The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Making Stencils Instead of Using Decals

My nephew has a '71 Mustang Mach 1 he's starting to restore and he wants to paint details like the Mach 1 Logo on the car, instead of applying decals, before the final clear coat.

I'm a graphic designer and use a Mac computer ... real familiar with Photoshop, etc. ... but does anyone know what software painters use to create stencils or where I can learn the ropes about the latest techniques of this part of the painter's toolkit?

I got no clue, but I have a buddy w/a Camaro, they installed the decals on the fresh paint then clearcoated over them-has kept the decals from fading, also no polish buildup at the decals. Brian

Man Alan, I'd like to know this also. I'v seen the car builder TV shows use stencils and I’m sure there are plotters that can cut stencils. I’m thinking some place that does graphic design would have a stencil cutter that a Photoshop file could drive.
I would like to use them on all the repainting, i.e., emblems “CHEVROLET”, valve cover “Thrift-Master”, etc. It would look much more original than a decal.
The guys that did the blue prints used to cut them down at work, but we were under contract from the government and you can’t get away with ‘G’ job now-a-days.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I also know of folks buying the decals & using them to make stencils for painting. Brian

buddy of mine that's a sign painter uses the same software and cutter that he uses to do vinyl letters

Bill

Most sign painters, including myself use Corel Draw, Signlab,Gerber and Flexisign software to design and reproduce logos etc. Corel is a great vector and bitmap program but has its drawbacks with certain vinyl cutters.

Alan, your probably familar with adobe illustrator. You can draw it in that program as well and then take it to a sign shop for them to cut a paint stecil using a paint mask vinyl.

Let me know if you need more details.

Rob

Thanks everyone.

I wouldn't want decals on any vehicle even with clear coat, they still look "obvious" to me, whereas a painted logo looks top-shelf, you know?

Thanks, Rob -- I hadn't thought about going to a sign shop. That just might be the answer.

I have Illustrator and Photoshop ... I know I can do any type of graphics but the stencil is what I was trying to get to and the machines that make them are like $5000! Sign shops buy those machines, so I guess I'll have to visit a sign shop and see what they would charge for a stencil.

Cool!

The easiest way is with a vinyl cutter, looks like a drafting plotter, but with a razor instead of a inkjet. They use a software called Lxi Pro. Look on signwarehouse.com might help. Don't know what this stuff costs

They start at $700 and go up to $10,000

Better to visit a sign shop and let them do it for you!

Try this website

http://www.madstencilist.com/?referrer=Google