Sign Vinyl Basics

Step 1: Step 1

Let's take an introductory look at sign vinyl. You may be most familiar with it when it’s used to make stick figure families on a myriad of rear windows.

You can find this in several different sizes and colors, but it’s all basically the same - a very sticky backed vinyl you can peel off from the paper backing, for indoor and outdoor use.

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A lot of crafters use these with punches to make temporary decorations for parties or the holidays. For long term use, this works best with slick, non porous surfaces

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You can also cut this vinyl with an exacto knife. Just make sure if you are cutting something intricate to only cut the top layer and not the paper underneath.

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I have to say, my favorite way to cut this is with a vector plotter. If you don’t have access to one, most local maker spaces will have one you can rent by the hour. I cut this out on the plotter, but it’s not what I really wanted to show you...

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This is what I really wanted to show you. Sign vinyl is great for making stencils and masks for your projects.

On this design, you can get away with just peeling it off and placing it down, but as you can see, the vinyl has a tendency to twist out of shape. We’ll address transferring more complicated designs in another video.

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I’m just applying this to a piece of cotton fabric, and making sure all of my edges are sticking down.

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Then, I’m taking silkscreen fabric paint and a foam brush. I gently paint on two coats, and adding a darker section in the corner just to give it some depth.