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  • Printed vinyl "staining" white paintwork

    Posted by Paul Munford on 10 September 2013 at 18:13

    Hi All,
    We applied some laminated latex printed vinyl mactac JT5824 P to an exhibition trailer which was painted white. Six weeks later we have just removed the vinyl and the white trailer is no longer white! it seems to be a yellowy colour almost looks like nicotine stained!…any ideas? The trailer was cleaned down with meths before vinyl application and everything was stuck on dry (no application fluid) Im completely stumped and need to advise our client tomorrow morning why their white paintwork has gone a tinge of yellow…eeeek

    Ryan McHenry replied 12 years ago 6 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • Chris Wool

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 18:25

    was the trailer yellow before it was painted.
    presume the ink has not found its way in to the glue

  • Paul Munford

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 18:30

    Chris,
    The trailer was brand new and factory white so no chance of an old colour bleeding through.
    The vinyls that were applied were printed on a HP Latex mxchine so again no way of the ink bleeding through the vinyl and the adhesive and on to the trailer?

  • Phill Fenton

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 19:23

    Was it the painted areas under the vinyl that went yellow, or the exposed areas un protected by the vinyl that yellowed?

  • Paul Munford

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 20:35

    Phil
    It was the area under the vinyl that has yellowed not the exposed areas

  • Phill Fenton

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 21:03

    I don’t think the vinyl itself causes the paint to yellow, but an absence of UV light as a result of the vinyl masking the paint.

    All paints discolour over time. Unfortunately recent EU restrictions on solvent paints means paint manufacturers have had te reformulate their products. As a result, paint yellowing happens faster in the absence of uv light.
    If you’re lucky, the paint will whiten up after a few days exposure to natural light.

  • Paul Munford

    Member
    10 September 2013 at 21:42

    Thanks Phil

    At least I can go armed with an explanation now! rather than "sorry I have no idea whats happened…its never done it before.."
    Big help…thank you.

  • Vic Adair

    Member
    11 September 2013 at 14:50

    Hi Paul

    What was the trailer body? (ali, wood or fibre glass)

    seen this discolouration with some luton bodies when removing vinyl

    Try some compound on the area and see if it comes up

  • Paul Munford

    Member
    12 September 2013 at 08:33

    Hi Vic,
    The trailer had aluminium sheet doors and a fibre glass body. the worst yellowing happened underneath the darkest areas so Phill’s comment relating to UV light seems to add up. It suprised me that over such a short space of time this could happen, we did have some strong sunlight and very hot days while the trailer was wrapped as it went to various summer festivals. I will be advising any future clients that this may happen and it is a risk they need to factor in when hiring a trailer for a promotion.

  • Phill Fenton

    Member
    12 September 2013 at 12:18

    Some washing powders and tooth whiteners use additives that react to UV light to give an increased whiteness. I suspect the paint manufacturers may use similar additives to counter the the rapid yellowing effect brought on by EU legislation that forced them to reduce the VOC used in paints.

    If this is the case – then you might expect the yellowing to dissapear after a few days exposure to natural light. It would be interesting to know if this happens?

  • Jon Marshall

    Member
    12 September 2013 at 19:22

    Interesting. I don’t think it’s a paint fade issue. It sounds like when you leave a magnet on a printed vinyl for too long and you get a yellowish mark when you take it off. Except here the yellow mark is on the substrate.

  • Ryan McHenry

    Member
    14 September 2013 at 08:31

    I removed the lettering of my van 4 or 5 days ago. (Been on the van less than 2 years)

    Some printed, some coloured.

    Im left with the same colour you have described. I can almost read the stain!

    Whats interesting, with the printed MD5 and laminate only the pink and orange left a stain and the black did not.

    With the coloured 3m 50 series the black left a stain and the pink did not 😕

    Now this has only happened on one side of the van, which is the side that’s in the sun when I’m at home and at the office.

    Ive booked it in for a polish on wednesday coming, to see if that helps, however the stain has now almost gone, its still there but i have to really concentrate to see it and i definitely cannot read it as before!

    Ryan

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