Lone Eagle has the Roland 545ex printer/cutter which is used to make all of the vibrant & durable graphics mentioned above.  In this post, I’ll show you how the same equipment can be used to produce hundreds of custom printed & cut decals quickly.  A recent client ordered 1600 wine labels printed onto adhesive-backed vinyl & contour cut around the perimeter.  The machine deftly does a “kiss cut” around each printed label that cuts only the adhesive-backed vinyl but not the underlying release liner.  The client then only needs to peel them off of the backing and apply them to the bottles and/or boxes.

In this example, simple rectangles were cut around the printed labels.  But any intricate 2D shape can also be produced with this printer/cutter.  The applications include things like window & wall decals used for interior design, retail/POP graphics, vehicle graphics, etc.  The trick is to use Adobe Illustrator to include cut lines in your graphic design.  These cut lines are non-printing lines that are recognized by the printer.

This video shows you what I mean.  After about 100 labels were printed, the machine pulls the media back into the printer and starts to cut around each label.  Check it out:

But wait!  There’s more!  It’s even possible to print your design, remove the print from the printer, zip it thru the laminator to add a clear protective laminate, and then re-insert the media into the machine for contour cutting.  This is a great way to produce durable contour-cut graphics for vehicle wraps.  I like to use reflective vinyl for the cut lettering that goes over a wrap.  It really adds an awesome effect.

Some new materials from 3M allow digitally-printed graphics to be applied to cinder block walls, concrete walls, stone work, even brick walls; places ordinary adhesive-backed vinyl would no doubt fail. 3M has developed their rough surface wall wrap materials that are “sticky” enough to adhere to these irregular surfaces and “soft” enough so that when applied, they conform to all the little nooks & crannies. The end result is that the graphics look like they were painted onto these surfaces. The trick is in the installation process. A heat gun and a soft, heat-resistant roller are used to “push” the graphics into the surface features. These materials are being used now in sports stadiums, schools, public buildings, fountains, monuments, restaurants….. anyplace where a rough, hum-drum surface needs some sprucing up.

I recently installed a 6′ x 5′ school mascot logo in the gym of The Toppenish High School, a beautiful new high school in WA state. The vector graphics were printed on 3M’s 8524 media and then laminated with 8624 clear, glossy laminate. These were then contour cut around the perimeter of the logo to give the look we wanted. The following photos show the finished graphic installed on a painted cement wall and the happy school administrators.

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