mjrbaseball Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 This is probably a silly question with a simple answer, but I don't know it. Maybe someone does.Football helmet decals are obviously printed on flat sheets. Then they are adhered to curved helmets. How do you apply a flat logo onto a curved surface without getting creases or bubbles or other flaws? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbman21 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 They are printed on a thick,stretchy plastic called 'mylar' with a really heavy,gluey adhesive underneath.The mylar bends and conforms to the helmet,and all you really need is your thumbs to press and smooth the air bubbles out.If you ever did one for yourself you'd see there's nothing to it at all.In fact,unless I'm mistaken I believe all NFL equipment managers replace their helmet decals every couple of games,and probably some on a week-to-week basis.Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebod39 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 the mylar is suprisingly very thick so there's hardly any room for error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paynomind Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I have some GT stickers from the Georgia Tech athletic department, and they are very thick, and exceptionally sticky. They are flexible however, so they fit the curve of the helmet. NCFA Sunset Beach Tech - Octopi  ΓΔΒ!  Going to college gets you closer to the real world, kind of like climbing a tree gets you closer to the moon. "...a nice illustration of what you get when skill, talent, and precedent are deducted from 'creativity.' " - James Howard Kunstler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjrbaseball Posted March 2, 2005 Author Share Posted March 2, 2005 Thanks. I thought it was something like that. It just seemed to defy the laws of geometry somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 They can probably be heated too, right?Everyone on my high school team (back in '94) had bubbles in their stickers because we put them on ourselves and screwed up.Completely changing gears...Don't the Rams still have painted horns instead of stickers? "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paynomind Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 any kind of vinyl can be heated to try and eliminate bubbles, but a good clean surface and a sound process can keep you from getting bubbles. They put on a LOT of stickers. They get good at it. NCFA Sunset Beach Tech - Octopi  ΓΔΒ!  Going to college gets you closer to the real world, kind of like climbing a tree gets you closer to the moon. "...a nice illustration of what you get when skill, talent, and precedent are deducted from 'creativity.' " - James Howard Kunstler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean69 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Anybody know who make these decals? Company name?etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagan696 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 not mylar. mylar is not conformable. mylar films are more like the metal/mirror chrome look films widely available.it depends on who manufactures them, but at our shop it's a two part decal. the base is a high performance vinyl (many brands avail like 3M, Avery, MacTac, Convex, etc.) that can be printed onto. the top layer is a thick overlaminate for protection and gloss (anywhere from 8 to 12 mil thick). then it is computer die-cut on large flatbed plotters to shape. application is a trick since like you mentioned it's a flat decal going on a round object (the helmet). the materials are constructed to flex during application. it's also good to have some experience doing compound curve applications, because it is so tricky. another helpful tip is heat can be your friend, warming the vinyl will make it a little more flexible, enabling you to work it easier.... and if you think a helmet is tough, try a fully wrapped Volkswagen Beetle or PT Cruiser (the stuff i get to work with everyday) ! the materials are slightly different but the principal is the same. Carolina Dreamin' ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ When a robotic Nixon is on the loose, we have a duty to take action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagan696 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Anybody know who make these decals? Company name?etc... Riddell has a sub-contracted company that handles most of their clients. there are many other shops that should be able to handle this type of work Carolina Dreamin' ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ When a robotic Nixon is on the loose, we have a duty to take action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I got a question, How do they get there helmet decals to be lined up and in the right place so well? When we did it for my teams I could never get both logos to be exactly symmetrical and it looked off but you never see a pro helmet like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagan696 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 some have a custom stand/vice for application. Carolina Dreamin' ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ When a robotic Nixon is on the loose, we have a duty to take action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeenVol Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 ... and if you think a helmet is tough, try a fully wrapped Volkswagen Beetle or PT Cruiser (the stuff i get to work with everyday) ! the materials are slightly different but the principal is the same. I used to design carwraps...not an easy process. And when we were short in the shop I helped with application. Lots of heating...heat guns are your friends...a good sharp xacto knife...and smooth squeege...and lots of patience.Do you do design for carwraps pagen? It was a fun process while I did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcgd Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I do them. They are fun. The last one I did was boring, client driven as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagan696 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 ... and if you think a helmet is tough, try a fully wrapped Volkswagen Beetle or PT Cruiser (the stuff i get to work with everyday) ! the materials are slightly different but the principal is the same. I used to design carwraps...not an easy process. And when we were short in the shop I helped with application. Lots of heating...heat guns are your friends...a good sharp xacto knife...and smooth squeege...and lots of patience.Do you do design for carwraps pagen? It was a fun process while I did it. all day, everyday...http://www.admarkgraphics.com Carolina Dreamin' ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ ΓΔΒ When a robotic Nixon is on the loose, we have a duty to take action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruColor Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I love learnin' new stuff...Thanks guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_cynic Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 How expensive are they to print though? Utah Jazz Retired Number's#1 - Frank Layden - #7 Pete Maravich - #12 John Stockton - #14 Jeff Hornacek - #35 Darrell Griffith - #53 Mark EatonRetired Number's To Come#00 The Bear (Best Mascot In NBA) - #4 Adrian Dantley - #32 Karl "The Mailman" Malone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacker12 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Actually, I think that the graphics are printed first on a thin sheet of adhesive mylar. Then, a thick sheet of vinyl or mylar is placed over the graphics to protect the graphics. At least, that's what it seems like whenever I have faced while taking off decals and having them split on me. And also, to add on to robbman21's post, I'm pretty sure that NFL managers actually replace the decals every week. What they do after the game is strip the helmet of all it's decals, scrub the helmet down with a steel wool pad to get off all the "war marks", put on the new decals, and wipe down the helmet with Future Floor Polish to give that high polish shine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacker12 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 They can probably be heated too, right?Everyone on my high school team (back in '94) had bubbles in their stickers because we put them on ourselves and screwed up.Completely changing gears...Don't the Rams still have painted horns instead of stickers? No, they have decals just like even (gasp!) the Bengals. Our GA manager at Troy saw someone put the tiger stripes on the Bengals helmet. He said that it is not an easy process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieboh Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 This is my first post guys. I've lurked on this site and the other site for a while. I love the passion you all have for logos and logo design. It shows in your design work.Do they print the object (reverse image) on the inner side of the mylar and then apply the glue? I've often wondered about this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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