-
vehicle graphics
Hi guys’n’gals not sure if I’m posting in the right forum (please mod) but we have a great deal of printed vinyls done via Epson prints that are laminated and then cut/trimmed to shape, but recently I have noticed that the edges are ‘lifting’. I have had some on my car and after a while about 1mm around the edges is beginning to peel or lift!!
So my question is that I’m looking for the ‘perfect’ long-life (well 5 years) solution. We are testing Cadet prints, but again are having trouble getting the laminating done!!
What I need is a solid print, long life and no curling of the vinyl.
It maybe that Epson prints with a lamination is not the right way to go and the Cadet tests have been done on the wrong material??
As an aside, I design and artwork all our projects and out source production – we are in the process of getting an Edge (hopefully!!) for inhouse use.
Anyway if anyone has a solution or idea, please feel free to let me know.
Cheers,
Phil. -
11 Replies
-
What about an edge sealant to help stick the edge down and stop it lifting.
-
Micheal
what type of edge sealant….not heard of this before.
-
Phil what Vinyl are you using for the print?
seems like a material problem,Peter
-
Peter, apparantly it is on Metamark digital vinyl printed and cut on a Cadet Plus @1400dpi
The others we have used are Epson prints that have an adhesive backing, then put through a laminator. But as I said after a while on the vehicle it is starting to lift at the edges..only a little but noticeable…and worrying as we send our decals all over the world!!
Phil.
-
phil
thats why i now have a solvent based printer. the laminate is pulling the soft surface vinyl and the laminate should extend 5mm outside the print vinyl totally sealing the edge for those water based type vinyls.
matching the laminate to the print vinyl is very important as even with solvent types this can happen over time.chris
just read your reply try not to have solvent print to the edge as the solvents pull the vinyl as they cure lamination does cure this to a point.
-
Quick question, as we are looking to purchase a Gerber Edge, would I need to laminate?? Spandex tell me no.
Chris, extending the laminate could be an option, but difficult as our customers (well 95% of them) purchase and apply themselves, as we sell worldwide. And most of our decals are put on extreme edges of vehicles so there would be no bodywork to fix to – if you know what I mean.
-
Another way I’m thinking which would be more time consuming and as a lot of our designs are one or two color is to just cut the whole lot in vinyl and lay it all down on a white vinyl!!!!
I’m getting nowhere fast with my suppliers/production companies as they se me as a small company with a small spend and therefore seeming not to go the extra mile to help find solutions!!! Very frustrating, we sell a quality and unique design and service only to be hampered by production issues.
And we have orders coming in thick and fast!!! So I need a solution to my dilema. 😕
-
Edge prints do not normally need lamination, I use abrasion guard when applying to vehicles, which is a printed laminate. done on the edge
Peter
-
thanks Peter, is the abrasion guard a film that you manually adhere over the graphic after printing but before cutting??
Sorry so many questions !
-
Its a clear foil that flood coats the graphic (or parts of the graphic) its applied by the edge printer, before cutting.
Peter -
Thanks Peter, much appreciated the info.
Phil.
Log in to reply.
