# How to mask recessed letters



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Is there a better way to mask this? Some kind of putty to put in and remove after painting?











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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

Would it be easier to paint the recessed letters last after masking over the yellow area?


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

DeanV said:


> Is there a better way to mask this? Some kind of putty to put in and remove after painting?
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> ...


Do you have to spray? We've done work like that with a low-nap roller.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

What he ^^^ said. I'd be apt to paint the whole thing, then mask off the face and cut out the recessed numbers with a razor blade and then paint them.


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## Gracobucks (May 29, 2011)

SemiproJohn said:


> Would it be easier to paint the recessed letters last after masking over the yellow area?


If your painting the inside too, then John has the right idea. If not i would tape the letters leaving the tape hanging out of the letters. Then with a brand new olfa blade would trim them down flush.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

It is a redo on the sign. It came from the sign company the wrong color, so I am trying to just do the gold color and put another coat of clear on it. I have no idea what is used on the sign, supposedly a UV resistant clear coat, but when I sand the old color, the color powdered up right away.

Since there could be a mystery clear coat, I did not want to try to redo the recessed portion since it would be harder to sand for good adhesion. I sanded the rest, hit it with stix, then Aura in the color shown there. But, when I removed the tape, it messed up my edge on the gold (primer and paint rolled up), so I need to give it another try. I could do the low nap roller I suppose.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Apply a coat of vaseline to the numbers, making sure to clean off any from the yellow, paint the yellow/gold, and then clean out the numbers*?*


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

That might work. I was thinking something like the Peel Away strippable weather seal caulk, modeling clay, etc. When I taped it for the first coat, it worked pretty good, but the edges were not locked down well enough when I removed the tape. The gold was fresh enough that I could clean out any bleed through with a damp micro fiber cleaning rag, but removing the tape pulled some of the paint off the face. More cure time would help, but not sure I could still easily clean up the bleed through.


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## Joseph (Aug 26, 2013)

DeanV said:


> Is there a better way to mask this? Some kind of putty to put in and remove after painting?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



play-dough or plasticine, scrape smooth with a razor. I've had success stopping bleed through using clear Alex caulk spread around tape edges, if you decide to use tape.



https://www.calgarypropainitng.com


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