Vinyl Cutting 102
Time
2.7 hrs
Difficulty
Intermediate
Prerequisites
Vinyl Cutting 101
Departments
Human Technologies
Authors
Sandra Kuipers
Groupings
Individual
Pairs
Pairs
Minimum Year Group
None
Blurb
Vinyl Cutting 102
License
This work is shared under the following license: Creative Commons BY-SA
Outline
| Resources What is needed to run this unit?
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Cross-Curricular Links Do not try and force this. What areas of other subjects might this reflect and/discuss language. For IB, links with ToK.
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| Teacher Reflection What was successful? What needs changing? Alternative Assessments and Lesson Ideas? What other Differentiation Ideas/Plans could be used?
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| Credits Any CC attribution, thanks, credit, etc.
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5 mins
Beyond Your Name
The Pitch
- In Vinyl Cutting 101 you got to design a decal with your name and apply it to something.
- Wouldn't it be neat to create something different?
- For this unit, you'll have the freedom to create a more personalized design.
- It could be a symbol you like, a favourite quote, a neat pattern, or an abstract design.
- You'll also learn how to combine two or three different colours together in one desgin.
10 mins
Multi-Colour Designs
Theory
- Multi-colour decals are created by layering the different designs.
- This is done using transfer tape:
- First, the top layer is transferred onto the tape.
- Then, the next layer is lined up carefully and transferred onto the tape.
- Finally, the transfer tape is applied to a surface and peeled off, creating a multi-layer design.
- It's important to layer the design from the top down, because it's the bottom layer that will stick to your surface when applying the decal.
60 mins
Design Something
Hands On
- Now that you have an idea of how multi-colour vinyl works, you can start working on making your own design.
- Be sure to use Vectr to make your design using vector graphic shapes and letters.
- Create a design with two or three different colours. It doesn't have to be your name!
- Check out sites like Freepik and Pixabay Vectors for ideas and images.
- Make sure you're logged in to Vectr using Google so you can save your design as you go.
Before continuing, show your design to your teacher, to check that you've created a design that will work as a multi-layer decal.
10 mins
Registration Marks
Theory
- The hardest part of creating a multi-layer decal is carefully lining up the layers.
- Luckily, there are some tricks we can use when creating the vinyl designs that will help us line up the different layers.
- The easiest and most reliable way is called registration marks.
- These are "marks" (generally small squares) that are not part of your design, but are used to help line up your design.
- Creating registration marks works like this:
- First, create your design and make sure each colour is grouped together on a separate layer in Vectr.
- Then, draw two or three small boxes along the top of your design.
- Select each box, then select only the bottom layer of your design.
- Copy and paste your selection and move it to the side (or below) your other design.
- Delete the bottom layer from your original design.
- This will create one layer for each colour, with each layer having registration marks.
- Finally, in the next step when you cut out your design, you'll have different layers each with registration marks in the same place that you can use as guides to line up your decals.
- Save and export your design as an SVG file, then email it to design@ichk.edu.hk
- Check out the full tutorial here: The Easiest Way to Layer Vinyl
30 mins
Vinyl Cutting
Hands On
To continue, you'll need to switch from using your own laptop to using the dedicated Cutting Machine laptop. Check to see if it is available.
- Cutting the vinyl for your design works very similarly to Vinyl Cutting 101.
- Get started by downloading your SVG design from Gmail, then uploading it to the Cricut software.
- You should see that your design has multiple layers and that each layer has registration marks.
- In the Cricut software, be sure to set each of these layers to a different colour. This will ensure they are sorted onto separate mats for cutting.
- Then, find the printed "Using the Cricut Vinyl Cutter" guide, which is kept next to the vinyl cutting mats.
- Follow each of the steps to use the Cricut to cut out each of your layers.
30 mins
Weeding & Transferring
Hands On
- Before you begin weeding and transferring your decals, take a photo of each of the separate layers.
- Transferring your multi-layer decal is the hardest part, and this is where the steps are different and more complex than a single-layer decal.
- Be sure to weed each of your layers to start, by removing all the excess vinyl.
- Find one piece of transfer tape that is large enough for your design.
- Next, transfer the top layer of your design onto the transfer tape.
- Check the printed "How to Weed & Transfer Vinyl" sheet for step-by-step instructions.
- Next, carefully line up your transfer tape over the next layer of your design.
- Focus on ensuring your registration mark squares are perfectly lined up.
- You can put a sheet of vinyl backing or parchment paper below your design to help keep them from sticking to each other until you've lined up the squares.
- If you have more than two layers, continue layering your design from top to bottom, using the registration marks to line them up.
- Finally, you'll have a multi-layer decal on your transfer tape, which you can use to apply to your chosen surface.
- Be sure to clean the surface off before applying your decal.
- Also, when you're done, save the transfer tape so it can be reused.
- You can check out the following videos, which demonstrate how to use registration marks when applying your multi-layer decal:
15 mins
Evidence
Finishing Up
- At the end of this unit you'll have created a multi-layer vinyl decal and applied it to the surface of your choosing.
- To finish up this unit, create a new Google Doc with:
- A title at the top and your name.
- The photos you took of each individual layer.
- A photo of the finished decal.
- A short description of why you chose this design.
- What was the hardest part of creating a a multi-layer vinyl decal?
- Share your doc and submit it as evidence of your learning in this unit.
There are no records to display.
