How to Customize any Surface using Vinyl

This is an explanation of how to use vinyl sheets to customise any surface, which in this case is a trashcan. This instructable is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process of how the signage ‘ProtoTrash’ came to be.

This project was inspired by a desire to do something with the dull-looking trashcan in our ProtoTank office. Fortunately, this project was easily carried out using the Vinyl Cutter tools and machinery located in TechShop San Francisco, which just so happens to be where ProtoTank is based as well.

Again, the methods explained in this instructable can be applied to create any type of vinyl signage, for any type of smooth, curved and non-curved surfaces.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools Required:

MH Series Vinyl Cutter
Computer with FlexiStarter software
Squeegee
Weeding Pick

Materials Required:

Vinyl for signage and test pieces
Transfer Paper

(All of this is provided in TechShop SF)

Comments

[SelkeyMoonbeam]

You should enter this in the Hurricane Lasers Contest! http://www.instructables.com/contest/hurricanelasers/

[richb77]

If only there was Techshop (or anything similar!) in the UK!

[t.rohner]

You can get decent 24" cutter including a plugin software for Coreldraw, Illustrator and the free Inkscape for 500$.
(GCC Expert 24)
Of course, these cutters wouldn't be my choice, if money isn't a issue. (I would go for a Summa S-Class...) But the GCC work quite well and the supplied software is pretty good.
The noname (chinese) cutters i inspected at tradeshows, are a waste of money. This may change of course.

I sell cutters and other signmaking machinery for the last 25 years.
When i started, a cutting system (flatbed cutter, software and PC) was over 100k$.

But then, as another commenter pointed out, bring your design as a vector file to a sign shop a have it cut. They have all the vinyl colors around and know how to set up the machine.(mostly;-)

[MakersBox]

Does the vinyl have adhesive on one side or is it more of a static cling?

[syates3]

You can buy vinyl that does either, adhesive and cling vinyl are not terribly expensive and can usually be bought by the yard or roll.

[paulstaf]

I am with Fstedie......Don't have an expensive vinyl cutter sitting around waiting for me to 'discover' it!

[eschneck]

Same here. I've been out looking in my garage for that CNC machine I lost. Maybe it's next to that ...

[Frankie Daileigh]

next up how to sew your extra diamonds into that mink coat thats just lying around on your platinum plated rolls royce.

[bpenner]

As a sign shop owner with the cheapest cutter in the shop being around $4500 I can tell you that for a job like this or any other simple job you can print your design on thick paper and cut it out to use as a template and just score the vinyl by hand with an exacto knife. Investing in a cheap machine like a USCutter will simply end up with you being agrevated and feeling jiped out of your hard earned $$$. The cheapest and best bang for your buck for home use or a small shop is the Graphtec Craft Robo Pro about $1200 but you would feel like you got an actual capable machine. Just my 2 cents :-)

[chaydgb]

I have a Chinese cutter I brought non-working for £30 (around $50-$60), after a replacement motor driver (another £7; $10) it's been great. You can also make stencils for silk screen printing, precision papercraft, lettering and graphics for large scale vinyl banners, stencils for spray painting (a friend used some for marking up his flightcases), personalised slates for low budget movie makers, and of course, signmaking (customised flying helmets and aircraft graphics, vehicle graphics for boy racers, frosted window graphics for our datacenter) etc etc etc. I'm not sure how reliably a cheap cutter would be for day to day use, but for the odd job here and there, it's more flexible than you'd think.

Edit: ...and electro-etching!

[ManifoldSky]

I suspect the ~$150 Cricut works just fine for home and even small shop use.
http://www.cricut.com/

[fstedie]

Wow, and I thought that this would be a unique Instructable about making vinyl letters WITHOUT a vinyl cutter. Silly me.

[snoopindaweb]

There's still the avalable Numbers $ Letters "Kits" avalable all over any Town of 1,000 People or more.

[keithstanley]

A very good Instructable. I just wanted to point out that if you have a steady hand, a bit of creativity you can cut the vinyl with just a scalpel / very sharp knife to accomplish a unique result. The benefit of using a machine for someone like me is that I don't have a steady hand and without a computer I have only limited creativity. I have seen many people who can do it FREEHAND and get GREAT results. So go ahead and get some vinyl and a sharp knife and have a go. :-)

[hammer9876]

Can a steady hand, an X-ACTO knife, and tracing paper do the same thing as a £200 ($313) device?

[FastElder]

AMAZING! Using a vinyl cutter to cut out vinyl letters.

[HugoVonStype]

Not really a DIY subject is it? I'll have a root around the loft and see if I have a spare MH Series Vinyl Cutter and FlexiStarter software

[icecreamterror]

ummmm.........vinyl cutters are far from expensive. I got one for under £200 for DIY projects, thatsright D I Y Projects.

[HTWTUSA]

Ummm...so all need is umpteen thousand dollars worth of software and machinery, then I can D.I.Y. my own vinyl?

xD....just sayin'...but nice to know the process,anyway!

[barista]

I have one of these.
Machine, one roll of vinyl, one roll of transfer paper for around £300 if you shop around.
Can be used for very accurate cutting all sorts of things.

[HTWTUSA]

Now that's cool, for sure.

[painterkat]

I'm sure you could take your computer file to just about any sign shop and have them cut it for you for a reasonable price. I work in a sign shop and know just how easy it is to do.