How to get more from your laser cut latex
overlay
Prepping your photo-negative offcut as an overlay.
 
Getting you from the original un-separated laser cut part, to a
doubled up overlay with a photo-negative version.
 
1) As described in the "How to apply a laser cut overlay"
tutorial - Remove the extra (negative) parts of your overlay. Once
you have don this, the parts might be crumpled and stuck to themselves...
but some patient unfolding can return them to their original shape.
2) Once you have removed and unfolded the negative space from your
overlay, carefully lay the parts flat on your working surface. Place
the parts SHINY SIDE UP, and align any interior parts as you want
them. Set your Positive overlay asside.
3) It may take some careful work to shape your overlay as you want
it. Without the plastic backing the latex tends to stretch and bend
with almost a will of it's own. In this case, the nose cutout has
been placed in the middle of the scull negative space, and the eyes
needed to be aligned with the shape. The top of the scull needed
to be carfully prodded into shape. Tweezers and toothpicks make
good tools for aligning the overlay as the small tip allows you
to push the latex around without any sticking/static cling that
might cause your piece to get un-aligned agian.
4) Apply some low-tack plastic to the overlay. This type of plastic
is available at local art stores and hardware stores (often as adhesive
shelf paper under the brand "contact-paper"). You can
re-use the backing paper from your laser cut overlay shapes. It
helps to stick one edge of the plastic to the work surface and slowly
roll the plastic down onto the overlay as it lays still on the surface.
Apply the plastic very gently at first to help to keep everything
in alignment.
5) Once the plastic is applied gently to the shiny side of the Photo-Negative
overlay, press down more firmly to stick the latex to the plastic.
You can also use a roller if you have one.
6) Gently peel the plastic away from the work surface. Your overlay
should stay with the plastic and be nicely aligned for you.
7) Flip over your overlay. The rough side of the latex is now exposed
for cleaning and glue as we describe in our "How
to apply a laser cut latex overlay" tutorial.
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Email us: info@laserlatex.com
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