________________________________________________________________________________________ In the sign business we work a lot with what is referred to as RTA vinyl, an acronym for "Ready To Apply" vinyl. The steps used to create an RTA or decals are as follows: • Design: Deciding what something should look like or what it should say, as well as the colors and sizing, are part of the design process. It includes decisions about whether to include a logo and/or developing one. • Print or Plot: If the color selected is a single stock vinyl color then it will be cut from a vinyl roll using a plotter. If the design includes multiple or custom colors then the decal will be printed on our wide format printer. • Weed: weeding refers to the process where the excess vinyl material is trimmed away from the design. It can be a tedious process, especially when the text is small or when curvy san serif fonts are used. Patience, good eyesight and an Exacto Knife are essential. • Mask: Once all the excess vinyl has been weeded away the design is covered with a layer of low tac masking or transfer tape. Once the graphic (designed decal) is properly aligned or positioned in place, the backing or relief paper will be peeled away leaving the sticky side of the vinyl exposed. • Apply: The design is now positioned in place, making sure that it is level, so it can be "transferred" to the surface that it is being mounted to. This can be a glass window, vehicle or other substrate. At this stage the backing paper is removed so the sticky side of the vinyl can bond to the other surface. The vinyl will be pressed in place using a squeegee. Some SignWorks customers have us make their RTA's but will apply them themselves. This is especially true for small promotional decals used as novelty items and giveaways at events and trade shows. Call us today at (510) 357-2000 if you need RTA's for your upcoming event!