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Would I get away without laminating grafityp vinyl?
They do two types of wrap. As short term and a long term. I’ve tried the short term wrap and it wasn’t very good for going into grooves on the van. I also didn’t need to laminate it, this was the reason I tried it.
I’ve just bought the longer term stuff and bought the laminate to go with it. I don’t have a laminator though so will need to get someone to do that for me. I was told the vinyl was too thin and would rip if it wasn’t laminated. I’ve had a look at the vinyl and although it is pretty thin it certainly wont rip and is very flexible.
Would I get away without laminating the vinyl? I know it wont last 10 years. I am only wanting about 3 out of it.
cheers
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14 Replies
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do you have much experience in wrapping vehicles?
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Im guessing no.
however I have been wrong before lol -
quote Steve Underhill:Im guessing no.
however I have been wrong before lolwhen was that then
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quote Chris Wool:quote Steve Underhill:Im guessing no.
however I have been wrong before lolwhen was that then
he didn’t get in the limousine! 😀 😀
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quote Harry Cleary:he didn’t get in the limousine! 😀 😀
yeh but we know why now harry. read the other thread, he buys cheap dresses. says it all… 😉 :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
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quote Chris Wool:quote Steve Underhill:Im guessing no.
however I have been wrong before lolwhen was that then
usually every time i open my mouth Chris,
but the limo was not a wrong move.
I still didnt get up till 10am and I never went, Id have missed my 6pm train if I did I reckon -
quote Robert Lambie:quote Harry Cleary:he didn’t get in the limousine! 😀 😀
yeh but we know why now harry. read the other thread, he buys cheap dresses. says it all… 😉 :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
you beat me to it! 😀 😀
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:dance1:
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You don’t have to laminate it but… it’s going to be very difficult to apply without getting abrasion marks on the print from your squeegee and also damage from lifting and repositioning.
While the ink should be fine for over 3years in certain applications this doesn’t include vehicles for me, remember even the rain hitting them is classed as abrasion. -
If you are intending to be in this business for any length of time then you must laminate.
If you don’t, one of three things will happen.
a. You will have to rectify it when it fails.
b. You will lose your customer.
c. Both of the above.I’ve picked up some quite nice new customers purely because they were dissatisfied with their previous suppliers prints.
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I don’t have experience of wrapping. I should have said in the first post. I am not wrapping a customer’s van I am wrapping one of my own. I have a computer business that I bought two vans for recently.
I’ve only just started doing some printing and sign work and don’t have much space as I am using spare space within my computer business. I already have a rockhopper, cutter and a 54" inkjet printer along with a few other things so don’t really have space for a laminator. I also can’t justify the £3k cost for a hot one. There are plenty of cheap cold ones about but would prefer a hot one.
I thought the whole point in the solvent printer was that it was water proof and didn’t need laminated?
Back to the vehicle vinyl. The first stuff I bought I was told was suitable for vehicle wrap. I was also told it didn’t need laminated. It was very difficult to fit (I had a sign maker friend help me). It wouldn’t push into the indents on the van and wouldn’t mold around the corners of the doors etc at all. When heated and pushed into the indents it wouldn’t stick and wouldn’t allow the air bubbles to move very well. It was always trying to straighten back out regardless how much heat or pressure you applied.
After phoning the supplier they eventually told me is was calender vinyl instead of cast and although suitable for vehicle wraps is only really suitable for flat surfaces.
They recommended their cast vehicle wrap but said it would need laminated as it was so thin it would tear or crease. I ordered the vinyl and laminate and had a look at the vinyl yesterday. It is thinner than any other vinyl I’ve used but certainly won’t tear like they said.
If I fitted it to my own van without laminating it, would it last 3 years?
If the first vinyl didn’t need laminated to stop it getting scratched etc and I would have got 3 years out of it, why would this be any different?
thanks
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Nik
A vehicle wrap is not a job for total novice, if you had a sign maker friend helping he should have been able to advise at the time.
Anyway Graphiwrap is essentially a 2 part system, a cast vinyl and a clear laminate
the materials are good for upto ten years, but print is at most 3years (it will last longer but few will give any guarantees)
You can apply the print without laminate but as been already pointed out not a good idea, perhaps you should have gone to a qualified wrap specialist to get the job done, it would probably have worked out cheaper in the long run.
I mean no disrespect, but the very least you need to do is go on a regognised 3 day course to learn about wraps,I doubt if you will succeed on your first attempt, without any training.
Peter
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I agree with Pete on the fact its going to cost you a lot more money training yourself with your own materials.
Get on a course and use their vinyl. It’s going to cost you a lot less money.
Apart from that you get some really good training on courses.
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Nick,
Full solvent is the best you can get, however, it isn’t bomb proof. It will stand a fair amount of abuse, but a vehicle is the harshest environment you can put a print into.
They’re out in the sun all day, so fading can be an issue over time, and don’t forget that the colour is only as thick as the coat of ink. Therefore normal wear and tear will take it’s toll. Drivers wiping their van down roadside bushes, being beaten to death with car wash brushes etc etc. Even simple washing, when your customer will take a sponge and proceed to abrade the print with all the dust and dirt that has adhered to the vehicle (that’s why he’s washing it after all) will destroy a print, no matter how good, in short order.
Take a look at any vehicle and you will see that the paint is covered in microscopic scratches from everyday wear and tear. Most noticeable of course when we strip graphics off after three years and we can see a ghost image. That’s because the original paint has been abraded, whereas the paint which has been protected by vinyl lettering is still pristine.
The first vinyl you used wouldn’t have lasted three years, and if anybody told you it would then they were, well let’s be charitable here, misinformed. The point of lamination is not to stop Graphiwrap tearing, because it won’t, it’s purely protection. The reason we use Graphiwrap is exactly because it IS thin, and is still a reasonable thickness to work with after it has been laminated.
sorry for being blunt here, but with your apparent level of knowledge, I would strongly recommend going on a course before even selecting a material, much less applying it.
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