Oh no I used the wrong vinyl

[J9Mommy]

I bought some cricut vinyl and started making stickers with it. Well I just assumed vinyl= stick anywhere. I mean I heard someone used contact paper on their mailbox and it was fine, so I figured the cricut vinyl was good to go.

So I made some car decals and then on a little moms board I belong too, they are linked to a store like etsy and I decided to sale some....Anyway I have sold about 10 for 5 dollars each. Everyone is using them on their cars.

So now fast foward to today when I came on here to get info on buying more vinyl in bulk. I find out by reading that cricut vinyl should not be used outside. I can't believe this thought never occured to me.

I really prided myself in making a nice product and now I am freaked out what is going to happen to their stickers on their cars !!! I am going to make sure to buy the next level up from now on, but what about the ones I already sold ? I hope they last for awhile....

[craftydiva]

you could always re-cut them using new vinyl and post them out to your customers...
Hugs
Karen

[DonnaL]

That's a great idea to remake them and offer them as replacements. People will admire your honesty and hard work and chuckle at your 'learning experience' and it will create lots of new business in the long run because you shared that you care! Perhaps people will be glad to reimburse your 'cost' a bit too.

You can always tell them to look at the bright side: it's much better to have these fall off too easy than to sell indoor vinyl quote designs and accidentally have that so permanent that it takes the paint and drywall off!

Donna

[swirliepants]

I agree with the other posters but I will say that I have Wall Pops indoor vinyl on my car and they have been holding up well. The only ones that are fading are the ones on my computer ... which I use indoors.

[J9Mommy]

I agree with the other posters but I will say that I have Wall Pops indoor vinyl on my car and they have been holding up well. The only ones that are fading are the ones on my computer ... which I use indoors.

How long has your vinyl been on the car ?


I just spent some time reading on uscutter. I was going to order oracle 651 for car decals, but even on their site it says that one is not good for car windows if you need to remove it later. Something about the adhesive separating eventually and being impossible to come off. It was saying to use the oracle 751 for car windows....which of course is so expensive. This has turned into a fun little side gig to stressful now....

What a nightmare !!! I don't mind ordering the good stuff and redoing it, but of course I am literally days away from delivering my third child and we have no extra money right now. This sucks. I am so torn. My decal I made for my car is holding up fine, but it's only been a month.

[firstcut]

Cricut vinyl is Oracal 631. It is "exhibition vinyl," not necessarily indoor vinyl, and still has a 2-3 year life outdoors (not positive, but you can look up those specs). I have no problem putting it on my own cars, as I am going to tire of any given design in that amount of time anyway, but wouldn't sell it to someone without that caveat. Why not send your customers a voucher for a free replacement when the sticker wears out, along with an explanation as the stickers are probably already on their cars. That way you can take your time doing your research, etc., but still take care of customers.

[J9Mommy]

Cricut vinyl is Oracal 631. It is "exhibition vinyl," not necessarily indoor vinyl, and still has a 2-3 year life outdoors (not positive, but you can look up those specs). I have no problem putting it on my own cars, as I am going to tire of any given design in that amount of time anyway, but wouldn't sell it to someone without that caveat. Why not send your customers a voucher for a free replacement when the sticker wears out, along with an explanation as the stickers are probably already on their cars. That way you can take your time doing your research, etc., but still take care of customers.

OMG thank you so much for that info. I thought I saw somewhere about the 2-3 year outdoor span but it's hard to find specifics on their vinyl. *EDIT* OK I am breath easier at the moment while I figure out what to do. I saw a press release on Provocraft talking about their vinyl and it does say 3 year outside. It also mentions good for windows and cars. So now I know not the best choice, but I was worried the vinyl could not be used outside at all.
Has your vinyl held up well on your vehicles ?

[firstcut]

I have a hot pink decal on one car that has been there for 6 months. Includes very small detailed letters. No peeling and no fading. Haven't had my Cricut much longer than that, so that's the only data I can give you.

[swirliepants]

I have not had them very long.

BTW glad everything seems to have worked out and congrats ont he new baby!

[myvinyldesigner]

Hopefully we can share some info that will also be helpful to you. We run a storefront vinyl business and have years of experience with different vinyl films. The Oracal 631 vinyl does state that it can be used outdoors, but that is all dependent upon weather conditions. In extreme temperatures, it starts to fade and/or crack within a year.

Here is a quick link to useful info about vinyl and transfer tape ... http://www.myvinyldesigner.com/blog/cat ... w-Tos.aspx ... we recommend the Oracal 751 vinyl for outdoor use. The Ultra Rite High Tack transfer tape is also the best for these vinyl films.

Just offer to replace your customer's designs at no charge and chalk it up to a learning experience ... and be sure to charge a little more for your work. Your costs and overhead are inexpensive, but vinyl stick figures generally retail between $3 to $5 a person. Here is quick link to the retail pricing info we suggest to our customers ... http://www.myvinyldesigner.com/blog/cat ... ilies.aspx This pricing is based on these particular stick figure designs ... http://www.myvinyldesigner.com/Products ... nload.aspx

Lastly, our favorite and most affordable vinyl supplier is Regional Supply at 1-800-365-8920 ... they are perhaps the forerunners in home decor vinyl. Hope this all helps! Congrats on your newest little family member!!!! Michelle