Working with vinyl is a great way to customize a variety of different types of projects. From signs to car graphics to everything in between, vinyl is a diverse material used in many industries. Thanks to the availability of home vinyl cutting machines, it’s even made its way into many home projects.
Having the right tools on hand can make this job much easier and ensure a perfect finished project. But without the right tools, working with vinyl can be a challenge. While your machine may cut the vinyl, you’ll still need to carefully remove it from the sheet, and apply it to your project.
Keep reading as we explore some vinyl sign-cutting tools every vinyl sign maker needs.
Cutting Mats
Cutting mats is one of the most important tools you need when creating vinyl signs. These provide a flat, even surface on which you can cut your vinyl. Without a flat surface to work from, you can damage your signs when cutting them away from the vinyl sheets.
Many tools that you use when creating signs are sharp. You’ll likely wind up with scrapes, cuts, and gouges on your work surface. Cutting directly on a table or workbench can also lead to damage on that surface. Not only can this ruin your table or workbench, but it also means you won’t have a flat, even surface to work on the next time.
Self-healing cutting mats are a great choice when creating vinyl sign designs. They are made from compressed particles that are designed to shift out of the way as you cut your vinyl. After you move your tool away, they shift back. This allows them to be functional for many uses.
Opt for a thick mat that will hold up well when using the other tools on this list, like hobby knives. While more durable than other types of cutting mats, self-healing mats don’t last forever. Replace your mat when it becomes uneven or damaged to avoid ruining your next vinyl design.
Weeding Tools
Weeding tools are perhaps the most-used tools when working with vinyl. No matter when types of signs you’re trying to create, weeding tools help you bring them to life.
Weeding tools are small, hand-held tools with curved, sharp tips. Just as the name suggests, this tool is used to “weed” or remove your vinyl designs from the sheet.
Weeding tools come in many shapes and sizes. You can even get special weeding tools designed for specific purposes, such as a ball tip weeding tool designed for use on clear film. You’ll likely want to have a few on hand and ready to help you bring your designs to life.
Hobby Knife
Another important tool when working with vinyl is a hobby knife. You likely won’t use this tool as often as you will your weeding tools. However, sometimes when you’re bringing your vinyl sign ideas to life, the vinyl cutting machine won’t go all the way through your vinyl sheets.
Don’t toss your project and start again. Instead, grab a hobby knife. You can use this to finish cutting your vinyl. Opt for a sharp knife so that you can cut cleanly through your vinyl.
Tweezers
Tweezers are more than just a household tool; they can also be used to help with your vinyl projects. Tweezers are great for helping you grab small pieces of vinyl. For instance, if you are cutting out small letters, the tiny piece of vinyl in the middle of an “A” or lowercase “e” can be tough to grab with your weeding tool or fingers.
But using a small pair of metal tweezers makes it easy to grab them. Specialized tweezers with curved tips make them easier to use on your vinyl projects.
Squeegees
When placing vinyl on your project surface, it’s common for air pockets to form underneath. Not only can these ruin the look of your vinyl sign designs, but they can also cause the graphics to peel or even fall off over time.
Pressing down on your vinyl with your hands alone won’t get all of the air pockets out. Instead, you’ll want to use a squeegee.
Squeegees are designed to allow you to apply even pressure over your vinyl surfaces. This pressure forces the air pockets out from under your graphics, giving you a flat, even application that will hold well over time.
There are a variety of types of squeegees to choose from. Some are made from soft plastic, while others are made from felt to prevent damage to delicate vinyl projects.
It’s important to make sure that your squeegees are in good condition. Any unevenness on the surface of your squeegee can keep it from working properly. Replace or sharpen your squeegees if you notice any warping or divets on the surface.
Rivet Brushes
Squeegees are great for when you need to apply vinyl to a flat surface. But you’ll need a different tool when you need to get the vinyl on a screw or rivet or another uneven surface.
This is where rivet brushes come in. These brushes feature stiff nylon bristles and a short handle. They make it easy to press out air bubbles in the vinyl without ripping it as it is applied to rivets and other uneven surfaces.
River brushes are designed to be used with a propane torch or heat gun. These tools usually heat up and stretch the vinyl before applying it to keep it from ripping on rough or uneven surfaces.
Foam Rollers
Foam rollers are used for similar applications as rivet brushes. Instead of being used to put vinyl on small, rough areas, these are great for covering larger surfaces that tend to be rough, like drywall or sheetrock. They have a larger surface area for working on larger projects.
Just as with rivet brushes, foam rollers are also designed to work with heat guns.
Choosing the Best Vinyl Sign Cutting Tools
Choosing the best vinyl sign-cutting tools can make working with vinyl faster and easier. It can also help ensure that your projects are perfect every time.
Check out our selection of vinyl-cutting tools today.
Simple Solutions International offers a full selection of plotter blades and plotter pens as well as a variety of useful tools for use in plotting and sign-making, such as plotter adapters, masking film, spray mask, and other sign-making tools and accessories.