-
Question about solvent inks vs thermal
OK, what I’m after is some decent advice on this as I’ve had no luck elsewhere 😕
I need to make custom stickers for vehicles ( not full wrap stuff ) – I know thermal inks ( PC60 ) are fadeproof, and quoted as having a lifespan or around 3 years unlacquered – does anyone know what the specs are for solvent ink ?
1) Can it be lacquered over with automotive lacquer ( acrylic ) – or will the solvent react with the ink ?
2) Is it susceptable to fading – I have heard that uncovered it can fade badly after as little as 12 months.
3) If laminated, how long should it last – do you need special UV laminate for them – and also for thermal – if this is laminated how long should it last ?I have a PC60 which I am using now, but want to know if it is worth considering something like the Versacamm ( inkjet ??? ) or one of the pricier solvent machines.
As I’m not churning off tons of the stuff ( its a sideline to the solid vinyl stuff I do ) I’m not really concerned with the economy of solvent vs thermal, but want to know what to tell customers as regards lifespan, and what are the best steps to take to protect the job.
thanks
Mike -
3 Replies
-
3-5 years on recommended media , I think its 5 years on 3m media and longer with lams (fade only Eco-sol)
solvents last less , especially yellow if cadmium is used.
Liquid lams are avaialble that wont mess up inks , they are a waste of time however as they flake , can yellow , dont allow a lot of conformity and also can be stripped with app tapes.
Fading is a function of total UV exposure , how much ink coverage , type of ink , type of media , lamination , no abraision , no pollution , no washing etc- anti-fading guarantees are under perfect conditions , using apporved media etc. If you arent doing it by the book and are in Arizona , 1/2 it to play safe.
Cast conformable lams (easy to apply) will give the ulitmate protection and you can give 3 years with confidence under the harshest conditions.
If you ahve the PC60 , use it with a cast overlam and you can give a 5 yr warrantee , however other issues play a part , like banding etc. If its not your main line , use what you got.
Thing is , the PC 60 cant print , lam and then die cut – so cast lams are not really an option if you need to cut odd shapes . what you do then is get a thermal laminator and use a product called micronex that melts a layer of lam onto the vinyl graphic , This + thermal will be about the same as a cast and you can print , cut and then lam and weed after. -
Thanks Rodney, helped a lot – think I’ll stick with the PC60 for now until I really need to pay out for something bigger.
I had seen someone selling similar graphics printed on a Versacamm, onto plain standard vinyl with no lamination or anything on top and he reckoned they would last 7 years !!!
Can anyone confirm if there would be a problem lacquering over solvent ink though ? the thermal stuff is fine for this, and saves having to laminate it if the customr is going to lacquer anyway, but lacquer has a habit of reacting with a lot of other chemicals, so I have a feeling it would with the solvent inks ?
-
Laquer is a no no , we tried a few , some do sort of work and stuff like artists fixative just yellows
7 year claims on unlammed output on bog standard vinyl outdoors is sheer wishful thinking or lying or both. Problem is , its only a few years down the line that the fit hits the shan and he’s done a tone of sales by then.
Log in to reply.