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 which there are voids in the printed image. “East Coast Artie” Schilling, spokesperson for Gerber Scientific, offers the following suggestions to surmount these printing challenges.
1. Prior to printing, wipe the VinylEfx® film with a lint-free rag. This will remove any dust, which can cause voids in printing.
3. Use the Gerber “holographic profile” for printing on VinylEfx® films.
4. When you are in the output or quick plot mode, click on the 1,2,3 icon, which gives the print order. Then right click on the ribbon, and choose double print. By double printing the foil, hopefully you will fill in any voids which were missed in the first pass.
5. Before applying, a low tack application tape, such as RTape 4000, to the print, wait fifteen minutes to ensure that the resin adequately adheres to the VinylEfx® film.
6. To improve the abrasion resistance and chemical resistance of the graphic, clear coat or apply an overlaminate over the printed graphic.
