ho do i get the glass etch look?

[Martin Pearson]

Hi Steve, I will try to answer some of your questions if I can, no doubt one of the experts will post some better advice latter.
Firstly most of the vinyl suppliers do an etched glass film so there shouldnt be a problem getting hold of it, there are also a couple of speciallity window film suppliers who do some good products.
I think there is a difference in the various films and in the type of film as well, there is a big difference between etched glass films and frosted crystal. Do you intend putting anything on it or will it just be a piece of plain film? The reason I ask is because if it is plotted you will need to apply application tape but if it is just the film then you are better off without application tape. When we plot it we only apply application tape to the graphics not the whole film.
As with any vinyl application cleanliness is the key and the areas to watch are around the edges of the frame, as the windows are new there shouldnt be to many problems but watch the areas where the frames have been put in, its amazing just how easily vinyl picks up dirt.
If your not use to vinyl work then you would probably be better off doing these wet as I am assuming they will be quite large windows. The best tool for applying it is a squegee a bit like the ones window cleaners use, but if you cant get one of these a felt squegee so you cant scratch the vinyl would do. I will post details of suppliers at work tomorrow.

[Fat Bob]

Hi Guys Martins Right

But ay why get your your nickers in a twist Im sure one of the other Essex Lads will fit it on a Barter Deal …they put on the vinyl your wife does thier wifes Hair Job Done.

Or Bye a roll of Oracle etched vinyl from your nearest sign man has to go on wet (Water only ) Dont get the Backing paper …wet once its off the backing paper you can drowed it if you have to.

Hope this helps ….FB

[Martin C]

Wherabouts in Essex are you LookSteve?

I’m in Chelmsford if your’e local I can help you out.
The one thing I’ve done a bit of is Etched Glass and window filming.!
I’ve also got a narrow roll, offcut, of Etched Vinyl if you just need a few pieces to mess around with?

[steve]

We use a company in Nottingham for our etched film it is excellent and we can buy at £4.00 a metre @ 1220mm we reckon its an excellent film at a very good price if anyone is interested ill send the details i know its not Europoint but business is business! certainally the best way is wet with a 12 inch sueegee as per window cleaners

[Robert Lambie]

hi steve
thanks for the helpful reply mate…
regarding your comment on “its not europoint” “business is business” i totaly agree with you 100%!
honestly i do.
if another manufacturer or supplier can supply equaly, if not a better product at a lower cost to us signmakers then “let us all know” i welcome it.

because the UKSG’s main vinyl supplier is europoint doesnt mean that the site cant talk about other competitive products in the same line.
my whole point for this site is that, “we” the signmakers have a place to meet and discuss whatever we like about our trade. the site and i do not rely on any support or handouts from suppliers to run it. therefor they can have zero inffulance on my disitions on how the site should be run.
if a supplier joins the site or wants to be a supplier to our group then ill welcome them. but there product has to be top notch & priced very competitive. i will do my best to promote and incurouge
others to use a product that i see the best product for the job they want to do. if this is a group supplier then brill… if not then i will give it equaly as good a write-up.

back to the vinyl you have spoke about. i have used various glass etch films.. ide say the easiest one i have used to apply is the crystal type.. im not sure the reason for this but the etch i was using was very difficult to apply without the odd “whitening” but gave the best realistic effect i thought
being a 100% dry applicator i apply this stuff dry. i have however tried it wet because of the bother i got initialy. again i found problems in the form of whitening when applying wet. so i stopped using the wet method…
i have been told the whitening disapears, but i prefer to leave a job seeing exactly how it should look rather on the hope it will all fade away..
the vinyl you use… what life does it have and who supplies it? is there any visable shrinkages over time.
lots apply vinyl to glass and dont give it a second thought. but it does expeience very severe tempretaure changes. in winter its constantly very very cold and in summer vice versa..
ive seen many windows with shrinkage problems and many that is simply curling off or wrinkling in places…

[Fat Bob]

Hi Rob

Just a quickie Re whitening thier was a few years back quite a few pepole selling etched or crystal like material which did this when wet and was a sod to cut unless you give lots of preassure or a very sharp blade. After doing some homework I found that what they were selling as window vinyl was a product known as mark ressist which was used in the photographic trade and now the digital market a very good product but the wrong glue on for windows hence white marks when wet.

………FB

[Robert Lambie]

hi bob… thanks for the info mate..

i dont think it was that type of vinyl mate.. it was mactac stuff i used im sure.
i still use it one jobs a bit more upmarket due to it looking more realistic to etch windows.

the crystal stuff i also use is from europoint. much easier to apply but its is the crystal stuff…

the way i over come the problem with the whitening is to use a roller when applying.
the whitening with water was totaly differnt fromthe dry app whitening.
with water it looked like swishes of white stuff behind the vinyl almost like wtaer with emulsion through it… 😆
the whitening i got with dry was.. if say i had one small bubble and i pin pricked it to completely vanish it left a white circle were the bubble used to be.. just a thin outline… again i did a job on 3 windows once.. a hairdressers with sunbeds… the windows were next to the sunbed booths and out side the place was roasting… good summer for once…
anyway,, i applied the vinyl and all went well except for at the bottom of each window were it was very hard to get access i had say 3 or 4 bubbles very low down.. more blisters than bubbles so easy to get ridd of… they left white rings.. the windows were the last of alot of work for this company. so instead of givin them somthing to moan about nearer the paying time.. i said ill be back next day to replace the vinyl… next afternoon i arrive… all the rings are gone… !
may have been the intense heat inside and out, i dont know but they were gone completely…
i dont like going to jobs though thinking if i get bubbles ill bluff my way out… so i now usea roller with the difficult etch and get it spot on..