kainth.c.s

Do we really need a clear vinyl film over the decals

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Hello everyone

 

I am doing the window graphics for a restaurant in australia (picture attached)

The decal is red and black vinyl letters on Yellow Matt vinyl backgrouond and are stuck from the outside of the glass (being double glazed and way too under the roof of the building, sticking them from the inside doesn't make them stand out much)

I have been told to put a clear film on the vinyl decals to avoid them from getting peeled and faded.

My question:

Is it really necessary to put clear film if the stickers are to be stuck from outside? I use the vinyl which the supplier claims lasts for 5-7 years (intermediate grade polymeric vinyl, datasheet enclosed).

 

The climate over here in Australia stays cold for 7 months in a year and it is really chilling here. So, someone did tell me that winter and dew are the biggest enemies of the decals

 

Any inputs please?

kake da dhaba window 2.jpg

dao_ecotac_FTP_anglais_002E.pdf

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I don't print stuff but I think it's UV laminate that you want to use not just clear vinyl. I think Skeeter or someone has a pic of a print that has UV on one half and not the other that shows there IS some benefit to UV protection. Frog Juice is also supposed to help. 

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53 minutes ago, Wildgoose said:

I don't print stuff but I think it's UV laminate that you want to use not just clear vinyl. I think Skeeter or someone has a pic of a print that has UV on one half and not the other that shows there IS some benefit to UV protection. Frog Juice is also supposed to help. 

Hi

 

Thanks for replying

It is not printed but vinyl letters stuck on to vinyl background. All Yellow, red and Black are vinyls cut to shape and stuck accordingly. The idea is just to put clear vinyl film after the stickers have been stuck in place so they don't start to come off or fade after a couple of years, as per what someone said to me this morning

 

Any inputs please?

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I have never cleared over cut decals  - and in michigan we have some doozies of winters 

 

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Don't bother.

These decals will last years without any additional treatments.

In fact, the material should outlast those prices!

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Agreed with the others. Regular sign vinyl is pretty impervious to all the elements. It would probably create more problems than it would help. Trapped air at the edges of the inside layers will be visible and almost unavoidable.

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Agreed.  Differently do not laminate over layered vinyl.  If it were printed vinyl and you needed it to last more than a couple of years then that is another story.

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On 6/6/2019 at 8:27 PM, Wildgoose said:

I don't print stuff but I think it's UV laminate that you want to use not just clear vinyl. I think Skeeter or someone has a pic of a print that has UV on one half and not the other that shows there IS some benefit to UV protection. Frog Juice is also supposed to help. 

That was me...I had an HP 5500 wide format inkjet printer with UV inks.  I printed on an adhesive vinyl stock and laminated with a UV film (LAMEX).

I put the 18"x 24" coroplast sign outside in full sun...it was out there for over 3 years...the coroplast was breaking down and the unlaminated bottom of the sign was badly faded....BUT, the top laminated half was still doing fine.

I have kept that sign to show customers how well the print holds up. Unfortunately, I recently had to replace the HP 5500 ( it was only 16 years old! ) and now I need to test out my new wide format to see if it will hold up as well.

 

Sign_Fading_Sample.jpg

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Just so newbies don't get confused - hp uv resistant ink is not the same as the UV cured in that roland uses - Roland uses an ink that cures under big UV lights and is designed as a eco friendly way to produce long lasting outdoor signage.  many states for a  couple of years were specifying the UV cured ink on state funded projects - I think most of that has gone away, not sure about in california though.  Eco solvent inks and latex inks only need laminating for life over about 4 years - I had a decal on my last truck I would guess 6 years without fading or lamination from my oem roland ink printer

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