should I laminate vehicle graphics when using a cadet?

[Robert Lambie]

you dont have too, but i would. laminating i would imagine you are extending the graphics life by years…

[John Childs]

Unless intended for a very specific short term use, I wouldn’t put anything on a vehicle without laminating.

[Phil Halling]

Whats your definition of short term, John ?

[Robert Lambie]

i think 6-12 month phil… i know the prints can outlast that but i think by the 12 month mark they will look grubby and washed out. i guess it depends on how much they are washed, how it is washed, where the vehicle is most driven… i.e. city centre

[Phil Halling]

Just asking because although we laminate all of our "long term" customers vehicle prints, we rarely do on buses or taxis.

Taxis usually only have a twelve month exposure anyway – combined with the way they are driven (60% panels replaced in 12 months due to accident damage) It doesnt make much odds, but we went back to re-wrap a bus the other week (change of promotion, not failing graphics) that had been done 18 months ago and apart from a few "DRIVER ERROR" scratches it still looked as vibrant as when we applied it.

My question is with technical progress in inks are we just all going over the top ?

[Phill Fenton]

I’ve had my Cadet for just over a year now. One of the first things I did was to print and cut graphics for my own van which were applied without lamination (by way of an experiment).

One year on and they’re looking fine.

Conversely – I recently discovered some unlaminated prints that I had done a year or so ago on a vehicle that were very "washed out". This was a driving instructors car who told me the car was cleaned on a regular basis and suffered hard wearing.

My conclusion is you should laminate for anything long term (over one year) – anything short term (less than a year) is probably okay not to laminate.

It’s probably best to discuss this with your customer, explaining that there is an additional cost to laminate – And the choice to laminate or not really depends on the life expectancy they require

[David Rowland]

we have our van Not laminated and we can see after nearly 2 years that the areas around the handles or where u would lean against the van talking to someone has had a bit of a rubbing effect and has faded it… we laminate everything that goes on a vehicle.

although I am keen to know what you are laminating with and does your laminate change the colours of a print? How about wraps, do u laminate instead of liquid?

[Phil Halling]

We, when laminating always use the matched reccomended laminate, especially on a wrap, it’s no good having the most conformable media printed and then laminate it with something with no lasting conformability – it has to pull out of recesses then it has no choice.
As for colour differences we find most, although not all, film laminates do NOT enhance the prints if anything they tend to marginally dull some of the vibrancy.
We actually prefer to liquid laminate which like a varnish does enhance the vibrancy, also seems to allow more conformability plus as wrap vinyls are not as faultless as the sales talk would have you believe, if one layer of vinyl is having trouble staying in a recess how, reallistically, can you expect two layers to perform better ?
We have only gone to film laminating recently because of the quantities we are now producing, no drying time less carefull handling etc. Quality "specials" we will always liquid laminate.

[Robert Lambie]

I have my opinions on the whole wrap laminates pulling from recesses etc some may remember this thread i posted in signextra and it was also featured in one of our trade magazines. the feedback i received from signmakers was all good/intesting, however, from what i was told/warned… it rattled a few suppliers cages out there… 😕 like i give a damn. 😉
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=16563

[taylor.m]

quote Phil Halling:

Just asking because although we laminate all of our “long term” customers vehicle prints, we rarely do on buses or taxis.

Taxis usually only have a twelve month exposure anyway – combined with the way they are driven (60% panels replaced in 12 months due to accident damage) It doesnt make much odds, but we went back to re-wrap a bus the other week (change of promotion, not failing graphics) that had been done 18 months ago and apart from a few “DRIVER ERROR” scratches it still looked as vibrant as when we applied it.

My question is with technical progress in inks are we just all going over the top ?

the quality of your ink sounds great, is that the OEM ink or the original ink?