Fablab rules sticker

It's evident that if you run an open fabrication laoboratory, you have to handle certain rules, in order to maintain the lab, keep it clean, working secure etc. Therefore, a fab chart exists.

In our lab, we have some small windows to the stairway house approx 60cm width and 2, 50 high. This inspired me to make a big sticker of the whole chart, and stick it to that milk glass, so it stands out and is good readable.

First, I lay outed the whole chart in illustrator and create outlines of the text. Then i could start making tests on the camm vinyl cutter to make sure it cuts just enough deep to cut through the sticker material, and not also halv into the supporting material. After to runs, it was perfect. By coaccident, Joris from the lab in utrecht was with me and very helpful, since I am not so experianced on that machine yet. One of his great ideas was to make lines between the sentences, so it's easyer to peal of the surrounding.

Ones i pealed off the whole surrounding, the doctor works begun. All the tiny spot in the b's, p's a's etc had to be removed by hand with a tweezer. It takes time, and I am afraid there is no way to automize this.

I have to say, there are more left overs than the actual product, but ok, this is not a sustainability project...

After your done with the doctor's job, you need to attach a special sticker foil to be able to remove them from the paper. its better if you do that with 2 people, at least with a format that big.

the suppliers of this material recomend to leave the special paper on your sticker for 20 minutes, because it seems that the glue gets more intense within that time. Have a coffee.

For the next step I was a bit nerveus, since I allready spend around 3 hours for that project, and in the past I was not allways succesfull sticking stickers, a delicate job. But to my surpise, it went fairly easy. I pealed of the first part on top, and positioned the whole thing and start to press it on the glass, which I could do on my own. Sometimes the letters stick to much on the foil and you have to help it by rubbing them firmly again on the material, bevor they all come off. But it is very manageable and I am pleased with the result.

Now for everybody: Read it if you visit our lab :-)

Machine Settings:

Pen Force: 140 gf

Speed: 20cm/s