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To Laminate or not to laminate???
I have been asked to price up some prints that will be applied to a porta cabin. It’s going on a newly built housing development as a sales office. They reckon it will only be there for 1 year until the houses are sold and so don’t want to spend too much on it.
Do I laminate the prints?
I have a feeling it will be there for well over a year but then the customer says it won’t. To be honest, the finish of the cabin is pretty rough anyway so I don’t know if it’s worth the extra time and cost to laminate.
Any advice welcome, maybe from someone who has done a similar job to this 🙂
Thanks,
Owen -
14 Replies
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I wouldnt laminate unless I felt it helped me fitting
John 😀
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Cheers John, I was thinking of using something like metamark MD-P (slightly thicker) to make application a bit easier.
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Price for both then its their call!
If it deteriorates through no laminate then there is no comeback on you. -
We laminate everything. If you have a laminator then why not. Theres no comebacks then.
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I’d quote for both.
Explaining the advantages of laminating then it’s their call.
I’ve got a laminator and don’t laminate everything. Why? Simply the customer doesn’t want to pay for it.
Shop signs, long term signs, etc where I feel it beneficial to laminate I will quote for it and inform the customer why. For short term ie: disposable signs I don’t. I again explain why, and both customers have their choice. Laminate or not.
I only use matt or gloss laminate to match my vinyl, I don’t offer any ‘cheaper’ options. 1) I don’t have the space 2) it gets to complicated with pricing.
Must admit though I do prefer to work with laminated vinyl.
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We always laminate regardless how long a job will be in situ
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Hmmm am I missing a trick here.
Quote for it laminated, explain it’s laminated. It’s another thing to fire back at the customer when they tell me someone will do it cheaper.
Plus it’s extra pennies, for running it through the laminator and so much nicer to work with.
Hmmmm….. I am now intrigued and giving this serious thought now. 😕
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sorry I disagree never give the customer too much choice – decide what they need and specify in writing via email what they are getting for their money and why.
after all this is a simple short term application, an unlaminated print will give you 3 years outdoor without much problem 😀
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quote John Harding:sorry I disagree never give the customer too much choice – decide what they need and specify in writing via email what they are getting for their money and why.after all this is a simple short term application, an unlaminated print will give you 3 years outdoor without much problem 😀
I dunno John,
90% of the prints I order in are laminated and where necessary I agree, specify and don’t gove a choice but I always explain that it’s laminated and why. even stuff for shop counter fronts, simply to stop handbags etc from scratching it but, o those jobs they’re given the choice and a brief explanation. two choices isn’t really gonna make any odds, I simply look at my price list per mtr on the side of the pc tower and work out the sq mtr x the lam’d price or the unlam’d price.
re 3yrs…. there’s a plumbers van locally that about 18 months ago I quoted on, he went elsewhere for cheaper because i SAID i WOULDN’T PUT UNLAMINATED PRINT ON A VAN, (sorry caps), thus he got it cheaper elsewhere. I saw it the other day and the blue prints is now almost totally white with just a black outline of the letters giving half a clue as to the name!
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quote :To be honest, the finish of the cabin is pretty rough anyway so I don’t know if it’s worth the extra time and cost to laminate.i would quote for unlaminated but mounted on to correx just had a look at some cctv ones i put round the estate 3+ years ago not going to replace them yet.
hugh vans etc are different environment to standing signs.
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Laminated easier to clean if some kind sole decides to autograph it – but that’s the client’s risk.
Just a consideration
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It takes a few minutes to laminate. Just take an unlaminated print and scratch it with your nail, that will show you just how tough (untough) solvent prints actually are. It only takes some idiot to brush against it or try cleaning it and its had it.
Despite what any these printer companies tell you…Roland etc I think everything needs laminating. -
before you all start the must laminate larky i quite agree with you but read the bit i quoted about the rough finish i think it puts a different light on it.
hence i suggested the correx idea. -
In this case, I would laminate simply because of the rough surface. If you apply un-laminated to a rough surface, you will end up with a print with the ink squeegee’d off on all the high points of the surface.
Surely it is cheaper to laminate (using normal clear vinyl) than applying to correx?
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