It’s easy to create vinyl decals at home when you have the right tools and the appropriate workspace. Of course, you must also make sure the settings on your vinyl cutter match up with all your tools.
Do a test print on the machine to ensure that everything matches, and you’re good to go with the activity.
The Initial Testing
For the initial printing using the test label, you’ll want to first weed the vinyl and test if the cut has a good enough depth prior to cutting large sections.
When the blade doesn’t cut with enough depth, you’re going to be spending an extra half an hour weeding that final piece of your craft, which is something you want to avoid.
How to Make Vinyl Decals at Home
The right selection of tools, plus a whole lot of creativity and passion, are all you need to create one-of-a-kind vinyl decals.
Step 1: Use a Sharp Knife and a Dull Knife
Making vinyl decals require you to prepare a sharp knife as well as a dull knife. The former is for cutting out decals or stickers, while the latter is for weeding the vinyl.
Using very light pressure, you can also use the sharp knife to cut only the vinyl and not the backing so that weeding becomes easier.
Step 2: Prepare a Variety of Weeding Tools
You can improve your final product using a wide assortment of weeding tools. Tools with sharp tips, for instance, make it easier for you to pick up those tiny pieces of vinyl that need to be removed from your decal. Tools with duller edges, on the other hand, are better for placing back pieces of the final decal that you accidentally removed.
Sharp tools aren’t ideal for repositioning those pieces of the final product. They can easily leave pressure points that are difficult to get rid of and can ruin the aesthetic of the final piece.
Step 3: Use a Sharp Vinyl Cutting Blade
We’re talking about a sharp blade that creates just the right depth to ensure a final piece that’s of top quality. Remember that a cutting blade that is positioned too far out has the tendency to cut the rear part of the vinyl.
On the other hand, a blade that’s too far in isn’t capable of piercing the vinyl well enough to create a solid, final decal.
Step 4: Use Your Vinyl Cutter
The level of technology you can access at home these days is amazing. Take, for instance, the vinyl cutter. This device not only improves the way people go about creating vinyl decals in general but also allows them to take the activity at home, as long as they choose the right product.
We always emphasize choosing the right product. After all, there are vinyl cutters that are simply made for industrial use. Shops tend to use 48-inch vinyl cutters, but you can opt for the 24-inch models that suit most purposes and provide much of the same cutting space.
Step 5: Prepare a Seal Healing Cutting Mat and Clear Ruler
Before you can cut away at the final sheet of decals, make sure to prepare a seal healing cutting board. Without the trusty combination of this tool and a ruler, you simply increase your chances of making a mistake and messing up the final piece.
You’ve put a lot of effort into this project and don’t want to see it go waste, especially when it’s so close to completion. With a seal healing cutting mat and clear ruler, you should find it easy to create the best (and most even) cuts.
Step 6: Use Clear Sheeting for Decals
When preparing to place the decals on a surface, use the clear sheeting. Make sure the material is free of wrinkles, creases, or anything that could take away from the accuracy of the final application.
Note than even the tiniest crease on the sheet can ruin the final outcome.
When using plastic sheetings for your decals, make sure the cutting surface matches the size of the complete set of decals you’ve just created. If you attempt to do this on a wood surface, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting very low-quality decals.
Final Thoughts
If you’re interested in putting those creative juices to work by making vinyl decals at home, go for it! You have this awesome guide, plus the ever-trusty vinyl cutter, to aid in your venture.
With the right selection of tools and an appropriate place to work at home, you should be able to create those gorgeous decal pieces with no problem.
As if it isn’t amazing enough that you get to bring this activity home, you can also take it to the next level with the help of a high-quality vinyl printer, which will allow you to create gorgeous and unique designs on your final product.
