Our modern wall art layouts were created with a plug-and-play mindset, because we know EXACTLY how much work is required on the retail end of a vinyl business. What did we do?

1- Well, we placed the layouts on the catalog page using the Oracal 631 color swatches, so that your customers could visualize the layout in various color combinations. You can truly go bold or soft with these layouts, depending on the decor. The new Oracal 631 vinyl designer colors give you some gorgeous options!

2- Secondly, we created the files in parts, in an effort to make the job easier for you. We call it our "layered art". For instance, the ART03-F has three files, one for the red melon, one for the rind, and one for the pre-positioned embellishment and seeds. Once you've enlarged the files to the size you wish to cut, simply cut the melon in your favorite shade of red, your embellishment and seeds in another color, and the rind in a matching shade of green. It's meant to simplify the work process for you.

So have a lot of fun ... and share those finished photos! If we choose your photo for our inspire-me photo gallery, we'll give you a $20 shopping spree!

To view our Modern Wall Art designs on the website ... click here

To see all the Oracal 631 vinyl color options ... click here

Be sure to check out these great videos that explain how to weed and hang your vinyl project.

www.myvinyldesigner.com

Razor blades work well for removing vinyl off glass; products like Goo-B-Gone and OOPS! help remove stubborn, sticky vinyl residue (be sure to test a small area of the surface beforehand --- they also remove paint); and, the heat of blow dryer can help soften the hard-to-remove vinyl for easier peeling.

Vinyl lettering adds richness, focus, and interest to your home in an endless number of ways.  For walls, a vinyl lettering "stencil" can be used within a plaster for an embossed look, reversely hung with different finishes, or directly hung on a finished surface. Try using vinyl lettering on or around surfaces with a faux finish (French for fake), trompe l'oeil (an old European painting technique that implies a three-dimensional illusion), crackle, aging, stain, or paint. Not all paints have the same tactile performance, so vinyl lettering will not adhere well to every paint, glaze, and wallpaper. Flat paints usually don't adhere well, but give it a try on small samples. The effects are visually stunning!

Besides the finished walls of a home, vinyl can be placed on most finished woods (ie. painted, crackled, sanded, stained), cabinet doors, old windows, the glass in picture frames, glass blocks, mirrors, shadowbox pictures, tiles, shower doors, lockers, doors, decorative plates, plexi glass, sheet metal, mailboxes ... to name a few!

CLICK HERE ... to see many more ideas for using vinyl in home decor

We highly recommend using the Transfer Rite Ultra Transfer Tape (high tack) or R-TAPE Conform 4075-RLA for all your Oracal 631 vinyl projects. If you or a customer have difficulty hanging a project using this transfer tape, there are really only two reasons why it might be difficult:

1- The vinyl is being cut too deep. The cutter blade should only lightly score the glossy side of the vinyl backing. If it cuts too deep, it will be very easy to weed, but very-very difficult to hang. Check often by lifting up letters and hanging sample letters on walls where vinyl is already hung. Then adjust the depth of your cutter blade to see if this resolves the problem.

2- The surface of the wall has poor tactile properties. Vinyl lettering does not adhere well to all flat and satin finishes. It is best to encourage customers to hang a couple sample letters on a new wall first, before hanging a finished design, just to see if the vinyl lettering will hang well there. It's a great way to use those letters in the designs that were "messed" up during the cutting or weeding process! Occasionally, the wrong type of vinyl and transfer tape is made available for home decor. However, if you use the true combination of Oracal 631 vinyl with the the Transfer Rite Ultra Transfer Tape (high tack) or R-Tape, you'll have the perfect combo for home decor vinyl projects.

The best way to remove little bubbles that don't press out under your vinyl, is by using a fine straight pin or safety pin. Just poke a little hole, and press it smooth.

Using a glaze or a finishing product on top of the finished vinyl gives a different look to your project, but it is not necessary. We suggest that you avoid all aerosol (spray) finishing topcoats, as they cause your vinyl letters to curl upward.

Walls - Vinyl can be used on a multitude of surfaces, provided the surface is clean, dry, and basically flat.  There are some paints, glazes, wallpapers, and finishes that won't hold vinyl well, so make sure you try a sample before you begin a project.  High humidity, particles of cooking oil, dirt, grime, wall finishes, and texture will affect the "stickability" of vinyl.  If you need to wipe your wall down, just use a little dish soap and warm water.  Then make sure the surface is well dried before applying vinyl.

Glass - Also, remember that glass and mirrors aren't as forgiving as other surfaces, so be extra careful when you're laying the vinyl.cleaning the glass with a diluted vinegar/water mixture is better than using a household product like Windex; the vinyl tends to stick better. An application fluid like Rapid Tac is encouraged for high performance vinyl usage. Always make sure you wipe glass down well or dust particles will create bumps under your vinyl. Products such as Rapid Tac and Action Tac can be sprayed on the glass beforehand; they give you the ability to adjust vinyl on glass before it sets, and the ability to press tiny little bubbles which naturally form between vinyl and glass. The products then dry clear. They are somewhat spendy and certainly not a requirement for around-the-home glass projects.

Picture frames - To convert a favorite glass-enclosed picture frame into a see-through wall hanging, simply remove the backing and pull out the little metal holders. Then run a thin bead of clear silicone along the edge, place the glass on the adhesive, then run another thin bead of clear silicone on the glass, near the edge. With a wet finger, smooth the caulk and let harden, or cure, for 12 hours. Have the frame lay flat upside down. Then scrape off the excess caulk with a razor blade and clean the glass. The surface is now ready to apply vinyl.  Hot glue will work in a pinch when time is short!

What is "welding" in the vinyl world? Perhaps the most important feature in your vinyl cutter software for home decor vinyl! It is almost a requirement for doing custom interior design work (unless you prefer to purchase premade ready-to-cut vinyl designs.) Your finished vinyl designs should hang like one great big sticker, all connected in the overlapping sections.

"Welding" is a feature that allows you to take overlapping text and/or elements and combine them into one cuttable object. If the overlapping text (like loopy l's or y's) are not joined or "welded" together, the cutter will disect the intersected lines, creating little removable intersections. It is a professional feature that makes vinyl letters easier to hang and to remove.

Not all cutter softwares use the term "welding" for this "combining" or "joining" feature. Would you tell us what cutter software you use, and what term for "welding" is used? If you DON'T have a welding feature, what cutter software are you using?