uksignboards.com | Fading Digital Print ?

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Fading Digital Print ?

Posted by Gary Hazard on 3 October 2006 at 11:37

Hi everyone

Been to have a look at a digitally printed signage
job on the front of a "posh" dental practice that is
suffering from a severe case of "fading"

The owner says that the signs were first put up about
2 years ago but she had to ring them back 6 months
ago because of extreme "fading".

The sign company then proceeded to stick more digital
prints over the top of the existing ones which have faded
even quicker and now need replacing !

Given the chance we would have preferred to complete the
job in cut vinyl but the logo is of a "graduated" style so this
looks an unlikely option.

We are proposing to re-produce the signage on adhesive
(Hexis 351) with our Roland 540 using the ecol sol max inks
and then probably over laminate for extra UV protection.

Assuming the worse case scenario and this signage is
put onto a South facing wall, what sort of lifespan can we
reasonably expect ?

Any help or advice on this matter would be appreciated.

Thanks

Gary

weston replied 19 years, 1 month ago 5 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

George Elsmore

Member
3 October 2006 at 11:47

this sounds familiar where are you based gary?
Gary Hazard

Member
3 October 2006 at 11:56

Hi George

The enquiry was from a dental company
based in Leicestershire

Still sound familiar ?
George Elsmore

Member
3 October 2006 at 12:02

nope but i did a job twice with proper activasol inks and laminated and they still faded within a year 😮 they were on a south facing posistion too i am now going to have to do them again but i have asked them to redesign so i can use vinyls. The only reason i can see why they faded so much is because the design used really wishy washy pastel colours but i still used the correct profiles etc. btw it was the hexis vinyl you intend to use with the approriate laminate so be careful mate it can get expensive

G
David Rowland

Member
3 October 2006 at 12:06

did i just read that ink does indeed fade?

i must admit 1-2 jobs we have done and I look at them wondering if fading is starting… i guess all solvent inks fade over a long time.
George Elsmore

Member
3 October 2006 at 12:24

A year!!!
Lee Attewell

Member
3 October 2006 at 12:39

Was the job laminated???

Could solvent migration have been increased because one vinyl was put over another?
George Elsmore

Member
3 October 2006 at 12:41

printed onto digital vinyl laminated and mounted onto aluminium

G
weston

Member
4 October 2006 at 03:11

Sounds like the print was done with water-based pigment inks instead of solvent ink. Then again, I’ve seen thermal prints fade within 2 years when facing south.