# layering multi-color vinyl - what techniques are used for registering?



## miktoxic (Feb 21, 2008)

hi all-

been monitoring this forum for a while now and have been wondering............is there any way to precisely register different layers on top of each other when doing multi-color designs in cut vinyl on shirts?

i don't have a cutter yet but this has been buggin me. i understand that after heat pressing vinyl onto a shirt it shrinks a little, so any use of registration marks goes out the window. but wouldn't the same brand of vinyl shrink the same amount so there should be some way to figure out a registering principle?

tell me you guys just eyeball your designs. WHAT!!!


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

Yup good ole eyeball method is really the only way. It's actually pretty easy once you do a few of them. I don't ever use the butt up method as it will leave a small gap once the vinyl shrinks, I simply overlap the vinyl on top of each other. 

I don't like doing more the 2 layers as it gets fairly thick.


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## earl (Nov 1, 2007)

theflowerboxx said:


> Yup good ole eyeball method is really the only way. It's actually pretty easy once you do a few of them. I don't ever use the butt up method as it will leave a small gap once the vinyl shrinks, I simply overlap the vinyl on top of each other.
> 
> I don't like doing more the 2 layers as it gets fairly thick.


hi david, how far do you overlap?
regards earl


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

Sorry Earl, overlap wasn't the correct word. I simply layer them. Example the pic below, I simply made a solid outline in black, then apllied the white over top of it so I have a black outline and "baseball" in black shows through the white as I reverse weeded it. Same with the actual baseball and number.


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## miktoxic (Feb 21, 2008)

theflowerboxx said:


> Sorry Earl, overlap wasn't the correct word. I simply layer them. Example the pic below, I simply made a solid outline in black, then apllied the white over top of it so I have a black outline and "baseball" in black shows through the white as I reverse weeded it. Same with the actual baseball and number.


 o.k. but if the first layer has been applied with heat and it has shrunk wouldn't the second layer (which was made in concert with the first) be off when eyeballing it?


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

No it barely shrinks........You don't even notice it unless you are trying the "butt together" method.


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## miktoxic (Feb 21, 2008)

can't wait to try it! by the way david your design looks pro.


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## miktoxic (Feb 21, 2008)

can't wait to try it! have to take my contacts out though....by the way, { david } your design looks pro. this is the most useful/imformative web thing i've ever been a part of. thanks again. -peace


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## jmj (Feb 24, 2008)

Great design, I posted a few weeks ago on how to do 2 color designs like this. I have a GX 24 with cutstudio and Corel 12, after several attempts and some advise I still can not get it to work. Of course I'm new to this, I've mastered one color but really really need to figure out this 2 color thing. If any one has step by step instructions for a blonde please let me know. I usually can figure out anything but this is just confusing me. Also does anyone know where I can get art for my plotter for sports, wildlife that can be cut for t-shirts and window stickers without spending 100s of dollars. I know I can count on all you pros out there. Thanks


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

Melinda in Corel Draw just use the contour to make an outline then in your cutter software cut each color individually.

As for the art I normally just google what I am looking for and trace it. The pic I posted is just text using ballpark font and a free tail from Welcome to AdvancedArtist.com FREE Corel DRAW tutorial training and downloads


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## jmj (Feb 24, 2008)

Thanks for the info, I will try this and see if I can get it to work, I've tried everything else. I will let you know how it goes.
Have a great 4th


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## murani (Sep 13, 2006)

Melinda,
Once you send the design into CutStudio simply click on all the inside of the design and delete it leaving only the main outline of the design. This will be your bottom layer. Next hit the undo button until your design is back in its original form and select, the delete, the main outline that you left intact during the first part. This will give you the overlay (2nd layer) that you can apply over the top of the bottom layer. The result you would get is what David's pic in post #4 shows. Hope this helps.


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## jmj (Feb 24, 2008)

murani said:


> Melinda,
> Once you send the design into CutStudio simply click on all the inside of the design and delete it leaving only the main outline of the design. This will be your bottom layer. Next hit the undo button until your design is back in its original form and select, the delete, the main outline that you left intact during the first part. This will give you the overlay (2nd layer) that you can apply over the top of the bottom layer. The result you would get is what David's pic in post #4 shows. Hope this helps.


Thanks, I will try that if I ever get time to practice, this forum is so much help, I really appreciate everyones imput. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Melinda, if you want to see how to use the contour function in Corel, take a look at the videos at advancedartist.com. I bought the package of tutorials simply because I learned so much watching the free videos that I felt I needed to give something back. I haven't had time to watch all the videos yet but there is some great tips there...


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## jmj (Feb 24, 2008)

tfalk said:


> Melinda, if you want to see how to use the contour function in Corel, take a look at the videos at advancedartist.com. I bought the package of tutorials simply because I learned so much watching the free videos that I felt I needed to give something back. I haven't had time to watch all the videos yet but there is some great tips there...


Thanks I will look at that tomorrow.


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## sid (Oct 6, 2007)

Just tried a very complex design using 2 colors. It is sort of difficult to describe so bear with me you may find it useful. I did the same thing with Cut Studio as described above for 2 color work but in my design I put to 1/2" dots about an 1" away on either side of side of the design. Now cut out your 2 images as described above. Each image will now have a dot on the left and right of your design in the same place. These will be your registration marks!. Put a piece of clear tape over the glue side of each dot on your FIRST image. Make sure you leave enough of your mask around the dot so it will stay put. Press your image. Before you pull of the mask cut the mask between the image and the dots so when you remove the mask from the image the dots stay put being held to the shirt by their masking material. Be careful remember they are not heat pressed because of the tape. Now here's the fun part. Take your second image and lay it down so it's dots lay perfectly on top of the first dots on the shirt and press. You don't have to worry about the top dots sticking because they are hitting the mask from the bottom dots and the bottom dots don't stick because you put tape over their glue side. Sounds complicated, it's not and you get PERFECT registration every time. I took the idea from when we used to strip negatives in the printing business.


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## theflowerboxx (Mar 26, 2007)

Sid why would you need registration marks for heatpress vinyl? Press the first layer and then lay the second layer on top of it.


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

It should be easy to line up, being the carrier sheet is see thru . I use multi layers all the time with no issue. .... JB


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## sid (Oct 6, 2007)

What I did was not a standard over print. I tried the puffy vinyl from Imprintables and did a perfect over lay using foil to produce 3D foil letters on a shirt. Results were WOW! But the registration had to be dead on. The shirt went to a concert and don't have pics. Will post them on my next venture with the stuff.


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## ash213 (Feb 19, 2009)

theflowerboxx said:


> Sid why would you need registration marks for heatpress vinyl? Press the first layer and then lay the second layer on top of it.



So basically would you heat press one layer, remove the clear plastic of the vinyal, then lay the 2nd layer of vinyl over that and heat press the 2nd layer on top?

will be this OK ?

will the first original layer be OK when pressing the 2nd layer on top ?

cheers


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## oroboy (Aug 16, 2008)

ash213 said:


> So basically would you heat press one layer, remove the clear plastic of the vinyal, then lay the 2nd layer of vinyl over that and heat press the 2nd layer on top?
> 
> will be this OK ?
> 
> ...


Yes, it will be okay. I've done it myself many times. You may want to reduce your press time by half for the first press though. For example, if the material requires you to heat press for 10 sec., just press for 5 sec., remove the transfer tape, put on the second layer of material and press again for a full 10 sec. I've also done it where I pressed twice at 10 sec. each time without any problems.


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## joeydgraffix (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice video I found on how to layer 4 color vinyl 

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTSPgkdDgEE[/media]


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## Tizz (Mar 8, 2008)

We print the final design on to clear film in colour and use this as our guide and stencil when layering multi-colour vinyl. Then apply the vinyl on to the garment according to the desired layer color. We press each colour for atleast 4-5 seconds allowing a few secs to cool in between and a final press of 6 secs with heavy pressure. No probs so far and the most we've layered was 4 colours.

Regards,


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## kristencbs (Nov 18, 2011)

Doing multi-layer vinyl is easier than it sounds. Get an idea of what you want your final design to look like, and then go all the way back to step 1 and break it down in a way that would be easiest to cut, weed, and apply for yourself. 

For example, if I were you, I would have designed the black outline to be cut first, and given the interior of the shape a little bit more bleed room to ease registering the white on top later. Then design the white with no bleed, and the interior of the athletic tail solid. Then, the text in black a separate cut.

This way you would have a shorter weeding procedure (specifically with the text 'BASEBALL' in the white tail, no need to weed OUT the word from the white, and weed AROUND the word in black) and easier pressing. Once your black layer is laid down, ideally the white would easily register on top of it, there would be little feel of any overlay, and the black text easily laid down on top as well. 

Using the Easyweed Heat Transfer Vinyl helps as well, as the material can tack to the garment in about 1-2 seconds, limiting most any shrinkage in the vinyl, and the hot peel carrier doesn't pull and tug the fabric around the design when the press is done, further throwing off registration. Press your first layers for about 2 seconds, peel, and then final layer for a good 10 seconds. Done!


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## cottonking (Apr 25, 2011)

That can be very tricky, but you can use small registration marks and remove them after with the solvent that you use to take tee shirt vinyl off if you make a mistake. 

Pre heat the shirt for 10 seconds, then press each layer for only 3-4 seconds. then after all layers are applied remove the registration marks with the chemical for that. then do your final press for about 10-12 seconds.

If your using stahls cad cut materials they sell a removing agent that you apply to the inside of the garment that releases the glue on the vinyl. some polyester will bleed if you use too much chemical. so make your registration marks as small as you can work with.

This would be for designs that you can't line up by site, for example a face and you have to line up the eyes and some other part that is white that has no real border to line up with.

simple things like text you just have to pre heat and eye ball the second layer.


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## miktoxic (Feb 21, 2008)

yep. after posting this thread like 3 years ago, i didn't know the problem i was having is the i was applying the first layer of vinyl for the complete 12 secs (eco-film) instead of just applying it for 4 secs for each layer until the final where i do the full 12 secs.

no need for registration marks. eyeball all the way.


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## jsonpaul (Oct 7, 2013)

Sounds to me that it is ok but Can someone confirm, if it is ok to put a second layer vinyl on top of the first layer of vinyl? I am having issue in registration outlines of text and numbers due to shrinking of the vinyl.


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## LPWHandyman (Dec 9, 2012)

Confirmed. Yes it is ok.


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

jsonpaul said:


> I am having issue in registration outlines of text and numbers due to shrinking of the vinyl.


Are you pressing the initial layer for the full press time? If so, that's where your problem is. You need to press the initial layer only enough to get it to hold to the shirt so you can peel off the carrier. The less amount of time, the better. You will probably also find that you need to increase the size of the initial layer to account for shrinkage.


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## Jmelwak (Oct 23, 2013)

Did this 2 color using premium plus cad cut
I usually hit for only a couple seconds then pull it. Then the second layer I do the full time under the press


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## throde (Feb 19, 2013)

I have been having trouble with my ez weed HTV pulling off the shirt as early as after one wash in pressing med to heavy pressure and at 320 fer anyone have an idea


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