Individual Vinyl Assignment
I began by creating a list of ideas, I could make many things, but the football design is what stuck out the most. I started by creating a separate file for each image and turned them into vector images. I then put all of the images one art board and laid out the design to my liking. I copied the dimensions from the full design onto the separate files to ensure each image would be scaled correctly.
I then took my files to the vinyl cutter. I loaded each file separately onto the computer that is hooked up to the cutter. I loaded the correct vinyl roll onto the cutter and opened the cutting software. I loaded the respective images onto the software when the corresponding color was on the cutter (Purple for the football, metallic silver for the spear, and black for my name), then cut the images out.
Next, I weeded each image. I often used the dental pick on the spear to maintain the intricacy of the design. After weeding, I placed application tape on the images. I then cut the application tape down to fit the size of the image. I squeegeed the application tape to ensure that the vinyl would stick to the tape. I then peeled back the application tape of the football and placed the image on the board. I squeegeed the image down and peeled back the application tape. I proceeded to follow the same steps for the spear, and placed it on top of the football. I also followed the same steps the name, and placed it slightly below the football.
Through this vinyl project I learned how to use the vinyl cutter and its software. I expanded my Illustrator ability by learning how to enter specific dimensions on the software, so that the images would be scaled correctly. I also was able to get practice loading the vinyl cutter, and can now complete the task with ease. By weeding very intricate details I was able to learn how to use the tweezers and dental pick together to get very small pieces of vinyl out of my design. Overall, I was able to expand my knowledge of how to use the vinyl cutter and how to complete the tasks involved with the vinyl.