Weeding Small Vinyl Letters
Weeding Small Vinyl Letters – If you’ve ever tried to lift small vinyl letters or wide cuts during weeding just for design or text, you’re probably not doing reverse weeding.
When you reverse vinyl you weed out sticky transfer tape instead of vinyl backing. Transfer tape helps prevent small letters and cuts from picking up when you’re weeding. Follow this tutorial to reverse weed adhesive vinyl (it doesn’t work for HTVs).
Weeding Small Vinyl Letters
Place a piece of transfer tape, larger than the piece of vinyl, over the entire piece of cut vinyl. Burn it so that it sticks really well.
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The adhesive side of the vinyl should be exposed on one side and the gridded transfer tape on the other.
Lay the piece face down on a flat surface with the adhesive side up. Now remove the vinyl. I usually start with the largest piece on the outside of the design.
You can use your hook or tweezers to remove all the small pieces of vinyl.
That’s how you reverse weeds: You’re weeding with transfer tape instead of the vinyl backing that holds all those little pieces in place.
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When you are finished weeding, you can place the vinyl decal on the surface where you want to apply it or you can put it back on the vinyl backing/carrier sheet.
The end result is the same as if you were to weed the adhesive vinyl from the vinyl backing the traditional way.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and buying products through my links, I get a small commission. That’s what helps fund the Silhouette School, so I can continue buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how you can get the most out of your machine! Aside from the design creation and actual application of vinyl, most craftspeople find weeding fun and a good stress reliever. Somehow, some craftsmen find weeding a stressful part of crafting, because they don’t know how to do it properly.
When you’re working with large texts and designs, weeding is a breeze. Weeding becomes a challenge when you have to work with small letters and small details. The good news is that there is a less stressful way to shrink vinyl – reverse weeding. Read more about it in this article.
How To Weed Small Letters On Vinyl
Weeding is an important step in crafting. This is a process in which you remove excess or unnecessary vinyl from your decal. Weeding is easier when the design is big and bold. However, if the design is complex or the letters are small it can be stressful.
A weeding pen and tweezers come in handy during this process. You start weeding starting from the outside and going inside. This way, you get to see the design clearly and if you have missed to remove some parts.
First, weeding is defined as the method of removing excess vinyl so that your design can stand out. No additional parts are required and can be disposed of, leaving only the vinyl decal. A transfer tape is used to transfer the vinyl decal from the backing sheet to the surface for application.
So, the reverse weeding technique is just doing the method mentioned above, but in the opposite way. You need to apply transfer tape to the vinyl decal first. When the vinyl is stuck to the transfer tape, you can begin to remove the excess vinyl.
Tips For Smarter Weeding
Reverse weeding is recommended when you are working on small or thin, fancy, or intricate designs. Reverse weeding saves you time and frees you from frustration. When you reverse weeding vinyl you are not weeding the vinyl backing but with sticky transfer tape.
Quality adhesive vinyl is easier to cut, weed, and move than poor quality vinyl. If you use quality adhesive vinyl by TeckWrap Craft, you’ll feel less disappointed! In addition to quality vinyl, you also need quality crafting accessories.
Just like with vinyl, quality is key. Also, you will need to choose the appropriate transfer tape for the vinyl you are using. There are some transfer tapes designed for specific types of vinyl. If you choose an inappropriate transfer tape, you will eventually feel disappointed.
There are different types of vinyl and Techwrap Craft has them all. You don’t have to look anywhere else because you will find what you are looking for in just one shop. In general, there are three main types of vinyl: removable vinyl, permanent vinyl, and heat transfer vinyl.
How To Cut Small Vinyl Letters
Removable vinyl cut and weed clean. High-quality tack transfer tape works great for removable vinyl. For permanent vinyl, they can be reliably cut and weeded. Using a medium tack transfer tape is recommended for permanent vinyl. Heat transfer vinyl is easy to cut and weed.
Before trying out the reverse weeding method, you’ll first need to prepare the necessary materials and tools. Here is a supply list of the materials and tools you’ll need for weeding:
Learning how to turn weeds upside down can be a big advantage for you. It will make your crafting experience more enjoyable and efficient. Here are the steps you need to follow to do reverse weeding:
2. Cut the edges of the vinyl as close as possible to the exact size of the design.
Kassa Adhesive Vinyl
3. Then, cut a transfer tape the same size as your design. Stick transfer tape to your vinyl.
4. Using a squeegee or any scraper you may have, rub both the front and back sides of the vinyl decal. When rubbing, remember that you want small details to stick to the transfer tape.
5. If you think you’ve rubbed enough and the vinyl is completely transferred to the transfer tape, you can peel off the vinyl backing. The transfer tape will be left on with your vinyl decal.
7. Next, it’s time to remove all the excess vinyl. When you’re peeling vinyl from text, you need to be careful because you can tear your decal. If the vinyl doesn’t stick to the transfer tape, continue rubbing it back and forth across the transfer tape.
Tips For Weeding Vinyl
8. When your decal is securely located on the transfer tape, you can now apply it to the surface of your choice. To secure the vinyl to the surface, use a squeegee.
Weeding large decals is easy and relatively easy. However, there will come a time when you will find yourself weeding small letters and designs with intricate details. These are tough for you to work with, you might end up tearing a big chunk of your vinyl and ruining it all at once.
In addition to using quality vinyl and suitable transfer tape, you will also need to check if your cutting machine’s blade is clean and if you have used the appropriate cut setting. These two problems should be taken care of if you want a simple weeding process.
If you are using a Cricut cutting machine, here are the steps on how you can clean the blade:
Amazon.com: Yrym Heat Transfer Vinyl Red Htv Vinyl Roll
If you are using Cricut Explorer, use the “custom” settings. On Cricut Maker, look for “Browse All Materials” in the “Set Materials” tab. For both types of machine, you can search for “washi” or “washing setting”. Washi settings provide a smooth and flawless cut to your vinyl.
You will need a transfer tape to remove the small vinyl letters. Reverse weeding is easy once the vinyl is glued to the tape. This makes it easier to weed out small letters.
For weeding short texts, first, you need a piece of transfer tape that you need to lay over the vinyl decal. Burn the transfer tape to make the vinyl stick. Gently remove the vinyl from the transfer tape; You will then see the letter sticking to the transfer tape. After that, you can start weeding.
Weeding can be difficult if you’re not doing it correctly. If you are working on small letters and intricate designs, you should do reverse weeding. To make weeding easier and faster, make sure the blade of your cutting machine is clean and set to the proper cut setting. The cut should not be so deep that the paper backing is torn when you remove the excess vinyl.
Siser Easyweed Fluorescent 12
Reverse weeding is as easy as counting 1, 2, 3. When you master this technique, you can do almost anything with ease. Be patient while doing reverse weeding as this technique lasts longer than regular weeding. Nevertheless, it works!
Also, it is advised to maintain your cutting machine regularly so that it can give you crisp weeding lines. For more information on reverse weeding, you can watch this instructional YouTube video above from TeckWrap Craft.
I bought the pink/gold shimmer and the purple shimmer and both are incredibly beautiful. Easily cut and weed like all other products purchased from TeckWrap Craft. I will definitely buy more!
It’s great to have so many colors available and especially for new crafters no need to buy full rolls!
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I received them in good condition, well packed. They seem like good quality. Unfortunately, they’re quite different from the Libby we’re used to. They are smaller and have a different shape at the top. I would happily use these for my personal drinking glasses.