & Transfer Tape: When you send a vector image file to a properly configured vinyl cutter, it cuts that path only in the top two layer of the vinyl: the face film and adhesive. Since the release liner beneath the vinyl is not cut, this is referred to as a ‘kiss cut’. After the vector shapes are cut, you need to remove the excess vinyl – the negative space inside and around the letters. The removal process is called weeding. After the vinyl has been cut and weeded, the letters must be transferred from the release liner to the desired substrate. The substrate is what supports or displays the applied vinyl graphic. Common substrates are banners, glass and sign blanks.

So of course the first thing you need is vinyl. It would take volumes to bring you up to speed on the myriad varieties of adhesive backed vinyl products available. Suffice to say there are lots of choices. But you’ll find they fall into three categories; calendared, cast, and specialty vinyls. For a primer on the difference between cast and calendared vinyl, check out our Cast and Calendared Vinyl Primer. Whatever you choose, they’ll go through the same basic process of being fed through the cutter and ‘kiss cut’.

Application or Transfer Tape:

Once the weeding‘s done, you’ll have a design that’s ready to apply to your intended substrate, but it’s still on the release liner. How to get it to the wall, floor, sign blank or banner? For this you’ll need some transfer tape (also known as app tape).

As its name implies, transfer tape is used to transfer the weeded vinyl letters to the substrate. You carefully lay a sheet of tape on the vinyl and press it down with a squeegee. At this point, we refer to the graphic as having been pre-masked. If you’re selling graphics online, you can ship this pre-masked item to the customer so they can transfer it to the substrate of their choice. For this kind of DIY graphic, you’ll want to choose a tape that stays flat so it still looks professional when it reaches your customer. Otherwise, the edges will begin to curl up and collect dust which is not a good presentation.

Tapes with a layflat formula are best for these applications and are generally easier to apply smoothly. These include R-Tape Conform, TransferRITE Ultra, EnduraMASK PerfecTear LayFlat, and Nekoosa PerfecTear Plus and Preview Plus application tapes. If you’re applying the graphic yourself, it’s time to complete the transfer. This is done by peeling the tape up away from the liner. The letters will come along for the ride. If they’re difficult to transfer, you’ll need to use a high tack tape or modify your process a bit. Click here for transfer tips. With the pre-masked graphic stuck to the application tape, it’s time to transfer it to the substrate. If you’re not sure which tape to use with your vinyl and application, just download our handy Vinyl and Transfer Tape Application Guide.

Application Fluid: This can be done one of two ways, referred to as “wet” or “dry” applications. Generally, it’s best to do it dry, meaning without any lubrication. The issue here is proper placement. If you’re using an intermediate or premium vinyl, you should be able to place it lightly on the substrate and pick it up to reposition it until it’s juuuust right. Then use your trusty squeegee to apply firm pressure on the tape, which activates the vinyl’s adhesive and bonds it to the substrate. Then you peel the tape and voila! You’ve just installed a stunning new vinyl graphic.

What about that wet option? If you’re not sure you can get it just right, you can cheat a little by using an application fluid such as RapidTAC or SureGlide. Spray a light mist on the substrate or the sticky side of the pre-masked graphic. Be very conservative. You only want to moisten the adhesive, not soak it. For more information on the proper use of application fluids – including what vinyls you can and can’t apply wet – please refer to our Basic Guide to Application Fluid.

Substrates: Now that you have your computer, cutter, software, vinyl, tape, and weeding tools, it would be good to have some handy things on which to stick your stickers. Those are the substrates we’ve been talking about. Substrates come in two types: rigid and flexible. Rigid substrates include aluminum sign blanks, license plate blanks, corrugated plastic signs, and of course, windows. The best rigid substrates for vinyl are smooth, flat, and chemically stable. For more insight into what works and what doesn’t, please start here.

Flexible substrates include banners, awnings, and trade show graphics, but by far the most popular flexible substrates for vinyl are good old fashioned banners. Vinyl-ready banner material can be purchased in single sheets that are already hemmed and grommeted. These are ready to use. Just add vinyl and use the grommets to hang the banner. There’s a right way to do that too. You’ll find the details here in our -you guessed it- Basic Guide to Banner Making.

Support Resources etc: We should probably talk about clip art and safety rulers, but that’s more than enough to get you started. If you take a trip through the warehouse with a big ole virtual shopping cart, you’ll have just about everything you need to turn your ideas into nifty signs and decals. For a little extra help in figuring it all out, check out our Basic Vinyl Graphics DVD, which is chock full of demonstrations and tips. You can buy one for $59.95, or stream it at no charge at SignWarehouse TV. You’ll also find lots of helpful hints on here on our Blog and our Tech Support Blog.

Did we leave anything out? If so, feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Now fire up that cutter and get busy making superb signs,beautiful banners, and dazzling decals. We demonstrate on how we build your vehicle signs, all you need is to visit our website.