old_rider wrote on 12/23/13 at 09:39:03:You could always paint the tank red, get an inverted tape from the graphics shop (meaning they use a clear tape with the checks picked out), apply the inverted clear tape, cover the whole tank, spray your black, then wait for dry, peel the tape, polish (to take off the sharp edges of the squares), and then clear coat.
Or paint the tank black, then apply your graphic tape (with squares already cut but not removed), peel it off leaving the squares, paint your red, the carefully peal the squares away, polish, then clear coat....
Or... get an artist to paint each square by hand....
Hope this helps....
The inverted tape issue has two problems. The flat sheet cannot deal well with the compound curves. Imagine trying to press the paper/vinyl on the top of your helmet.....and you will understand what it is going to be like to get it onto the curved part of the bodywork behind the seat. Also, for a checkerboard to be made on a single sheet.....there is essentially nothing connecting the squares together....they only touch at a tiny tip. They can make checkerboard patterns when they have the paper backing to hold them together - but once again that paper is really bad at following curves that go in both directions.
I am going to paint the bodywork red first, then get a clear coat on it to protect the base paint. Then I will start masking and painting on top of that. One reason is that the red should be painted over a light colored base, and the black covers well over any color. I most likely will do the white stripes last.....as it will be difficult to get the absolute correct spot for the stripes prior to knowing exactly where the edges of the squares will be.
Taping is really the best way to work through the curves....if it can be done without bleeding under all the tape edges.
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