Sign Maker Advice


The humble squeegee L


et’s talk about the most under valued tool in any sign makers tool kit – the humble


squeegee. The squeegee is the interface between


us the fi tter and the vinyl. The right one can make a world of difference. So, what is the right one? There are as many answers to that question as the sign makers you ask it to! For those new to the trade there are a


few rules, as to which squeegees is used for which jobs. Plastic edge squeegees are for the application of cut vinyl graphics being applied with a covering of application tape, if used directly on the face of the vinyl they are very likely to scratch the fi lm. These scratches are more noticeable on dark coloured gloss vinyl. So how do we apply a digital print


or large area of vinyl be it a wrap or standard vinyl without scratches? Felt block squeegees are a useful tool, they are much softer on the face of the fi lm thus less scratches. One down side is that most of this type of squeegees are quite a course felt which can easily trap dirt in the felt and then scratch the fi lm when an application is made. In recent years a hybrid squeegee has


In this article, Paul Hughes from Sign Making Tools, provides some top tips for choosing the squeegee that is right for you and your business.


become very popular. A hybrid squeegee has the standard plastic edge on one side the other is covered with all manner of different felt, suede, cloth and exotic materials all called a buffer, wings or edges. The different materials are all there to do the same job – stop scratches. But all have different characteristics, some designed to glide, some designed to drag, some designed to be used wet some dry. Some are designed to be long lasting, some to be replaced regularly.


Lots of choice I think it’s becoming apparent that there is lots of choices and we have not even talked about the fl exibility of the squeegee. The fl ex or stiffness of the squeegee is measured in shores. The lower the number the softer the material. Again, which is right? Softer squeegees generally drag more but are more fl exible, harder ones tend to glide more but are more ridged. We better not talk about speciality


squeegees that are designed to get into all manner of different nooks and crannies of vehicles or the rubbered edge type squeegees used in window tinting, there are literally hundreds of choices.


So many people starting their sign


making journey just use the cheapest squeegee they can get or even one they are given by a vinyl supplier. My advice to all those starting out is try different squeegees, try a soft, medium and hard squeegee, try different buffers/ edges. It will become quite clear to you when you have found the right ones – it will improve the quality and speed of your vinyl applications, it can also lessen fatigue from prolonged use. Inevitable during use the plastic edge of


a squeegee will get damaged, any dinks or marks in the edge is likely to result in bubbles/scratches in the vinyl fi lm. The life of the squeegee can be extended by the use of a squeegee sharpener. This is like a small wood plane, when the edge of the squeegee is passed through it the damaged edge is planed off creating a new smooth edge. I know we can get attached to our tools


but squeegees only last for so long. A dirty damaged squeegee is not going to result in perfectly applied vinyl graphics, replace them regularly for best results. Next time we will talk about squeegee


technique and how it will transform your application of vinyl.


The squeegee is the interface between us the fitter and the vinyl | 40 | July/August 2024 www.signupdate.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76