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10yr print lifespan printing required? Help please?

Posted by Warren Beard on 1 September 2015 at 08:26

Hi All

I have a customer who insists on having his signs last a minimum of 10 years. It must be printed and is for a large wall covering about 5m x 2m and would be made on ACM.

Is there a large format print process with a 10yr life span on the inks (and vinyl if not direct printing)?

Thanks

Warren

John Thomson replied 10 years, 3 months ago 8 Members · 14 Replies
14 Replies

Martin Pearson

Member
1 September 2015 at 11:01

I don’t think you will find anyone who is prepared to offer you 10 years on print Warren, 10 years is at the maximum end of the scale for vinyl as well is it not.
On the plus side no other reputable sign company is going to be able to offer the customer what they are asking for :lol1: :lol1:
Warren Beard

Member
1 September 2015 at 11:20

Hi Martin

Yip agreed 😉 just not sure if direct printing would be suitable if UV for example, I have no idea about UV or any other processes so thought would ask here. Didn’t think vinyl would be a suitable route but had to ask 😉

cheers

Warren
Kevin Flowers

Member
1 September 2015 at 12:11

Warren
don’t think that’s going to happen even if you could find someone it would be proportionate as in a rate of deterioration per year. You could always cost it at 4 times your normal cost and just go change it when every 3-4 years you’ll be quids in whatever

Kev
Warren Beard

Member
1 September 2015 at 12:18

Hiya Kev

That’s going to be one proposal to them, I guess it was also to educate myself a bit as I thought maybe UV ink lasts longer or if it would have to be silk screened or something???

As I didn’t know if anything I thought best try find out, after all knowledge is king yeah? :lol1:

Thanks guys
Kevin Flowers

Member
1 September 2015 at 17:46

Hi Warren
no inks or paint for that part will look the same as the day it was applied, i think UV inks are a slightly shorter life span.

Kev
Jonathan Dray

Member
2 September 2015 at 21:11

As I understand it full solvent / hard solvent / whatever else you want to call it, offers the most fade resistance. UV is generally less.

Anecdotally, I’ve heard the ink that Seiko uses for the colour painter series holds up very well. But 10 years? Who knows.
Robert Lambie

Member
2 September 2015 at 21:48

Zero Ink is going to last even close to that without some sort of deterioration.

Whatever reputable ink source you use, you MUST protect the ink/prints regardless.
Here is where you will need to look at expensive over laminates with UV absorbers to protect the prints. Even then i highly doubt you will get even close to ten years and forget any warranty offered, they simply are not there if you wanted to make a claim.

I use to have a division of my business that offered stained glass designs, company logos etc
I bought and used only the very best 10 yr UV stable polyester colour tint films. these films had "multiple" UV filter stabilising layers to prevent the tint at the bottom from discolouring, from memory 7-10 layers! regardless, after 6 years or so i could clearly see a shift in the colours in my own house windows.

i would offer along the lines of what kev has.
charge accordingly, Print the job 4 times and put 3 sets into storage. change when required and apply a fee for labour only if and when required.
Kevin Flowers

Member
2 September 2015 at 22:32

Normally the companies insisting on a long life signage are the one that end up going bust or changing there name a year later and then get upset that you can’t just alter the very expensive old sign

Kev
Simon Worrall

Member
3 September 2015 at 01:52

Sure I can get ten years for you…in the dark, out of the wind and the rain 🙄
I would hesitate to offer five years for a printed sign, let alone ten.
It is what it is.
Simon.
Tony Henry

Member
19 September 2015 at 06:34

I’ve heard of something like this from the Atech rep. He told me it’s possible to print dye sub onto polyester coated ACM using transfer paper and get exceptionally long life and vibrant colours out of it.

You may have to sub this out to someone who can do that and also has a coating machine that can apply liquid laminate that’s used for truck curtains. If you like I can ask him who he knows can do this?
Kevin Flowers

Member
19 September 2015 at 20:27

Hi
Normally dye sub is affected by UV more than standard inks

Kev
Robert Lambie

Member
19 September 2015 at 23:26

quote Tony Henry:

You may have to sub this out to someone who can do that and also has a coating machine that can apply liquid laminate that’s used for truck curtains.

i cannot see how a liquid can out-perform a multi layer polyester film with uv absorbers/stabilizers/filters, or even justUV protective laminates.
Tony Henry

Member
1 October 2015 at 05:03

Just repeating what I was told and trying to help someone in their difficulties. Didn’t know about the UV issue with dye sub, does that apply to fabrics too?
John Thomson

Member
1 October 2015 at 09:27

quote Warren Beard:

Hi All

I have a customer who insists on having his signs last a minimum of 10 years.

You just know that they will be back asking for it to be redone in the future quoting minimum 10 years lifespan………

John