Do I need to buy a plotter
Which plotter is needed for a novice glass matting master. Is he even needed?
This is a question we were asked recently in correspondence.
Our partner, VIP-client IVSATIN, expert on the technology of vector photomatization of glass Maxim K. will answer.
Our partner, VIP-client IVSATIN, expert on the technology of vector photomatization of glass Maxim K. will answer.
To begin with, you do not need to have your own plotter, it is quite possible to use the services of advertising agencies. Why invest in something you might not need. Try, feel, so to speak, all the charm of matting, and then, perhaps in six months or a year, you decide for yourself what exactly you need. When choosing a plotter, you need to understand what you plan to do: wedding glasses or wardrobes. Based on this, you will determine the cutting width of the plotter, and its price depends on its functionality and country of manufacture. Practice shows that if you still decide that you need a plotter, it is better to take a plotter with a margin of cut width, as the appetite, as you know, comes with food. The optimal cutting width of the plotter is from 800 mm, ideally 1200-1300 mm. Having received such a plotter, you will forget about docking stencils and problems with large formats. But there is one unpleasant “But”:plotters with such characteristics of well-known manufacturers cost very serious amounts, sometimes to indecent. As usual, there is a Chinese alternative, but these are guys, a fun life is 100% guaranteed. Until you begin to understand what he wants from you, you will spend more than one square meter of film. I know from my own experience, since I myself have been using the Chinese plotter for several months, I still enjoy its unpredictability and communication with the support service. In general, there are many options. Choose only for yourself. Either quiet work, but for a lot of money, or "dancing with a tambourine," but cheap. My plotter "liyu sd 1340 pro" new cost me $400.
Practical advice for the beginner designer.
Bathtub (tray) for etching glass in IVSATIN liquid. Under the bathtub, it will be necessary to make a frame on the legs so that the bathtub lies exactly along the bottom and does not bend anywhere under the weight of the liquid (otherwise the liquid will drain to one edge). The legs on the sides can be bolted, after that you can simply rotate them along the frame, loosening the bolts, and put the entire structure vertically next to the wall.
This way the pallet will take up very little space. Before filling the bath, a level must be set. You cannot fill the entire bath, but limit the glass or mirror to the side with plasticine (putty modeling clay). A height of 2-3 cm.
This way the pallet will take up very little space. Before filling the bath, a level must be set. You cannot fill the entire bath, but limit the glass or mirror to the side with plasticine (putty modeling clay). A height of 2-3 cm.
The thickness of the plastic for the bath is from 6 mm or more. But the thicker the better, because with large bath sizes, thin PVC plastic will bend a lot.
This is very inconvenient when working, because such a weight in a large area gives a very unstable design.
The slightest kink of the bath causes the flow of all the fluid to one edge.
You must set the level of the bath before filling, first try with water.
That is why it is necessary to use thick plastic to make a bath, although it is more expensive.
Despite the fact that a small piece of plastic seems tough, as soon as you make a large bath, you will immediately see all the flexibility. After matting, the liquid should be immediately drained back into the canister.
This is very inconvenient when working, because such a weight in a large area gives a very unstable design.
The slightest kink of the bath causes the flow of all the fluid to one edge.
You must set the level of the bath before filling, first try with water.
That is why it is necessary to use thick plastic to make a bath, although it is more expensive.
Despite the fact that a small piece of plastic seems tough, as soon as you make a large bath, you will immediately see all the flexibility. After matting, the liquid should be immediately drained back into the canister.
The glue for PVC is called Cosmofen. But be careful! Glue cyanoacrylate. Inhalation of vapor can cause pulmonary edema. The manufacture of a bathtub (pallet) is best ordered by specialists.You do not need to buy a whole sheet of plastic.
They have tools and technologies for precision sheet cutting, as well as proven bonding technology.
In addition, you can put in front of them a prerequisite - the complete tightness of the seams. You yourself cannot achieve this. What happens if fluid starts to leak? So it will be much cheaper to order from them.
They have tools and technologies for precision sheet cutting, as well as proven bonding technology.
In addition, you can put in front of them a prerequisite - the complete tightness of the seams. You yourself cannot achieve this. What happens if fluid starts to leak? So it will be much cheaper to order from them.
Prices are set by the masters themselves depending on the cost of the material and the labor expended. They also look at sandblasting prices. As a rule, the cost of 1 square meter of chemical matting of glass is 1.5-2 times higher than sandblasting. You must immediately inform the customer that chemical etching of glass is an expensive service. But there are many advantages compared to sandblasting: you do not need to constantly treat it with a hydrophobic liquid, and stains from dirty fingers do not remain. If you scratch the sandblasted glass with your fingernail, the white strip will remain almost forever, as the sandblasted glass works like sandpaper. But sandblasting on clear glass looks whiter than chemical matting. In general, there are pros and cons. But the decor is not for the poor, you need to prepare the client for this from the very beginning.
For example. The price for 1 sq. m of continuous matting and matte patterns should be different (just like the prices for chemical matting of transparent glass and chemical matting of a mirror should be different). Let's say, on a glass area of 1 sq. m it is necessary to apply a matte pattern scattered throughout the glass. In this case, the total area of the image itself is small.
Although the picture is scattered throughout the glass the total area is small. A small amount of glass etching liquid will be spent on it, but a fee will be charged for the entire glass area (this is 4 times the size of the picture). In addition to, when matting in a liquid form (if not with a paste), it will be necessary to protect the back of the glass with ORACAL film. This is an additional cost, which means an increase in price by 1 sq.m.
Stencil Catalog in Corel_Draw
Dear visitors! In your arsenal you can get a whole set of (thematically divided into groups)stencils in vector format for frosting glass and mirrors.
The proposed archive contains about 5000 (!) Stencils of absolutely different subjects:
- Monograms and intricate "royal" ornaments
- Classic strict images
- Frame ornaments with floral, thematic (for example, Africa) and abstract motifs
- Logos: from car to beer
- People of different professions
- Oriental-style ornament, hieroglyphs (especially the most popular)
- Celtic patterns, tattoos, knots
- Pictures for a children's theme
- Stained glass
- Butterflies, beetles, various animals from insects to fossil dinosaurs and much more
Hundreds of people worked on these stencils, and the proposed archives contain works for any; even the most unexpected and sophisticated requests.
Examples of stencils of famous personalities from the catalog.
Examples of some animals from the catalog download
Download the catalog of stencils 5000 pcs. in Corel_Draw format
In addition, you can download a completely free collection of stencils on cabinets. The collection contains more than 500 stencils. By subscribing to our newsletter, you will receive a link to download the archive.
Matting a large mirror in the interior
The buyer of the video course IVSATIN “Secret of Glass”, our partner Maxim K., kindly shared with us a photo report about his performed liable order for a restaurant.
As part of his marketing campaign, he received an order for matting large-area images. On a mirror measuring 4300 * 1600 mm, it was necessary to apply a matte pattern - a symbol and legend of the city of Baku - the Maiden’s Tower. Quite a lot of time was spent searching for high-quality photos in making a stencil. However, when the photograph was found, the result satisfied everyone. Here's what happened:
Since the tower is 1000 mm x 1500 mm in size, it was decided to divide the stencil in half, along the pattern, to facilitate its application to the mirror. Next, the stencil was glued to the mirror, and the entire area around the picture was carefully covered with polyethylene. (to keep from accidental contact with the matting paste). A drain for water was made from the same film during subsequent washing of the mirror. Paste was washed off with a hand spray gun, which is used to spray flowers /garden, and a sponge with soap. The paste was applied, as well, in two passes and the border was a junction of two mirrors; so there were no traces left.
Here is how it was:
Here is how it was:
“Glamiart” Customer Reviews
New GLAMIART works
Recently IVSATIN together with GLAMIART shot a short video entitled “Anyone can!”, In which Maxim speaks and shares how he started his business and opened his glass workshop.
Maxim's advice on buying your own plotter.
