Vinyl lettering is text and simple shapes cut out of a roll of coloured self-adhesive vinyl, so only the letters stay on the surface and the background is your own glass, paint or body panel. It is how shop names, door timings, “push” and “pull” signs and vehicle numbers are usually done. 3 Red Media cuts vinyl lettering for Pune shops, clinics, offices and vehicles and can arrange fitting when you send the size.
How cut vinyl differs from printed vinyl
Printed vinyl is a full-colour picture on a sheet. Cut vinyl has no picture at all: a machine drives a small blade through a solid-colour roll along your outline, and the waste around the letters is peeled away. What is left is a single colour with sharp edges. Both are useful, but for different jobs.
| Point | Cut vinyl lettering | Printed vinyl |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Solid colour, sharp edge, clear background | Full-colour image on a sheet |
| Best for | Names, timings, numbers, simple logos | Photos, gradients, detailed artwork |
| Background | None, it is your surface | Usually a full rectangle or shape |
| Colours | One roll colour per layer | Any colour mix |
| Outdoor life | Long, solid colour fades slowly | Good, shorter if not laminated |
| Page | This page | Vinyl sticker printing |
A glass door with the shop name in white cut letters looks sharper and more finished than the same name printed on a clear sheet. A logo with a photo or gradient is the opposite case and needs printing and contour cutting.
Where vinyl lettering goes
Glass doors and shop fronts
This is the commonest use. Shop name, opening hours, “open” and “closed”, payment logos, helpline lines and brand names are cut in white, gold, black or a brand colour. Lettering can go inside the glass so the film is protected from rain and cleaning, but it must be fitted mirrored if it is read from outside. Tell us which face of the glass it will go on. For a full-window graphic, see one way vision, and for privacy bands see frosted film.
Vehicles
Business names, contact lines, registration of a firm, school bus names and trade lines are cut from vehicle-grade vinyl and applied on doors, boot lids and bonnets. For a larger design, the car and bike wraps and vehicle branding pages explain what is possible.
Walls and interiors
Quotes, brand lines, reception names, room numbers and kids’ room decals are cut and stuck straight onto painted walls. Matt emulsion paint that has dried well takes vinyl; rough, powdery or freshly painted walls do not. More ideas are on the wall graphics page.
Boards, helmets, bottles and more
Cut letters also go on acrylic and metal name plates, sunboards, glass bottles, laptops, helmets and gym lockers. Anything smooth and clean is a candidate.
Colours and layers
Cut vinyl comes in plain gloss and matt colours, metallic gold and silver, and frosted. Each colour is a separate roll, so two-colour lettering means two layers cut and aligned. Most shop names stay with one or two colours. Reflective and glow vinyl exist for night-visibility signs. Tell us the surface behind the lettering, since white vinyl on a light wall will vanish and gold on light glass can look weak.
Sizes, fonts and what cuts cleanly
- Small text below about half an inch tall, thin hairlines and very sharp inner corners may lift while peeling. Choose a slightly bolder font for tiny text.
- Fonts: send the font name, or a clear image of the logo, and it can be traced for cutting. Devanagari lettering for Marathi names cuts well in a medium or bold weight.
- Logos with a single colour and bold shapes cut well. Fine gradients do not, and are better printed.
- Measurements: send the width and height you want the whole word or line to cover, not the height of one letter.
Maharashtra expects shop signboards to show the name in Marathi in Devanagari script. Check the current rule with your ward office or shop licence office before finalising a shop-front name.
Fitting and care
Lettering is sent with a transfer tape on top so spacing stays exact. The surface is cleaned with a glass cleaner or isopropyl wipe, the letters are positioned, pressed down and the tape peeled away at a low angle. On glass this takes minutes; on vehicles it takes a flat dry surface, no wind and no direct hot sun. Wait a day before washing a vehicle. Afterwards, wipe gently and avoid scraping edges with a squeegee. Outdoor cut vinyl on south or west faces fades slowly rather than suddenly; removal later is done with a little heat.
Good ideas for shop and office lettering
- Door timings: opening hours in one clean block beside the entrance, easier to read than a paper notice.
- Safety bands: a line of vinyl dots or a stripe at eye level across a full-height glass door so people do not walk into it.
- Pay-by-UPI and service lines: small cut logos near the billing counter window.
- Room signs: department names and cabin numbers on glass partitions inside an office.
- Seasonal messages: sale and festival lettering that peels off cleanly when the season ends.
Because the vinyl peels, lettering suits shops that change messages through the year. If you also need a lit board overhead, see sign board printing, and for full shop-front packages the shop branding page.
A quick note on reading direction
Lettering fitted on the inside face of a glass door reads in reverse from inside, so the layout is mirrored before cutting. This is done for you, but it matters if you send your own file: tell us which face of the glass the stickers will touch, and the proof you receive shows exactly how it will read from the street.
How to order
Send the text, font or logo file, the colour and the size or a photo of the door or panel with measurements. You get a rate and a digital layout to approve on WhatsApp before cutting begins. Collect it from Chandni Chowk, ask for delivery in Pune and PCMC, or ask for fitting to be arranged. Start from the quote page and upload the logo there.