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 »

How Thermoplastics and Thermosets Differ

Thermoplastic and thermoset plastics are both comprised of very large polymer chains. Both have similarly sounding names.  Each type of plastic, however, is very unique.  Here’s how thermoplastics and thermosets differ. Cast vinyls are thermoplastics, which are very soft and conformable films, suitable for fleet graphics application over rivets and corrugations. Photo courtesy of Nazdar.  Read more »

Why Application Tape Tears Unexpectedly

From time to time application tape will tear when you least expect it.   When this happens the graphics can be trashed.  Frustrated sign makers want to know the cause of these mishaps.  There’s no one single answer why this happens. Application tape can tear when it is unwound for a variety of reasons. Here are […] Read more »

Stretching Garments Prior to Heat Pressing

Some screen printers, who print directly onto t-shirts or who print plastisol heat transfers, will stretch the garment before printing or heat pressing. By doing this, the weave of the shirt opens up allowing the ink to better penetrate the fibers of the fabric. This practice is believed to prevent cracking of the ink. Read more »

Laminating Application Tape and HotMask™ Films

Stick It In Reverse How you apply an application tape to a vinyl graphic or a HotMask™ transfer tape to a printed heat transfer applique can affect the appearance of the finished product. If you get wrinkles or bubbles in the paper application tape, I can just about guarantee that you will get wrinkles and […] Read more »

Ink, Glorious Ink

You have two choices: buy cheap ink and yield cheap signs, or buy quality ink and yield quality signs. Find out why ink makes such a dramatic difference in large-format printing. Read more »

Storing Application Tape

Application tape manufacturers package their products in plastic sleeves, then box them in corrugated containers to protect the tape from light, dirt and humidity. If you’re not going to use the tape immediately, keep it in its box. Tape not stored in boxes is exposed to light, which can cause yellowing. Even shop lighting can […] Read more »

Are Premask and Prespacing Tape the Same Thing?

The plethora of terms used for the application tapes sold in the sign and screen print markets could confuse anyone. In the sign market, many people just use the terms “application tape” or “application paper”.  Frequently this tape is also incorrectly referred to as “transfer tape”. If you are a purist and want to pick a […] Read more »

Preparing Floors for Floor Graphics

Learn how to how to laminate the graphic, how to place it, how to prep the surface, and how to install the graphic so it will stay put and do its job. With floor graphics representing a $2 billion industry, can you really afford not to get involved? The answer for most of you is […] Read more »

Learning the Language of Light for Trade Show Signage

Get some tips and tricks for communicating with the language of light so you can offer value-added advice to your customers. Sign makers can cash-in on fabricating trade show signage, but if you don’t understand lighting, then that signage may not offer customers the desired return on their investment. Learn about lighting and become a […] Read more »