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What is the normal
turn around time for an order? |
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The turn around time depends on the order. In all cases,
we get the job done as fast as possible. For an average
job, the turn around time is 2-3 business days, but it all
depends on size, quantity, availability, etc. We always try to
meet any of your deadline requests. |
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What is Vector art? |
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Vector art is like line art. If you'd put a pen on a piece
of paper and draw, the lines would be vector shapes. Circles and
squares are simple vector images. Our "knife" blade plotter cuts
vinyl film by following the trace of the vector images.
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What is a Raster Image? |
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Raster is more of a photograph, with gradients, soft
meshes, textures, etc. Not just spot color shapes as described
above (vector art). You could not cut out a raster image out of
vinyl. Raster images need to be printed vinyl and transferred to
our magnetic material. Raster images are usually printed as 4
color process prints. |
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What are vinyl graphics? |
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Vinyl graphics are
individually-cut letters or logos. These are the types of
designs that appear to look like painted graphics at first, but
are actually made of vinyl. Vinyl graphics are durable,
versatile, and perfectly cut (better than any painter could ever
do!). You find them on many signs, windows, commercial vehicles,
boats, and airplanes. |
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What
programs let me save in vector formats? |
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Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, and CorelDraw are the major
software makers out there, Photoshop can export illustrator
paths, and some other programs are also able to export their
paths to illustrator file formats. |
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What can I use vinyl
graphics for? |
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Vinyl graphics
are ideal for almost any application, indoors or out, that could
use paint. Check out our products section to see a few examples
of vinyl graphics in action. |
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When do I save a raster image, and when do I save as
Vector? |
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Vector is the file format you use when the image is made with
paths and fills, It's the only format you can cut vinyl from.
Raster would be used for photos and all miscellaneous images.
Raster images can only be printed. |
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Why shouldn't I use my web site images for signs? |
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Well this is a wide statement. Web images can be great if they
are high res. images and very large in size, but most are under
50k. 50 kilobytes is drastically small considering 3 sq. ft.
should be 24 megabytes. Also they are bitmap, which means 4
color process prints. Basically web images are normally not a
recommended source for art. |
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How do I apply vinyl
graphics? |
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Vinyl graphics are extremely easy to apply! Watch our streaming
help video in regular or high quality, depending on your
connection speed. You'll need RealPlayer Basic, so if you don't
already have it, you can get it here. Or you can just follow
these steps:
- 1.
Mix a drop of soap into a cup of water, and use a little
of this solution to dampen the smooth surface you will
be applying the graphics to. This will buy you a little
time while you make sure it's straight. Don't use much
though!
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- 2.
Peel the wax paper off the back of the sticker when you
are ready to apply it. Now lay the sticker on the
surface and align it how you want it. When it's
positioned exactly how you want it, gently (but firmly)
use a credit card or a squeegee to press the excess
water out from underneath.
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- 3.
Let the graphics stand long enough to adhere a little,
then gently peel away the application tape that is still
over the sticker. This will leave behind the
individually-cut graphics!
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How can I determine what
size letter that I can use? |
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The general rule for letters is to figure the same amount of
space for length of each letter as the letter height. For
example, if you have a 5 letter word and you want to use 6"
letters, you should allow for 30" in length [5 (# of letters) x
6" (letter height)= 30"]. Upper and lower case letters will be
shorter than all upper case letters. If you are unsure about
letter size, always include the dimensions of your available
space (length and height) and we will determine the best size. |
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Should I use all
capitals letters or upper and lower case? |
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This is, of course,
a personal preference. However, if legibility is a concern, in
most instances, using both upper and lower case letters are
easier to read. Also, some fonts do not lend themselves to the
use of all upper case letters. |
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How long will my vinyl
letters last? |
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Premium vinyl has a 6 to 9 year life span. In our experience it
has held up that long or longer. Our Standard vinyl has a 5 year
life, however the surface it is applied to and the environmental
conditions may cause it to have a shorter life. |
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On what surfaces can I
apply vinyl letters and decals? |
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Vinyl letters can
be applied to most any surface that is clean, smooth, nonporous,
and wax-free. |
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Will it hurt my car to
put vinyl letters or decals on it? |
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Putting
vinyl on the surface of your car or on the windows will not damage
it. Before applying letters or decals, make sure that the area is
clean and wax-free. This will ensure that the vinyl adheres well and
will have a longer life. |
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Will putting magnetic
signs on my vehicle harm or damage it in any way? |
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There are
a few important things to remember when using magnetic signs. The
area where the sign will be applied should be clean and dry without
any protrusions or dents. This will help the magnet lie flat and
help to prevent rust. If moisture is trapped under the magnet, rust
can occur. A good coat of wax on your vehicle will also help prevent
rust under a magnetic sign. |
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How do remove old
letters and decals? |
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Removing decals is
a long tedious process. There is no set way to do it. Here are
few pointers. Don’t use sharp or hard objects to scrape letters
off. This will scratch the surface. Vinyl is brittle in cold
weather. It is better to wait for warm weather so that the vinyl
will not break off in tiny pieces. It seems to work better, when
removing vinyl, if you pull the vinyl SLOWLY and perpendicular
to the surface. It is more likely to come off in one piece this
way. You can also use a heat gun assist in the vinyl removal,
but special care must be taken not to over heat the area. A heat
gun can cause paint to melt and bubble if held in one place too
long. |
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Do you accept "Zip,
Jazz, CDs, or Super Disk" ? |
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We accept 3.5 inch floppies, and CDs. We are sorry but at this
time we do not accept Jazz, Super Disk. |
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Can you apply the graphics
to a sign for me? |
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We can apply
your graphics for you if you are local, or if the sign is
reasonably easy to ship. Our banners, small signs, and magnetic
signs come with vinyl graphics already applied.
Contact us if you need anything
else and we'll get it done! |
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Are your prices competitive? |
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When comparing apples to apples we believe our prices are
very competitive. We always put out the highest quality for the same price
as our competitors. We will never sacrifice quality for price. |
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What programs and equipment do you use to print your signs. |
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We use
the latest FlexiSIGN-PRO v7.5
software, Anagraph 48" Plotters, the latest ENCAD 60" Digital Ink jet
printer. |
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I have a question
that is not listed here. |
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We will be happy to
answer any questions we can. Contact us |
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How does a car wrap
work? |
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A car wrap is a large vinyl decal. It has many unique advantages over
paint, in that it can be removed and changed out later without affecting
the vehicle's body. Car wraps allow you to temporarily change the
appearance of the vehicle, but allow you to return it to its original
condition. It is important to note that it is not paint. A vinyl wrap
cannot adhere to porous, textured, or rubbery materials such as window and
body molding; moving parts such as hinges; greasy or dirty areas, etc. All
vinyl manufacturers require a 1/4" separation from those areas to ensure
proper contact with the body of the vehicle. Additionally, the vinyl
panels are flat and can be molded to conform to gradual slopes and bends,
but complex curves may require patching, overlaying or relief cuts -- all
of which should be difficult or impossible to see from a reasonable
distance, (say 10 feet). The notion that a wrap can provide 100% total
coverage of all cracks and crevices is not accurate. The materials used to
create a wrap are outdoor durable, and carry a lifetime expectancy of 1-3
years. However, the climate, treatment, and washing of the wrap are
factors beyond the limits of the manufacturer and the installer. Contact
us for more information! |
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How do I place an order? |
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All of our orders are
processed by
e-mail,
phone, fax. Simply browse thru
our website, select the Banner/Sign of your choice, call us. |
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Can you? |
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Yes! Anything is possible. Contact us
now for answers! |
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Special Characters ...? |
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You can type special characters like ©, ™, and ® by holding down the
ALT key (or OPTION key if you're using a Mac) while you press other
numbers or letters. For example, to make a copyright mark ©, hold
down the ALT key while you press the following keys on the numeric
keypad: 0169. If you're using a Mac, hold down the OPTION key while
you press g. Shown below are popular special characters. You can
find additional combinations by looking at the character map in
Windows or the key caps on Macintosh.
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Windows
Hold down ALT
while you press
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Macintosh
Hold down OPTION
while you press
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cents sign
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¢ |
0162 |
4 |
bullet |
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• |
0149 |
8 |
copyright |
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© |
0169 |
g |
trademark |
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™ |
0153 |
2 |
registered |
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® |
0174 |
r |
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