Hello. This week on the Silhouette UK Blog I've had the opportunity to try out the Silhouette Clear Window Cling. I made a sign for my bedroom window, to deter our feathered visitors from flying into the windows. Now the days are getting colder we've started to put more feed out for the birds, and in their excitement they have a habit of slamming into our windows. I can't describe the shock I get when collide with my bedroom window, and I decided this was the perfect opportunity to make something to reduce the problem.
I could have used a flying bird outline as a bird deterrent, but I wanted to do something a little different. I also wanted something that could easily be moved to different windows, and easily removed then reapplied after window cleaning. Window cling was the perfect material for this, and Nic Squirrell's lovely Bluebird Papercut file (#266149) was a cute design to use.
My next challenge was that my printer was out of ink, so I wasn't able to take advantage of the printable property of this material. However, I had read (somewhere) that it was possible to combine cling with vinyl to make a removable and reusable decal. Despite a heap of searching I couldn't find the original post, so I thought I'd go ahead and try it anyway, and share my results with you here.
Preparing the Design
STEP 1: Removing the Feather detail
To remove the feather detail I released the compound path on the design and deleted the parts that I didn't require. Then I re-made the compound path.
STEP 2: Adding Text
I wrote the wording in Back to Black Bold font (#250042) and adjusting the sizing and placement of the words until they fitted on the bird's chest.
STEP 3: Subtracting the Text (optional)
To make the decal as displayed below, I subtracted the text from the bird, and then filled the design with a colour. Subtracting and filling is not necessary, but makes the design easier to visualise. The text will cut correctly if you just place it in position and set it to cut.
STEP 4: Making the Cling Layer with an Offset
The cut lines for the layer to be cut from the window cling media were made by using the Offset tool, selecting the bird, and making an offset of distance 0.5 cm. Unwanted small internal shapes created in the offset process were deleted prior to cutting.
Cutting the Main Design
I cut the main design (shown in grey, above) from white sign vinyl. Silhouette now have Oracal 651 PremiumVinyl, which comes with this higher contrast blue backing (for the white colour only).
The offset layer was cut in the cling vinyl, using a slightly deeper setting so that the backing was cut as well as the cling.
The vinyl layer was lifted from it's backing using transfer tape, and aligned onto the cling layer.
The white vinyl design was smoothed on, and once all air bubbles were removed, the transfer tape was carefully peeled away, leaving the almost complete window cling.
I had lost a few of the insides of the letters in the weeding process. As the pieces were very small, I cut them again from the white vinyl, but first added a small offset of 0.02 cm to make them a little bigger and easier to handle. These were then transferred individually onto the completed window cling with a corner of the transfer tape.
The decal was finished, and to install it, the paper backing was peeled off the back. No preparation is required to the window before adhering, but I cleaned the window - just for you!
That's all there is to it! I've had no collisions since the window cling was installed - lets hope it stays that way.
Bye for now,
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I agree about the shock when they fly into the window, this is such a great idea. Thanks
ReplyDeleteFaith