Printed Vinyl on HIPS – help needed removing bubbles please.

[John Thomson]

there is a clear protective film……have you removed it?

I apply unlaminated prints wet to Hipps

John

[Steve Pearce]

Thanks for your help John. I have removed the protective layer and allowed it to breathe for 24 hours, even tried applying the vinyl to both sides to see if it made any difference….it didn’t.

Tried the wet application also, but found that because of the make up of the HIPS, the wetting solution just pooled.

Should I be using an application tape to apply the vinyl to the HIPS board?

cheers

[Robert Lambie]

How long are you leaving the PRINTS to dry / out-gas before you are trying to mount them onto the HIPs plastic?

what type of printer are you using?

[John Thomson]

I use water, iso with a few drops of washing up liquid in it as a application fluid.

I know Rob does not like wet application 🙄 but I can apply pretty much straight off the solvent printers onto Hipps.

John

[Steve Pearce]

Rob, I usually leave them a day before mounting them and we have a Roland SP300i using Eco Sol Max Inks.

John, I have tried all sorts of wet method liquids, but on this HIPS material, it immediately forms into pools (like mercury does) so doesn’t help at all.

Could it be the solvent inks reacting with the HIPS material in some way…there are no bubbles if the vinyl isn’t printed, only when it is?

[John Harding]

we’ve done a few of these recently, occasionally wet mostly dry, printed on our roland versacaam with ecosol max inks and laminated – if in a rush we gas out only one hour and apply – no come backs and either way goes down a dream so im thinking its application technique rather than the process – sorry if im wide of the mark just my guess.

FYI we always print to decent media

John 😀

[Steve Pearce]

You must be right John, it’s probably my application technique, it’s a mystery though why it only bubbles when its been printed and not when it hasn’t.

FYI we used a metamark MD vinyl, do you have any reccomendations of other vinyls/suppliers that we can use?

[Martin Pearson]

If these aren’t laminated then is it possible that once they are printed you are applying a lot less squeegee pressure for fear of scratching them or using a different squeegee? I have no experience personally with printed graphics on hips just cad cut.

[Simon Worrall]

Have you tried using 3m primer? It has helped me in the past with difficult plastics.

[Jamie Wood]

I would probably try an air release vinyl with laminate, or apply through a laminator.
The problem is probably caused by the ink still gassing out, as Styrene isn’t porous.

[Steve Pearce]

Thanks to every one who commented, some great suggestions for me to try out, hopefully one of them will solve the problem.
The air release products look really good, we have a possible frosted window graphics job in the pipeline and the samples we have tried are easy to apply and look great.

[Steve McAdie]

If the water is pooling then there is not enough soap in the water to make it act as a wetting agent, I’ve done HIPS wet before and had no problems.

Steve

[Steve Pearce]

Hi Steve, I used a special application fluid (Blue in colour) from Signgeer, other people had recommended it to me as being great. I will try the washing up liquid and water next time…..

[John Harding]

what part of the world are you in Steve? if local I would take a look or there might be someone else local to you 😀

[Steve Pearce]

Hi John
Ideally, I need to get myself on some sort of training course to at least give me the basics of what I need to complete the simple tasks. Reading through this forum I’ve picked up quite a lot already, but there is nothing better than a hands on tutorial.

I could probably teach someone to run a litho press in a couple of days, but it’s the thirty five years of experience that makes a difference when things go wrong, it’s probably the same in your industry.

Some of the sales guys that sell you their materials are a great help and most jobs go really well but every now and then, something like this happens and you are stuck.

Cheers

[John Harding]

So where are you 😀

[Martin Pearson]

quote John Harding:

So where are you 😀

He’s in the Wigan area according to the hello thread John :lol1: :lol1:

[John Harding]

Martin you little detective you 😀 too far for me now but if im passing

[Steve Pearce]

……you would be very welcome John!