What Brand of vinyl?

[NeilFox]

Chris,
I personally use Avery 500 for 3 lease vehicles and for other vehicle signage that may be on in excess of 5 years, I use Avery 700.

I have tries Oracal and 3M. The Oracal is okay, just prefer the feel of Avery. Regarding the 3M 30 and 50 series, I personally feel the tac is to aggressive when applying it initially.

I have also used the 3M 100 series for specific jobs and swear by it.

At the end of the day, is is a personal decision of what feels right to you. Take into account, cutting, weeding, applying and the longevity of the material.

Hope this is of help.

Neil

[Simon Worrall]

Chris
Compared to the effort you put in to the layout, plotting, weeding and application, the vinyl is not usually your most significant cost on a vehicle. Go for the best the customer is prepared to pay for.
Both of you will look good in three years time.
my personal favourite is 3m 180c, but the range of colours is limited.
Simon.

[Robert Lambie]

I have tried a great many over the past 25+ years and can’t see by Oracal when it comes to cut vinyl graphics.

* Oracal 551
* Oracal 751c
Coupled with the Oracal paper application tape.

We used Oracal 751 for everything before they upgraded that to a cast film, hence the new name 751c.
Its equivalent replacement was the Oracal 551 which we started using by default but still use 751c as it has a wider range if there is a need for a specific color.

751c is a CAST so be prepared for the cast vinyl characteristics. i.e. it feels thinner, adhesive has a higher grab and will stretch easy in humid to hot days. As I say, its a characteristic of any cast and can feel more difficult to someone less experienced to install. However, you do get a wider colour range, rich consistently gloss colours, longer colour life, conforms to uneven surfaces etc. 751c also has to be the most competitive priced Cast vinyl i know of.

551 is a calendered film, feels slightly thick, less aggressive tack, not as vast a colour range but still has an excellent gloss finish. something i see lacking in most other top brands. 551 also conforms well and i would say is excellent alternative to 751c as it performs excellent.

Application Tape:
Like the vinyls I have tried loads. even reverted to other types just recently when Paperlinx went bust and i struggled to get Oracal. I really cant see by the oracal tapes. they seem to have a coating that holds the tape together better, so when stripping it off it comes away in one piece. where others just shear and tear. cracks me up!