Intercoat Adhesion
Intercoat adhesion refers to either the bond of a primer coat to a substrate, or to the adhesion of one coating to another. In many cases, a primer or top coat bonds to the primer or another coating mechanically. Although you may not see microscopic imperfections on a surface, a primer or paint will grip […] Read more »
Surface Gilding
The first time that I saw the gilding process, I was visiting the sign shop in Disneyland in Santa Ana, California. The craftsmen were refurbishing the carved wooden horses for a carousel that dated back to the early days in the park’s history. That day they were gilding some of these antique horses, which had […] Read more »
Painting Aluminum Composite Panels
I had asked an old sign painter what primers and paints he used when painting MDO. “Why would anyone today use MDO, when you could paint on Dibond® or Polymetal™?” he responded brusquely. Read more »
Color Trends
Popularity of colors among designers and consumers can vary from year to year. To keep pace with color trends, vinyl film manufacturers and paint companies try to gauge changes in the marketplace. Colors from the world of fashion and interior décor have impacted color selection in the automotive market and in corporate graphics. Bold and […] Read more »
Paint Driers
Paint driers (dryers) accelerate the chemical reaction that occurs as an oil paint cures. Artists, house painters and sign painters have used driers, such as Japan Drier, for years to accelerate drying. These driers can be useful when you need to paint two coats in one day. Read more »
Supply55 announces price reduction on Guardian Laminators
Supply55, Inc. www.supply55.com announces price reduction on the popular Guardian 65” cold and heat assist laminators. “As our business volume continues to grow and we see direct savings from increased production we are happy to pass the savings on to our customers, making the Guardian line of laminators a price performance leader in the category” […] Read more »
Avoiding Application Tape Problems
For many indoor applications, you can generally leave most paper application tapes on vinyl graphics for a year or longer, provided that the graphics are stored away from sunlight in moderate temperatures. Read more »
Why Install Graphics in a Relaxed State
Years ago professional decal installers were taught to install vinyl graphics in a relaxed state without stretching the film. While vinyl films today are much more robust and can withstand the stresses encountered when wrapping a vehicle, you are much less likely to experience film failure, if you adhere to some of the old rules. […] Read more »
Applying Vinyl Graphics to Painted Wood
In this story Jim Hingst explains the rules for successfully applying vinyl graphics to painted wood. Read more »
