Upgrade Your Dorm Room Desk (or Just About Anything) With Vinyl Art

You're stuck in a dorm room with boring dorm room furniture. Add removable vinyl designs to your desktop or just about anything in your room. Is your taste ever changing? Live in an apartment? Decorate without losing your deposit. Use removable vinyl to change your space as often as you like. Once you get the process down, your purchase of a vinyl cutter can be turned into an investment into a vinyl art business; sell your creations.

Disclaimer: Always use safety when using knives and other sharp objects.

Warning: You will still be a novice after viewing this Instructable.

Watch out: You may become obsessed with vinyl.

What you need:

Substrate- what you will apply the image to

Design- An idea of what you want

Computer

Vinyl Cutter- For this project Vinyl Express R Series – Signwarehouse.com, Ebay bundled $299.00

Craft Cutter i.e. Cricut, Silhouette- Craft Stores, Online Stores

Cutter Software – For this project – VE LXI Expert – bundled with cutter

Graphics Software – For this project- Adobe Illustrator.

If you do not have software and the free online software does not have enough features there are many Freelance graphic artists on Fiverr.com that can design and format your idea for your cutter.

Vinyl – For this project- Removable Vinyl – Enduramatte from Signwarehouse.com 24”x10’ -$12.99

Application/Transfer Tape – For this project – Unknown Brand Paper Tape – Glass City Sign Supply Toledo-8 ½”x100’- $26.50

Also shown RTape AT60 Clear from Signwarehouse.com

Weeding Tool/Hook and Pick – Harbor Freight 6 piece $3.99

Squeegee – Signwarehouse.com - $0.99

Utility Knife- Dollar Tree yes you guessed it- $1.00 ?

Straight Edge

Painter’s Tape

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Vinyl Cutter

Computer. I like a second monitor.

Blank Vinyl - Removable

Application/Transfer Tape

Ruler/Straightedge

Squeegee

Utility Knife

Painter's Tape

Weed tool / Hook and Pick

Tweezers for detailed weeding and repositioning

Step 2: Create Your Image

After choosing your substrate and vinyl color create an image to cut.

Using your cutter software, you can draw or import your image. Images can be imported for the internet. Be sure to to violate any laws when obtaining pictures.

Once you have an image you have to make it into an image compatible with your cutter.

Freelance help can be found online. Fiverr.com

Step 3: Cut the Image

Adjust the cutter settings based on your vinyl and image.

Make a test cut. You want to be sure you are cutting through the vinyl but not the carrier paper.

After a successful test cut, send the image to the cutter.

Step 4: Weed Your Image

The image is cut through the vinyl but not through the carrier paper. Weeding is the process of removing the excess vinyl. Using a weeding tool or hook and pick, lift the area to be clear. Then remove. Continue until only the image is left.

Step 5: Mask the Image

Using the transfer tape, mask the image. Apply the transfer tape to the entire image. Squeegee the tape down to the vinyl image.

Ideally, the transfer tape would be the same width. If not, apply in strips slightly overlapping the edges.

Step 6: Remove the Carrier Paper

Once the image is completely masked, remove the carrier paper. Carefully pull the carrier paper away. Occasionally, pieces of the image will not get picked up by the tape. Simply rubbed the tape over the area lift it.

Step 7: Place the Image on the Substrate

Decide on the placement of the image. I use a ruler and square to find the center. Using painter's tape I mark the center on both the the substrate and the transfer tape.

Place the image transfer tape up on the desk. Use the squeegee to press the image down. Scrape the entire image.