The Fine Art of Inks

Large format printers with special inks are producing top quality prints that sell in museums for tens of thousands of dollars. Find out what you need to know to take your cut by producing these fine art prints. The market for fine art reproductions and black and white prints is growing so much that ink...
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How Thermoplastics and Thermosets Differ

Thermoplastic and thermoset plastics are both comprised of very large polymer chains. Both have similarly sounding names.  Each type of plastic, however, is very unique.  Here’s how thermoplastics and thermosets differ. Cast vinyls are thermoplastics, which are very soft and conformable films, suitable for fleet graphics application over rivets and corrugations. Photo courtesy of Nazdar. ...
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Spray Painting Safety

If you are spray painting or airbrushing an enamel, a dust mask will not provide you with adequate protection. Prolonged exposure to the chemicals in paints can make you sick and eventually could kill you.  That’s why, if you have a choice between spraying or air brushing and using a paint brush, your safer choice...
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The Misconceptions about Multitasking

Can you really believe that there was a time when most of us thought that multitasking was the smart thing to do?  That if we multitasked that we could actually get more done? And if we could juggle three or four tasks at once that we were smarter than the average guy? Teenagers are the...
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Why Application Tape Tears Unexpectedly

From time to time application tape will tear when you least expect it.   When this happens the graphics can be trashed.  Frustrated sign makers want to know the cause of these mishaps.  There’s no one single answer why this happens. Application tape can tear when it is unwound for a variety of reasons. Here are...
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How to Sell Your Airbrushed Vinyl

Butch Superfrog Anton shares his secrets of his success in selling airbrushed vinyl. Hint: it’s a three-tiered pricing approach. Read on to learn more. It’s time to get a return on the time and money you’ve invested into becoming an expert at airbrushing on vinyl. Learn how to generate a buzz and close the sale...
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Estimating Success Doesn’t Just Happen

The most competitive sign shops are using estimating software to offer up accurate pricing in a flash. Are you keeping up with those Joneses? Estimating software. It may not be the sexiest of sign shop topics, but it s one that can add to your top line and your bottom line. Estimating software does a little...
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Table Saw Safety

One of the most used and most versatile power tools is the table saw. It is also one of the most dangerous. Each year more than 40,000 table saw accidents occur.  Many of these accidents result in the loss of a limb. To prevent becoming a statistic, follow these rules: Owner’s manual.  Thoroughly read (and understand)...
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The Differences Between Polyurethane and Vinyl Films

Many in our industry use the all-encompassing term “heat transfer vinyl” to refer to any heat transfer flex film.  The fact of the matter is that many of the heat transfer films on the market today are not vinyl at all. Much of what is sold today is polyurethane or a polyurethane blend. The reason...
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Stretching Garments Prior to Heat Pressing

Some screen printers, who print directly onto t-shirts or who print plastisol heat transfers, will stretch the garment before printing or heat pressing. By doing this, the weave of the shirt opens up allowing the ink to better penetrate the fibers of the fabric. This practice is believed to prevent cracking of the ink. While...
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Differences Between Stains and Dyes

Dyes and stains are both used to color wood. To the uninitiated masses both types of products are one in the same. For this reason, these terms are frequently used interchangeably albeit incorrectly.  While both dyes and stains are similar in appearance and intended use, the similarity ends there.   In fact, dyes and stains each...
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Using Chip Carving Knives in Letter Carving

You can use chip carving knives for more than just carving geometric designs in boxes, plates or furniture. These specialized knives are also great tools when used to carve incised letters. I have also used these knives for carving details in brittle wood prone to tear out. In traditional chip carving, a knife is used...
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