Vinyl Preparation: Weeding and Manual Taping Tutorial - VCUarts GOlab

WEEDING + MANUAL TAPING

The GOLab offers vinyl cutting services to all customers seeking vinyl decals for a variety of projects, installations, and exhibitions. In this video, we will cover weeding and taping in two parts by showing you how to weed your vinyl decal and prepare for the manual taping process.

Weeding vinyl is the process of removing the unwanted vinyl from your cut design. Think of it like weeding a garden: in order to manicure your garden, you must carefully pull out any unwanted material without destroying the plants you’d like to flourish.

After weeding, you will want to apply transfer tape to your design, so you may securely install your decal to any surface of your choosing.

REQUIRED TOOLS:

The vinyl weeding process requires you to have a dental pick, a craft knife, and a squeegee to use on your cut design.

Part 1. Weeding your vinyl

Step 1

Using a dental pick, identify the area of negative space in your design and carefully lift the edge of the excess vinyl, slowly pulling it away from the positive area of your design. Be careful not to lift your design off the page as you are pulling away the excess. If you are weeding a series of text, be sure to lift the counters out of any letter forms.

Step 2

Secure all corners of the vinyl left on the page by smoothing it down with your squeegee.

Step 3

Trim your vinyl with an craft knife to a manageable size before taping.

Part 2. Taping your Vinyl

REQUIRED TOOLS:

The vinyl taping process requires you to have a craft knife, a squeegee, a tape applicator, and a roll of transfer tape.

Step 1. Secure your decal to a surface

Place your adhesive roll into the groove of the applicator, tilt it back towards you, and roll tape, sticky side out, underneath the edge of your applicator.

Apply this to the first edge of your sheet, tilt the tape applicator away from you, and secure your vinyl to the table using a set of clamps.

Step 2 . Roll tape

Once secured, tilt the tape applicator to an approximate 45 degree angle, holding your adhesive roll tightly to the applicator.

Push forward and apply pressure as you roll the tape out over your sheet.

Step 3. Smooth and Trim Excess

After you have covered the entire surface of your design, use a craft knife to cut the tape from the roll.

Using a squeegee, smooth out any bubbles or gaps between the tape and vinyl sheet. Start from the middle and push any trapped air out to the edges of your sheet.

Cut your vinyl apart into separate manageable pieces for installation, if necessary.