Vinyl for signs, shop windows, vehicles and textiles
We cut adhesive vinyl for outdoor lettering, plus flex and flock for textiles. With transfer tape so you can apply it yourself. From 1 piece, made in Rottach-Egern.
Three cases that come in regularly
From the trades: vehicle lettering
Company name, phone number and logo for vans and trailers. Contour-cut and taped, so the lettering goes onto the panel in one piece.
From the shop: the window
Opening hours, a promotion line, or a frosted-glass look as a screen. It peels off without residue when the season ends.
From the club: bib numbers and banners
Consecutively numbered vinyl signs for a race, plus names on jerseys in flex. From 1 piece, so a late entrant is not left without a number.
What plotting is good for
Whenever a single-colour area has to sit edge-sharp — from quantity one.
Signs and shop windows
Opening hours, company name, logo, wayfinding — straight onto glass, sheet metal, wood or plastic.
Vehicle lettering
Company cars, trailers, plant machinery: lettering, phone number, logo in cast filmCast filmAn adhesive film made by casting: very thin, dimensionally stable and low in stress. It lays into curves and recesses and lasts eight to ten years outdoors — the only choice for vehicle lettering. with multi-year durability.
Textile finishing
Club shirts with number and name, workwear, an anniversary T-shirt — in flex or flock.
Stickers and labelling
Asset labels, machine markings, wall decals, stickers for equipment and packaging.
Adhesive film material list
Adhesive film goes onto a solid substrate — glass, sheet metal, wood, plastic. What separates the grades is not colour but outdoor durability and the ability to lay into a curve. Put monomeric film on a car and the lettering is cracked after two summers.
| Film | Durability | Substrate | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monomeric adhesive film | 2–4 years | flat surfaces: glass, sheet metal, plastic | indoor lettering, short campaigns, shop windows |
| Polymeric adhesive film | 5–7 years | slightly curved surfaces | signs, shop fronts, trailers |
| Cast film | 8–10 years | strongly curved and recessed surfaces too | vehicle lettering, full wraps, curves |
| Reflective film | 5–7 years | flat | hazard marking, vehicle contours, safety lettering |
| Frosted glass film | 8–10 years | glass | office privacy screens, ornaments, shower panels |
| Chalkboard film | permanent indoors | flat, smooth | writable chalk surfaces |
| Magnetic sheet | 5–7 years | steel sheet | removable vehicle signs |
Textile film material list
Textile film is not glued but applied with heat and pressure — cut mirrored, weeded, pressed. The wash figures assume inside-out washing without fabric softener.
| Film | Durability | Substrate | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| PU flex filmFlex filmA polyurethane film that is cut, weeded and pressed onto textiles with a heat press. Thin and stretchable, it follows the fabric and suits shirt numbers and fine contours. | 50+ washes at 40 °C | cotton, blends, polyester | shirt numbers, lettering, fine contours |
| Flock filmFlock filmA textile film with short upright fibres — the surface feels velvety and sits visibly proud. The classic club-shirt feel, more premium than flex but less able to hold fine detail. | 40+ washes at 40 °C | cotton, blends | velvety raised finish, club logos, retro look |
| Glitter flex | 30+ washes at 30 °C | cotton, blends | dance groups, children's shirts, event textiles |
| Metallic / mirror flex | 30+ washes at 30 °C | cotton, blends | eye-catching accents, small areas |
| Reflective flex | 30+ washes at 30 °C | sportswear, workwear | visibility in the dark |
| Sublimation blocker flex | 50+ washes | polyester (dyed too) | stops dark polyester dye bleeding through |
| Nylon flex | 30+ washes at 30 °C | nylon, rain jackets, bags | heat-sensitive synthetics |
Other plottable materials
| Material | Thickness | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Photo card, coloured paper | up to 300 gsm | craft work, stencils, invitations |
| Self-adhesive paper | up to 200 gsm | labels, packaging samples |
| Stencil film (Mylar) | 0.1–0.25 mm | reusable spray stencils |
| Thin magnetic sheet | up to 0.4 mm | fridge magnets, planning boards |
| Sandblast stencil film | 0.2 mm | glass etching, stone lettering |
What the plotter cannot do
A cutting plotter knows no gradients, no photographs and no halftones — it separates a single-colour film along a line. Multi-colour motifs are built by laying several films precisely on top of each other; beyond about four colours that costs more than printing. Very fine detail below 3 mm stroke width can no longer be weeded — engraving or printing is then the better route.
File requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Format | SVG preferred, alternatively DXF, AI, EPS or vector PDF |
| Paths | Closed contours, no open lines — the plotter cuts outlines, not strokes |
| Type | Convert to paths before export — we do not have your font |
| Lines | Contour without width; a 2 mm stroke is read as two cuts |
| Minimum stroke width | ≥ 3 mm on textile film, ≥ 2 mm on adhesive film — thinner cannot be weeded |
| Counters | Counters (the hole in an “a”) from 2 mm — smaller ones are lost during weedingWeedingAfter plotting, everything that is not part of the motif is pulled away. That is handwork and the real limit on fineness: below roughly 2 to 3 millimetres of stroke width it can no longer be weeded… |
| Colours | One layer or file per film colour — we cut one pass per colour |
| Mirroring | We do that — supply reading correctly, not pre-mirrored |
| Scale | 1:1 in millimetres; state the intended final size |
| Working width | Up to 600 mm film width, length per roll |
| No vector? | A logo as PNG or a photo is enough — redrawing is a small line item |
The recurring mistake in cutting files: an image instead of a contour. The blade cannot cut a JPG or PNG, it needs a path. Send EPS, SVG, PDF or AI. Second point: lettering under 15 mm high tears away during weeding. For small type we suggest printing on vinyl instead of cutting.
Frequently asked questions about plotting
Flex is smooth and thin, follows the fabric and suits fine contours and numbers. Flock is velvety and visibly raised — the classic club-shirt feel. The press holds both equally well; flex washes a little more robustly, flock looks more premium.
Cast film yes — it is made for it and lasts eight to ten years outdoors. After application wait at least 48 hours before the first wash, and keep the pressure jet off the edges.
Yes, up to about four colours. Each colour is cut separately and laid precisely on top — that is handwork and priced accordingly. From five colours, or with gradients, printing is cheaper; we will tell you honestly where the line sits.
About 10 mm cap height on adhesive film, closer to 12 mm on textile film — below that the excess material can no longer be weeded cleanly. What matters is not the height but the thinnest point inside the letter.
Yes. We supply it with application tape and short instructions. Larger areas we apply ourselves on request — worthwhile on vehicles in particular, because bubbles and creases are hard to correct.
Cotton, blends and polyester reliably. Nylon and coated rain jackets need a special film with a lower press temperature. On dark dyed polyester we use a blocker film, otherwise the fabric dye bleeds through.
Send the artwork — we plot.
Artwork, substrate, intended size and quantity are enough for a firm quote.
Request a plot