A little lesson on what not to use when marking measurements....

[slow96z]

OK, in hindsight it was stupid, but just for future reference, don't use a red sharpie marker to mark the back side of vinyl when it is going to get wet.



I went to the storage this morning to look at my boat and found 2 of my seats were now polka-dotted with pink (I used yellow on the rest of them).  I guess the ink on the bottom side got wet and bled through.  Maybe it's not so permanent after all.  

[Steve at Silverstone Fabrics]

Hey......don't feel too bad about the red sharpie. Making mistakes  is how most of us learned the trade.  The secret is remember your lessons and avoid it the next time.

I first learned of "bleed through" before I was a shop owner. My 1st "real world" job was being a fabric rep for Dogwood Fabrics (based out of Atlanta) and I was call to one of my accounts in Myrtle Beach, SC. When I got there, he had a boat seat on his table and right in the middle of the seat looked to be a backwards SF.......we stripped off the cover and it exposed where he had used an ink pen to mark "F"ront "S"eat (FS) on the seat top. He was embarrassed and both of us learned the lesson the you discovered with your boat seat.

Thank you for sharing your experience and helping others avoid "bleed through". Steve

[Peppy]

Experience is a poor teacher, you get the exam before the lesson.

Pemanent shmurmenant. If you get silicon spray on your hands and brush ink or marker your fingers can pick it up and deposit it permanently (for real this time) on vinyl. I do use sharpies for marking out foam but I try to cut it off or mark the bottom. I also like using slip film which I think helps prevent bleed through.

[kodydog]

Definitely a bummer Slow. I remember all that hard work, and the good job you did. But better to learn on your own project than a customers. I usually use chalkboard chalk. On a light color like yours I use pencil but have to be very careful not to smear.

[JuneC]

That actually looks like the pink algae (mold?) that frequently invades cushions in Florida.  I'd say it might or might not be your sharpie.  In any case, sharpie marks and vinyl are a bad combination.  If it's the algae, let the cushions dry out really well in the sun.  The algae may just disappears as mysteriously as it came.  It may take several weeks or it may never go away.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/mckee-craft-boats/186870-pink-spots-vinyl.html

June

[JuneC]

Try this.  Get on down to your local garden shop (or Home Depot/Lowes) and buy some Ortho rose fungicide.  Cover part of the spots with the fungicide and don't rinse.  If that part goes away after a few days or so, it's not sharpie. 

June

[Mike]

my last podt was on my phone after see the pic on my pc i agree with jume looks like pink mold. marker will burn through with the same marks as oin the inside not nlotches.  i wonder with the mold if its a xheap vinyl issue ive never had it on any boat of mike or have  i had a past upholstery customer call me back , i did have a customer asj me abouyt a stain  in his rear sunpad.  his son had a indian girlfrien he said who used alot of oils and then layd o nthe viyl the next week he had a pink stain the later faded away

[DBR1957]

I would say mold also. If it was bleed through it would be only where
you marked with the Sharpie. I doubt you marked all that. Plus the marks
are somewhat circular in shape. Indicative of growth.

[gscmarine]

I just mark vinyls with a pencil and mark out foam with a black china marker.no problems.

[Mojo]

I am with June. I looked at the pic and felt right away it was algae. Sharpies typically wont run like that and migrate all over the fabric. It stays pretty much concentrated in one area.

I am going to lay down my bet as algae.

Chris

[rustyeod]

Went to a seminar at last years CMCFA convention and we covered this phenomenon.  They called it mildew. I can't remember if they discussed a remedy or not.  Junes remedy sounds promising, please keep us posted.

[Mike]

June can you explain further on that fungicide mere of maybe a new thread I like to be a le to decomend that I never heard of it.  Is it a powder you put all over.?

[scarab29]

The topic of "pink mildew" was in an ifai article or marine fabricator mag a few years ago. I'venever seen it but have heard of it.

Back on topic ,sharpies for my patterns only !! Chalk , pencil , soapstone , grease pencils/china markers are my fabric friends . 8)

[Mike]

Back on topic ,sharpies for my patterns only !! Chalk , pencil , soapstone , grease pencils/china markers are my fabric friends . 8)

ive not found a good while pencil latly that will not keep breaking the tip

[rustyeod]

Mike
I got an eyeliner pencil sharpener that is a little gentler on the pencils and keeps the tip from breaking,