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UV and/or Scratch Resistant Spray?

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From what I understand, sublimation will fade in sunlight and scratch if not careful. Does anyone know of a spray or coating that will prevent either from happening? Thanks in advance. 

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What are you trying to sublimate? None of my cloth or metal sublimated items have that problem.....Most of the blanks you buy will already have a UV coating on them...not to mention all of the sublimation ink I know of is UV rated

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What are you trying to sublimate? None of my cloth or metal sublimated items have that problem.....Most of the blanks you buy will already have a UV coating on them...not to mention all of the sublimation ink I know of is UV rated

I agree Macon but the two weaknesses of sublimation ink in outdoor setting  is - it is dye based which is not a stable long term as pigment inks and the poly coating can break down in weather over time.  a few years back I was looking into the process to make photo plaques for grave monuments and it is a specialized type of printing to make it durable over many many years.  I have seen sublimated licence plates that have faded over time and some look good a long time that are garage kept.  so usage makes a big difference.  I also know there is a big difference in exposure from Michigan to Arizona so climate plays a big part too

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Most of my sublimation products are hard substrates.  I have had zero issues with scratching in 11+ years.  Sublimation actually becomes part of the coating so unlike the old days where the an un-sublimated image would sit on top of your ceramic and you could scratch it off with a nail, with sublimation you would need to remove the actual coating to scratch off the sublimated image.  Fading is definitely an issue with sublimation.  We suggest indoor applications to cover ourselves.  That being said, sunlight is relative to where you are planning on installing.  The effects of sunlight in NY and going to be certainly less than the effects of sunlight in say FL or CA.  Also, certain colors seem to fade faster than others.  

 

I have heard of some people using Frog Shield to add extra UV protection and also protect from graffiti but have never used it myself.  I'd be interested to hear if anyone has used that product.

 

One last thing ... if you are planning on doing an outdoor tile, be sure to use a porcelain tile if they are being installed in an area where it freezes.  Glazed ceramic is too porous and will absorb a ton of water whereas porcelain are non porous and will only absorb 1% of their weight of water.

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