Helmet Labels

[Chris Wool]

martin

iam shaw that every edge & pc60 600 owner has there own choice
mine is mactac 9800 less holes than most but not shaw about the glue bit
i have just finished a 50 mt roll of so called image perfect must have chucked 5-8 mts away

chris

[Robert Lambie]

i find mactac 9800 & oracal 751 very good to print onto using a pc60. never get any probs.
regarding adhesive. i really dont know, i remember back in my teens cheap adhesive stickers attacked the surface coating or weakend the shell on motocross helmets. i would not think this would be an issue with quality vinyls such as mactac, oracal or the like. if this was the case i would think it more likely to affect persex, foamex, vehicle paint etc. but i could be wrong 🙄

[Nigel Fraser]

Martin,

I just sent a part roll of Avery 700PF back to Cox plastics because it was covered with imperfections. Having said that, I am also running another roll of the same through now and it seems to be OK so far. I think the new 700PF is much nicer to weed/cut than the old 700HP (which is now 600 again 🙄 )
Imageperfect is OK but not exactly what you’d call perfect ! Think it’s made by ultramark actually, and I never really rated their films myself.
I had a sample from Metamark (think it was called MD5) which was actually quite good, although it was only a few meters.
I think that the best bet would probably be to go for a digital/thermal specific vinyl as I would hope the manufacture was to a higher standard of finish than “standard” vinyl ranges. Can’t name any names atm because I am still trying out new ones myself.
I don’t know enough about the adhesive to be able to advise you on that, though I have heard that special adhesive should be used for crash helmets aswell.

Nigel

[signsolutions_709]

I found myself having the same problem the other week and got a spandex rep that i am friendly with to come and have a look at what was happening and he put it down to dust on the vinyl or dust dropping onto the vinyl inside the machine when it is running through it’s process.

[Lorraine Buchan]

We use the 3M scotchcal 220 but have recently got some LG7200 which on first impression seems to be quite good – mind you i don’t have much experiance with the gerber edge so i can’t really comment, maybe worth getting some samples to try.

[Dave Standen]

Hi Martin
What you’ve experienced we call Pin Holing or White Spot. The cause is zits or pits (craters) in the surface of the vinyl being used. The resin being transfered to the vinyl cannot provide a fill – and will span across the edges of the crater – leaving the centre white. The vinyl to be used should be considered as to it’s PRINT qualities. In the case of thermal – Gerber Edge – the surface quality has to be smooth and crater free. Whilst we at Print One haven’t tested every vinyl available – of those we have tested – and for several reasons – Oracle is the better product.

WHY
1. Oracle is the only 380Sprocketed vinyl (to my knowledge) to be factory processed, packed & boxed by the vinyl manufacturer – rather than being slit & sprocketed by a vinyl distibutor. Factory conditions are controlled and give a clean finished product, well punched – without the waste disc’s everwhere.
2. Surface quality is the best I’ve found to date – smooth and crater free.
These qualities are found thro’ out the Oracal range including solvent adhesive range and Cast vinyl
3. Prices are economic – economy range @ 67p/M at Europoint and was available thro’ UKSG Shop – now closed for a while. You must contact direct I believe

I don’t sell vinyl at the is time
But I will be doing shortly, considering all the points above – plus my usual sales mantra – 30% savings – Watch this space.

Contact me on PM with your address if you wish and I’ll give you a free 50M roll of a white or clear economic label grade vinyl to try – our future brand – renown

Regards Dave Standen

[Paul Goodwin]

I’d love to take you up on that offer Dave , but as i only cut not print i can’t 🙁

Ohh well i will definatly watch this space though

[Martin Armitage]

Thanks for all the replies, after a problem with imageperfect (thanks Dave i didnt have a name for the problem but did identify it with the help of a magnifying glass) i went to very many different products and have finally settled on oracle 651 which i get from europoint. In my opinion the consistent quality of print has not been matched by any other product i have tested, and I am printing at least 200 meters of vinyl a week and probably thrown away a couple of meters in the year that i have been using it.
I am looking for an answer to the adhesive problem in particular, because i do print a great deal of stickers to go onto helmets and have even been asked a few times to produce evidence for the clients that the glue will not affect the integrity of the helmets although they have still bought them without. Perhaps i am worrying to much about this, but I always like too come from a position of knowledge and the question does raise its head from time to time!

[Lorraine Buchan]

Hi Dave,

I too am Interested in your:

quote :

white or clear economic label grade vinyl to try – our future brand – renown

What would be the common uses be for labels printed on this Label grade vinyl? i.e what substrates could you stick the labels too and how long would they stay stuck for?

[Martin Pearson]

Hi Martin, I can’t say for certain but I think you are right about the helmet sticker adhesive, i seem to remember reading somewhere that they had to comply with a certain standard. I will try to remember where I think I read this as you dont want people to start sueing you.

[Dave Standen]

HI Lorraine
This LABEL GRADE vinyl range is designed for min. 12 months exterior life with regard to vinyl colour stability – Uv resistance etc. (SignMakers vinyl being 3years) Adhesive is a permanent acrylic emulsion – the same spec as SignMkaers vinyl – 3years.

Label Grade vinyl is a more economic vinyl film to be used in label printing rather than sign making, but with particular attention given to surface quality for thermal printing rather than extended life & colour stability of the vinyl. This vinyl does not have the chemical additives that help with longer life and colour stability & it’s only availble in White Clear & Black – possibly silver

Such a vinyl is perfectly acceptable as a material to stick onto a plastics, glass, metals and painted surfaces. Any colour printing would provide the 3year colour life spec of thermal printing.

The thickness of the vinyl film is 90micron (SignMakers vinyl would be 75-80micron) and may be considered slightly more rigid – a useful characteristic for labels, less stretch. It is not to be considered for sign making, or vehicle graphics – it’s just more economic for label printing.

Regards Dave Standen