Product news and information for the sign, screen and graphic arts trade
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Have you ever seen silvery specs in a laminated print? This defect is called silvering. It’s caused when tiny air bubbles are captured between the adhesive on an overlaminating film and the surface of a print. Silvering is generally most noticeable in the dark shadow areas of a print. Read more »
There’s usually more than one way to do something. Printers and sign makers have devised many different techniques for laminating prints. This story covers procedures that have worked for some industry friends. Hopefully, these tips will help you prevent laminating mishaps, save production time and, most importantly, improve profitability. Read more »
With the right film, the right application tools and the right techniques, vinyl graphics can be applied to textured wall surfaces such brick and concrete block. Many of old time decal applicators would heat a cast vinyl with an industrial heat gun, and burnish the hot, pliable film into the textured surface using a rivet […] Read more »
In the movie, Karate Kid, do you remember the instruction that Mr. Miyagi gives Daniel on waxing a car?“Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Don’t forget…very important.” Read more »
Getting good adhesion to painted wall surfaces has been a problem for sign makers and the manufacturers of vinyl films. Flat finish paints are especially a problem. To help your customer avoid the pitfalls that result in vinyl graphics falling off the wall, here are some guidelines to follow before beginning a wall graphics installation. Read more »
Vinyl window graphics provide retailers with several advantages over hand-painted graphics. Cost-effective machine-made graphics consistently reproduce a company’s image from one store location to another to another. The durability of cast vinyl film is also much greater. Paint systems typically provide three years of durability. If the right films are used, processed according to the manufacturer’s […] Read more »
Vinyl application to stained and varnished wood can be problematic, if the panel is not prepared properly. Some factory-finished panels have a slightly stippled textured, which can interfere with the adhesive making complete contact with the substrate. Read more »
Shortcuts can lead to problems. About 25 years ago I inspected a graphics failure on a corrugated trailer. The vinyl had lifted from the valleys of the corrugations and was cracking and peeling from the trailer surface. The installer had taken one of those shortcuts. He had tacked the graphic into position at the corners, […] Read more »
Bubble Trouble Read more »
Selecting the right overlaminate for a particular graphics application requires just as must consideration as selecting the right digital print media. And for many, it can be just as confusing, if not more so. For starters, just page through any distributor catalog, and you will find a wide array of options, nearly as extensive as […] Read more »
