Stencilling/decalling a vehicle

Dave Ward

Sr Member
This is ridiculously geeky but I'm getting a jeep and I fancy stenciling the Torchwood logo discretely on the side or having a decal made.

Other than the general idiocy of the idea, does anyone have any suggestions how to do this? I'd obviously prefer something that would come off with a little work so as the resale value isn't effected.
 
This is ridiculously geeky but I'm getting a jeep and I fancy stenciling the Torchwood logo discretely on the side or having a decal made.

Other than the general idiocy of the idea, does anyone have any suggestions how to do this? I'd obviously prefer something that would come off with a little work so as the resale value isn't effected.

Magnetic or cling vinyl graphics may work, but be careful of paint fade over time.
 
i'm guessing the vehicle is black?

i think the torchwood logo in matte black would look great on a glossy black car.

a vinyl decal would be relatively easy, but i don't know how hard they are to remove. magnets would work, but would be less subtle... you'd see the thickness of the magnet more i'd think.

either way, sounds great to me.

sort of like when i got the tattoo of the skull from boba fett's shoulder... it's geeky, but 90% of the world just thinks it's a creepy red skull thing. they don't get the reference at all.

so i think the logo would be stealth-geeky.
 
Any sign or graphic shop should be able to do the logo for you (in any size) as long as you can provide them with a good quality image of it. As for placement on the vehicle. Why not put it somewhere on the back window? That's what I've done in the past. Easy to remove if you want to and no worry of paint fade.
 
I work for a Sign-A-Rama as a Graphic Designer. I would go the Vinyl route over magnetics. Vinyl can be removed with a little bit of effort and some clean up material. Magnets can fall off at a speed, be stolen or what not.

If its a flat black graphic that you have the files for, make sure they are vector art work and be on the safe side dont have the vector graphics made in CS3. Make them with an older Illustrator program if you can. Just save yourself a lot of headache and problems. not everyone has upgraded to CS3 (we work will Illustrator 10 here in shop)

Yes The paint around the graphics will fade and the paint under the graphics will not be exposed to the sun as much so you will get shadowing over time. But all vehicle paint fades over time.

You can remove the graphics by using your finger nails or heat gun and peeling it off slowly. any adhesive left behind use goop off to get it off the paint.

Thats about it

Hope it helps
 
Don't use a heat gun to remove it unless you are used to using it on painted surfaces as it can cause bubbles in the paint, use a hair dryer or put the vehicle out in the sun on a hot day and the adhesive will release enough to remove the vinyl. Next get some GooGone and a soft nylon bristle brush and soak the sticky crap with the googone and let it set a min or so, check it out on a non conspicuous spot to make sure it doesn't attack the paint but I haven't had it attack anything so far. Next take the brush in the old wax on wax off motion and the adhesive will ball up, wipe it off then follow up with either alcohol or a good car wash solution.
If you leave the vinyl on over a year or so the area under the vinyl will be the same color as when you 1st installed it and the area around will have faded a bit. Sometimes you can compound the surrounding area and make it look good sometimes not.
 
This is ridiculously geeky but I'm getting a jeep and I fancy stenciling the Torchwood logo discretely on the side or having a decal made.

Other than the general idiocy of the idea, does anyone have any suggestions how to do this? I'd obviously prefer something that would come off with a little work so as the resale value isn't effected.


There are quite a few sellers on ebay that sell 3M vinyl logos of every variety. Easy enough to peel off of glass when you're sick of it....on a painted surface? I'd be careful...
 
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