Product news and information for the sign, screen and graphic arts trade
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Back when Marlon Brando rode into Hollywood stardom in the Wild One (1953), the leather motorcycle jacket, adorned with a biker back patch, symbolized the country’s rugged iconoclastic spirit. Since the era of Brando, the popularity of real leather apparel has not diminished. Little has also changed in how we embellish leather attire. Leather jackets and […] Read more »
One unique characteristic of our VinylEfx® product is the deep embossing, which creates the 3D illusion in patterns, such as MultiLens® and Diamond Plate™. Deeply embossed patterns, however, can cause problems, when printing with thermal transfer systems, such as the Gerber Edge®. Printing on films, which are not perfectly smooth, can result in flaking, in […] Read more »
Fire is undiscriminating. It can flare up at any time. And can happen to anyone. After finishing a vinyl graphics application job, a former colleague and mentor had loaded the back seat of his car with rags which had been soaked in solvent for cleaning, before heading down the road. As John drove, he attempted […] Read more »
Exposed to the elements, many metals oxidize. When they do, they change colors. Copper and bronze will sometimes develop an attractive verdigris of green. As they weather, metals will also darken, turning their brassy colors to antique hues of brown. The term most frequently used for the weatherworn coloration that metals develop is patina. Read more »
Whether you are installing trailer graphics or doing a full wrap of a car or van, surface preparation involves a three-step process of detergent washing, solvent cleaning and a final wipe down with IPA. Step 1. Vehicles should be washed the day before vinyl application with detergent and water. This should remove much of the […] Read more »
With so many makes and models of heat presses, selecting one is usually confusing. To make the right purchasing decision for your business, you need to thoroughly investigate your options. Start by asking the right questions. Here’s what you should know before you sign on the dotted line. The most important question revolves around your projections […] Read more »
If you think wrapping mega slides is the same as wrapping cars, think again. Discover how to navigate the challenges that could spell opportunity for you. Wrapping rides at fair grounds spells opportunity for one vehicle wrap company after the learning curve. There are megawraps and then there are megawraps. Wrapping rides at the […] Read more »
Waste Not, Want Not Adversity brings out the best and the worst in people. In some parts of the country, the theft of aluminum signs has risen dramatically during this protracted recession. Is it any surprise? With rising raw material costs, aluminum is valuable as scrap. To thwart criminals, traffic sign manufacturers are replacing aluminum […] Read more »
Wrapping boats isn’t rocket science-and you can learn a lot from your vehicle wrapping endeavors-but installing vinyl on a boat is different than applying vinyl to a vehicle. Find out why. Before you set out to apply vinyl to a boat, be sure you have all your templates, materials and tools in a row. So […] Read more »
Application Tape Tip Every so often, I get a service call involving a sign maker or painter, who cannot remove the adhesive of our application tape from a substrate. I just receive one yesterday from a woman in southern California, who had left masked painted panels in the sun. The panels became so hot that […] Read more »
