-
Printing on Laminate Problem Help needed
I am doing a design for a shop window. it is a floral pattern to go around the edges of the window. They are around 25" x 19".
I was planning on printing on to digital laminate and then applying that to the window. However I have done a yes and do not get the desired effect because you can clearly see the laminate it almost looks like frosted vinyl. And the pattern is too small and intricate to cut around.
I have already gave the customer a price and agreed so I cannot buy the more expensive material used for this sort of work.
Does anybody have any ideas or solution that might help me?
Thanks in advance
-
7 Replies
-
Sorry i’m going to state the obvious and ask why are you printing onto laminate and why did you not price the job using the correct material?
-
Hi Billy
The issue you are experiencing would be the same if you are printing on any standard clear laminate or even a standard clear print film. The issue is not the laminate but the adhesive. Nearly all vinyl manufacturers use a transparent non optically clear solvent based adhesive system for laminates and printing films. This might sound stupid but a standard laminate does not require an optically clear adhesive when applied to a solid print as when you have direct contact and zero distance between print and laminate you get perfect clarity on your image.
However when you want to see through the transparent background for a transparent window print the distance between eye, glass and beyond creates diffusion when using a standard adhesive system which can appear like a frosted crystal. For this application you will need a specialist optically clear transparent film with optically clear adhesive. These tend to be more expensive but will give almost perfect glass like clarity when viewing through them.
Just make sure when talking to your supplier the product they supply has optically clear adhesive.
Hope this helps
Stuart
-
Thanks for the replies.
First of all I was printing on to laminate because i was told by a friend that it was fine to do this. Now I realise this is not the case. As for not pricing the job with the correct materials that is down to inexperience and naivety. I took for granted that the laminate would be fine.
Stuart, very helpful reply. What you have said makes perfect sense to me. I was also told this by my supplier when I asked them for advice. Unfortunately the optically clear transparent film that I should be using is about 15-20x more than the materials I was planning to use. I think I have been quoted for a 12m x 1220mm roll £205 + vat. something like that.
I am still trying to find a solution. I will attach a photo of the graphic I want to apply for the shop. There are 3 colours so I though I could use cut vinyl and lay them up separately. However the weeding process will take too long and is very impractical and nigh on impossible.
I am think of trying to find a different design to use that will be easier to weed. Or will be printable and not too intricate to cut around. If anybody has any suggestions or any designs they have used in the post I will be very grateful.
The shop owner has asked for a floral border around the windows with hearts and butterflies if possible. and the colours they use are pink grey and white. I have searched the internet for hours and haven’t found anything suitable. Maybe I am looking at the wrong sites I don’t know.
Im in a bit of a bind here and I am very lucent to lose face by telling the customer I can’t do it and have given them incorrect information when pricing the job up.
Once again all help will be massively appreciated.
Thanks
-
-
Looking at the deisgn, I would say that you are going to struggle to see this when applied, unless the print has some kind of white undercoat. If it is just a CMYK print onto clear, it will be too transparent when viewed from the outside.
-
Yup, would need to be backed with white, or over printed with white for this design to be visible, just printed on clear this would produce a translucent image when viewed.
Personally, I’d simplify the design and produce in cut vinyl – small/tiny details will be missed on a shop window, plenty of scope to adjust. -
alternativly have you thought of contacting a larger company in the UK and getting them to print it for you, would save on buying in stock you don’t need? also once you have the price contact your customer and be truthful say the job has not been priced correctly due to inexperience and give the new price (from larger company plus a bit and fitting) and see what they say. They will either agreed to price in which case get on with it, If they argue with you saying you’d quoted just tell them you do not wish to continue with the job and for them to go elsewhere, good luck
Log in to reply.