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5mm Foam Core curling?
I made up 3 suspended ceiling signs for a customer last week, and after visiting the Robert Horne open day, decided that Foam Core would be a better alternative to 5mm foam PVC.
It’s lighter, and should it fall from the ceiling isn’t going to do a great deal of damage to anyone underneath.
I digitally printed the vinyl and mounted in onto the foamcore, and today got a call from the customer saying all of the signs are curling.
Firstly what causes this?
Secondly how do I stop it? -
9 Replies
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when you say foam core, do you mean Kappa-board?
could be the heat in the air mate. i dont use this stuff but have for a specified job in the past. like foamex etc it will expand contract in varying temps.
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I thought as much myself.
I asked the customer if they were in the sunlight, he says the shop is in complete darkness. 😕
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was the print only on one side
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Yep just single sided, not even 100% ink coverage, just a 2col swirl along the bottom and some text.
Just taken an order for some more signs where I plan to use the same just to shift the box of the stuff.
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i think those boards have a cardboard type face which will attract moisture so the unprinted covered side will expand more, same as only laminating one side of a business card it just warps.
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so i could cover the reverse in unprinted vinyl to counteract it? 😕
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sounds like a plan 😉
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Chris is right, you’ll need to apply some vinyl to the back, your printed material has probably shrunk, and only a couple of milimetres will be enough to put a curl on the panel. I only ever use 10mm Kapa – it’s marginally better.
All that said, any suspended landscape sign panel will bend in days/weeks go and look at supermarket POS material. I cracked that problem some years ago with a steel section that fits over 5mm board however that needs painting and 3metre lengths aren’t light so they need to have proper fixings. -
Someone suggested I used a 2000micron artboard card. I’d have thought that would curl more.
I’ve used MD5 vinyl (don’t have space to store cheaper) don’t know what shrinkage is like with that, never had a problem before.
At least its not a reprint! I’ll have to back the backs of these 8 signs I’ve to make tomorrow with vinyl. Cost I didn’t account for.
Cheers for the advice!
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