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Picked spray paint over stickers for my protest sign. Big mistake. | DIY Protests and Signs - Free To Speak

Picked spray paint over stickers for my protest sign. Big mistake.

I made a sign for a rally last Saturday and went with spray paint because I thought it'd look bolder than stickers. The stencil I cut from cardboard started bleeding after 10 seconds, so the text came out all fuzzy. Then the wind blew the sign out of my hands and it landed paint-side down on the sidewalk. Stickers would've been cleaner and cheaper, since I spent $8 on a can I barely used. Anyone else had luck with stick-on letters holding up in weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray8752mo ago

Nailed it exactly @drewr15. Same thing happened to me with an "End the War" sign. The stencil shifted and the paint bled so bad the letters turned into one giant smudge. Looked like a Rorschach test by the end. Spent $10 on the can and another $5 on stencil material that totally failed me. Stickers would have been way cleaner and cheaper, even if they peel a little in rain. Never picking up a spray can for a sign again.

drewr152mo ago

@gavin365 you hit the nail on the head. I tried spray paint for a "Stop the Cuts" sign last month and the stencil slipped halfway through. Ended up with a fuzzy mess that looked more like a horror movie title. The paint bled so bad the letters ran together and people thought it said something else entirely. Spent $9 on the can plus another $4 on a stencil that didn't work. Stickers would have cost me maybe three bucks and looked cleaner even after a light rain. Never again with spray paint.

gavin3652mo ago

Yeah, that sounds about right. Spray paint and cardboard is a classic combo for disaster, I learned that one the hard way too when my "peace" sign came out looking like a blob. Stickers might not hold up in the rain but at least they don't turn your sign into abstract art.