Welding multiple printed panels is a technique to combine two or more panels together so they can be installed as once. The key benefit to doing this is the registration is done on the table rather then on the wrap vehicle itself. By welding them on the table, they align perfectly and not distorted over the vehicle’s body. From there experienced installers can peel all the backing paper away and “float” the entire large decal on the vehicle to be wrapped. This is especially helpful to make sure all of the visual elements get layed up they way they were intended to and perfect suited to application to cargo vans and suvs.

Step 1

In this case we’ll put together two panels, however you can use this technique to weld as many vehicle graphic panels as you feel comfortable handling. Register the panels together to achieve the proper overlap your RIP software was set to before printing.

Step 2

When your panels are properly aligned, place a small piece of masking tape at the top and bottom of the printed side to hold in place.

Step 3

Place a bead or two of masking tape along the length of the seam. This seam must be strong enough to hold it’s own weight, so it’s important to properly tape this area. If the tape seam isn’t adequate, when you remove the backing paper and hold the open vinyl graphics, the panels may split apart.

Step 4

Flip the two panels over with the printed side face down in order to begin joining them.

Step 5

Peel the backing paper from the underlying panel at a slight angle and with your other hand press firmly on the top panel were the overlap is. Continue slowly down the panel in the same fashion until you’re finished, peeling away the backing paper from panel underneath and pressing down on the overlap. This can also be done with a squeegee if you’d prefer.

Step 6

Tape the backing paper together with a solid bead of masking tape so they will remove together.

Step 7

So now your panels should be taped fully in the front and back. They’re ready to apply. When you peel away the backing paper, it should completely remove as one sheet. Leave the front masking tape on for now to ensure the panels don’t split away as you’re holding the vinyl in the air and you can remove it once it’s loosely mounted on the wrap vehicle.