[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Nick,

No such thing as a basic emulsion wall nowadays, modern paints have plenty of problem causing additives.

If it’s the app tape your worried about, apply a small piece in a discreet area, maybe behind a door near the bottom of the wall. This should give you an idea of how well the paint has keyed to the wall

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Myriam

Cast vinyl is the only way to go if you want that kind of like expectancy

If I can point you in the direction of 2 films

1, is avery facade film, that comes with a 10 year warranty

https://graphics.averydennison.eu/en/home/graphics-products/facade-film.html

2, is avery 900 super cast and that offers a 12 year warranty, if your looking for 300mtrs + you can have a specific colour made for you

https://graphics.averydennison.eu/en/home/graphics-products/screen-and-cut-materials/opaque-sign-cut-films/900-super-cast.html

I’m not necessarily on here to pitch for business however if you do want costings please let me know

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Suzie

Plotter vinyls tend to stay more vibrant for longer than printed media. Inks tend to have a around 4 year life, and that depends on the colours used (reds fade the quickest) and the location of the prints i.e a south facing print that is mainly red may last 2 years maybe add an extra year with a laminate, most manufactures of media specify the life of the film without the print on it, so that will give you an idea of what guarantees are involved. Avery for instance offer a printed and unprinted life of their data sheets as long as all the correct inks and profiles are used.

As you know Plotter vinyls offer life expectancies Of 2 to 3 year monomeric / 4 to 5 year Monomeric and 5 to 7 year polymeric and cast

most vinyl manufacturers have machines that accelerate weather conditions. So 1 month in the accelerator exposing vinyl to UV light and humidity and temperature can equate to 1 year in the real world

Having said that printed vinyls have been acceptable for many years now without much kick back from the end user so don’t be afraid to take the plunge and it’s still profitable to print in house, especially with the offers that are around at the moment or even a second user machine would help you dip your toe in the water

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Suzie

Just so your aware, Composite panel expands under heat, it varies with the thickness of the Aluminium skin and fixings should be chosen appropriately.

Thermal deflection of aluminium is 2.4mm/m/100oc

So a sheet that is exposed to 100oc that is 2440mm long will expand 5.86mm making the sheet 2445.86 long. If the fixings are too tight and have no room to expand and contract warping of the sheet can happen and also de lamination of the Aluminium from the core.

You can pro rata down the temperature vs expansion vs size

It’s worth keeping this in mind on acm and Foam PVC especially on a black facia that is south facing

Most of the complaints is see from my customers are down to wrong fixings and dark colours / south facing. And the answer I usually get back is “ive been doing this for years”

[Graham Scanlan]

If you mean for lettering or general livery and not safety markings ensure you use a promotional grade reflective and not a high intensity reflective.

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Pane,

As Kevin mentioned this product is sold as a wrap film and may work well on a Volkswagen Beetle but when it comes to commercial vehicles stick with a true cast

MDX is marketed as a Cylinder Cast (they made this name up) its either a calendared vinyl or it’s a cast vinyl. You’ve used a Polymeric film that will shrink and in your case break.

For commercial vehicles stick with a true cast, fit it correctly and you should have no comebacks

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Martyn

As mentioned this film is a calendared polymeric and it’s going to shrink and pop out of recesses. Stick with cast, fit it correctly and you have no problems. In my opinion there are to many companies promoting polymeric wrap vinyls. And the only reason they do this is because they don’t manufacture cast vinyls themselves, so to keep manufacturing in house they produce soft polymeric.

How this works is they buy in calendared film from one supplier , then the release liner from another and the adhesive from another. They stick it all together and convert into rolls

The likes of Orafol / Avery / Hexis / Arlon also do the above with the added value they have casting lines. Where the vinyl starts off as a liquid and then is cast onto a casting sheet.

There are only calendared vinyls and cast vinyls

ImagePerfect 2578PA 2D Wrap SuperGlide is a high performance, super soft polymeric vinyl 50 micron

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

@RobertLambie we wouldn’t have many customers left if that was the case 😂😂 that’s your job

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Mark and welcome to the boards, like Martyn says without seeing what’s failed it’s hard to advise,

As a rule of thumb, cheap Monomeric vinyls are ideal for sticker work and short term flat panel promotional work, due to the make up they shrink quicker than polymeric and cast.

Polymeric has a longer life upto 5 years printed, for some brands however polymeric also shrinks over time. There are also highly plasticised versions on the market that are aimed at the wrap market however they have shorter life spans than cast and take longer to fit, and also need to be fitted in a different way to true cast

Then you have true cast films that tend to be easier and quicker to fit and in some cases easier to take off without leaving adhesive behind. And due to the nature of manufacture when installed correctly won’t pop out and shrink back, this obviously comes at a price.When wrapping, the most expensive part is time to fit, so a cheaper material isn’t always the best road to take

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.
• This reply was modified 3 years ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Sorry I couldn’t resist

440gsm banner in 760, 1020, 1370, 1600 and 2030
510gsm banner in 760, 1020, 1370, 1600 and 2030
Mesh banner
Trisolve poster paper satin / semi-gloss 1370 and 1600
Coated poster paper in 1300 and 1600
Laminating films, matt / satin / gloss / anti slip / sand grain, 1300/1370 / 1600
Mono matt and gloss vinyl Plus lams matt / satin / gloss/ Perm / removable / hi tack / grey and clear adhesive/ normal and bubble free in 1370 / 1600 and 2000
Poly vinyl Plus lams / matt / satin / gloss , grey and Clear adhesive, bubble-free and none In 1370 / 1600
Cast vinyl, easy apply and easy apply slidable plus matt / gloss lams in 1370 and 1600
5mtr, 10mtr and 50 mtr kits
WW300 flat wall vinyl in matt and structured surfaces In 1370 and 1524
WW100 brick wall vinyl 1370 and 1524
Simply block out vinyl 1370 / 1600
Simply wall and floor textured vinyl 1370 / 1600
Roll up media 914, 1020 and 1600, 2030
Pop up media 914, 1020, 1600
Backlit lampshade pvc 1300,1600
Backlit polyester 1370

The above from memory but I’m sure I’ve missed another 100 items or so

[Graham Scanlan]

Another school day Rob. For me anyhow

Chapter 8 is best practice and not a legal requirement, so no laws have been broken. They have chosen not to adhere to best practice. As far as white reflective on the rear I would agree with you,

Whilst Chapter 8 is not legislation, by not complying with these guidelines you are leaving yourself open to potential legal action should an accident happen involving your fleet.

Avery manufacture a reflective that is already red and white chevrons which must be acceptable on the other side of the pond

[Graham Scanlan]

Vinyl and uneven Thermal expansion can break glass, especially on south-facing glass.
It’s very unusual for it to happen, but you should cover yourself when quoting. It’s only a problem when it’s a problem. It can even happen with contravision

[Graham Scanlan]

When you get 5 minutes take a look here

https://graphics.averydennison.eu/content/dam/averydennison/graphics/eu/en/Sell-sheets-and-brochures/Supreme-Wrapping-Film/2016-benchmarking-study.pdf

Granted it was in 2016 and the competition now have other adhesive options, an interesting read

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Peter,

If you’ve sold Bought led illuminated signage for a while you will know that every sign is different. When choosing an LED module there are lots of considerations about the sign dimensions that should dictate the module you choose. Then you have budget vs premium modules. You can save a few quick that ends up costing a few quick more if the installation fails. I would personally recommend a quality system and all from the same place with warranties, and charge accordingly.

I sold Sloan LED’s in the past (they also do neon bendy alternative)for many years based on quality , backup and warranty.

Find your local distributor. They should have a specialist, who can work out what’s needed on a particular project. Just send them your artwork and they will tell you the drivers / spacing, quantity and what module you require given you sign depth

If you are investing to produce yourself you may need to buy boxed quantities of led’s

As a last note, always use hard fixings as well as the tape fixings provided with the modules

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Can any admins look into his account please

[Graham Scanlan]

If I remember correctly MACTAC bought multifix in 2003 and eventually closed production and moved it into Mactac then eventually rebranded everything to Mactac.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Nige,

Give graphtec a call direct, they have engineers. If you can arrange own transport of the graphtec to Wrexham you may save some money too

https://graphtecgb.co.uk/

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Marc,

I’d agree with Jamie, I’ve sold Trisolve paper to my customers for years without issues,

You could try a satin as apposed to the Matt and that may help, also do you allow your printers to dry on the roll or do you cut to size and then gas’s off? Sometimes the solvent in the ink can get trapped and wont completely dry if not done correctly especially heavy coverage

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Erdy

There are a few options to consider.

Do you want a laminator or an application table. The application table lays vinyl onto panels and the laminator allows laminating film to be laminated onto vinyl and also can be used to lay onto panels.

If it’s a laminator you want future proof your width. Don’t buy a 760 wide just because it’s cheaper.

A heated top roller will help eliminate silvering adhesive when laminating vinyl.

Will you require a take up unit?

I agree on the buy cheap buy twice saying……so beware

I’ve sold many laminators over the years and I must say Vivid have the widest choice Plus very reliable and you won’t go far wrong with the easymount sign range if your to a tight budget or easymount if you can spend a little extra

Hope this helps

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Martyn

I’m not sure what laminate you used a pvc or polyester based, but next time you could try and laminate with less break or tension on the laminator.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Mike, me old mucka

Is there no way you can take the fingers off and get them shotblasted then repaint. Other than that I think you will be polishing a turd..😂😂🤓

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Martyn

Going back to you original request, your asking for a bio degradable self adhesive that you can wrap with? So you can discount out all of the conventional PVC based products that can take upto a 1000 years to break down and they don’t de compose, PVC just gets smaller. There are alternatives available that are more environmentally friendly. The only true green product in my opinion is self adhesive paper. If you would like more info on the alternatives let me know

Graham

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Lain

I’m no expert but I can navigate the internet. Try here

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/3086249/we-couldn-t-update-system-reserved-partition-error-installing-windows

Hope this helps

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Brian

Try

http://www.humphreys-signs.co.uk/

Ask for Will, they manufacturer both screen and digital and deliver nation wide

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Ian,

I’m guessing it’s actual digital wallpaper your looking to use and not the vinyl substitutes. These rolls tend to be 1300 wide and tricky to handle, a professional decorator should be able to work with it ok. In my experience with my customers who print wall paper it’s better to print the 10mm overlap, post off full size and let the professionals do the rest. It will save you a lot of grief if things go wrong,

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Jean,

It sounds like your describing a roll label product used by roll label printers, these tend to be high volume runs and have a cheap unit cost.

If your printing latex, eco solvent or Uv like the comment before you can use a cheaper monomeric digital vinyl, make sure you choose the correct adhesive for your customer, either Permanent, hi tack or removable

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Peter,

I believe if you own a HP printer access to Wall Art is free, it’s the trouble of setting up. I personally haven’t got any customers that have taken the leap yet as they always hit the ground running with conventional business and never find the time. I’d recommend you going for it though since there’s no purchase to be made as long as you have the printer.

[Graham Scanlan]

Morning Lain,

Uv flat bed printers come in all shapes and sizes, in my opinion the machines to start looking at are HP FB range, OCE Arizona and Jetrix (LX3 is 1200 x 1200 and prints 53m2 an hour) It depends on your budget and your volume and you need To consider the return on investment. An approx m2 figure per board print only would be £1.00 m2 so you can do the sums. Also something to consider is when the machine is out of warranty, after year one or two this can be a large yearly expense to keep the machine running reliable. Last but not least, if you have enough m2 to run through the machine monthly why not finance the machine and let it pay for itself.

Hope this gets you started

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by  Graham Scanlan.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Bernard

Hp wall art is a great tool, there are a few videos here to start with. I know the license to use the software is matched with the actual printer and I’m sure you Use an external link on your web page

https://hpwallart.com/faq

Graham

[Graham Scanlan]

You will also find the oem ink cost is cheaper on a HP Latex

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Chris,

Mimaki manufacture Solid printers and you won’t be disappointed. Your better off buying a new machine that comes with a warranty, installation and training. If you can’t afford to buy outright, there are some great finance deals available and if you work out your daily volume plus you profit per mtr, it doesn’t take much Print to have the machine pay for itself.

pick the model that’s good for you and your business, you need to look at the work your proposing to do now and to look to the future also, for instance 3 months down the line you may regret going for a smaller model even though it was a cheaper option.

If you don’t have one already you will quickly require a laminator, again make sure you buy the right one for your business.

If you buy right 1st time, you will be making money in no time. If you buy cheap there’s a big possibility of headaches and let downs.

Hope this helps

[Graham Scanlan]

If the glue residue isn’t a problem go for the standard removable, that should put up with the knocks and bangs. I’m sure the ultra removable would work fine also but I guess could be more prone to being picked at especially if there are overlaps

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Pane

Read the spec of the standard removable and you may find that there is no guarantee for adhesive free removability, so there maybe some glue removal required. With the ultra removable you should get adhesive Free removability

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Martyn

It is possible to print onto laminates, although the backing paper on some laminates tend to be thinner and less lay flat so could cause problems. Also if the product fails at anytime there is no warranty plus no profiles

Hope this helps

[Graham Scanlan]

I guess the rolls can be a pain with that size plotter,
Mactac 9800 is what I’d class as a full fat polymeric with nothing taken out of the soup so to speak,

[Graham Scanlan]

Also the new Mactac wrapping (ColourWrap) cast into the mix, a competitively priced wrap film, anything with a recess use a true wrapping cast that’s recess ready Both ColourWrap and SWF are just that

The other Cad cut cast films are designed for longer life especially over extreme changes in temperature , less shrinkage and conformable over moderate curves and rivets. The adhesives in the Cad films tend to be a flat permanent adhesive where as the wrap film tend to be bubble free / conformable and Repositionable

Even Oracal 970 series recommends trimming in the recesses

I guess choose the correct film for the application

And af mentioned before 9800 is a premium polymeric not a cast.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Iain

Try these guys

https://surfturf.co.uk/

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Elliot

Also Give Callum a try at the PFI group

Callum.scanlan@@pfisolutions.co.uk

[Graham Scanlan]

The only way to secure a delivery of floor products or clear plastic is to place your order in advance and wait for delivery. what’s causing the stock outs are demand and forward orders and as soon as the stock arrives it’s allocated already. For those products I’m afraid just in time is out of the question until this is all over

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi David

There is a very hi demand for clear acrylic / polycarbonate / PET
But I seen a post on LinkedIn yesterday saying these guys had stock,

https://www.fabriplas.co.uk/

Good luck

[Graham Scanlan]

HI Myles

If you go for a 2 part system, there isn’t anything special about the print vinyl, that can be either permanent, removable or even Hi tack. It’s the laminate you should pay attention to. We sell lots of Mactac LUV6301 (3 month) and LUV6300 6 month and since the covid virus plenty of street rap and street Lam. I would recommend you use the same brand for the print vinyl and Lam just incase you have any issues. There are other brands available of course

[Graham Scanlan]

Another way to think of it is. Your inks saving will pay for your rip, the bought RIPs tend to offer a far better work flow than free RIPs, giving more versatility on ripped images etc .Also another tip is if you don’t have a laminator already don’t be tempted to buy smaller than your printer to save money. Buy a laminator that fits your printer.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Aaron

First of all please don’t invest in the older later hp technology, the printers will be cheap as chips but they are soon to be unsupported so a 26500 should be a no go.

The new generation on hp latex machines are great and do offer many benefits overs eco solvent machines however if your stuck for space Mimaki and Roland do an all in one solution. A separate printer and plotter are more productive. But if your stuck for space….

But food for thought. Your biggest out lay will be the cost of your ink.
A typical price foe OEM ink here in the northwest is between £82 – £90 for a 440 ml cartridge for Roland / Mimaki
And from memory a 775mil cartridge will be a similar price. So more bang for your buck

You will be able to buy third party eco solvent inks for 440ml £50 or cheaper, but all your colour management will be out of the window so a more hands on approach for you.

I’ve sold all the above machines and all will make you money but I feel latex has a lot more to offer ove eco solvent

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Craig
You can call the Pyramid office on 0161 872 5666 / Simply wall and floor

Hope this helps

[Graham Scanlan]

As long as it’s a low pile carpet there are plenty of vinyls to choose from
We have a product called Simply Wall and floor. It has an R9 skid rating it’s textured so no need for lamination. (Hopefully I haven’t broken any rules by posting this)

Product is suitable for
• Short to Mid Term Application
• Indoor Use
• POS Signage/ General Signage
• Wall Graphics
• Floor Graphics – Applicable to
– floor tiles,
– pvc flooring,
– concrete/stone floor
– wooden/laminated floors – carpets (low pile carpets –
but should be tested on small area to prove performance)

[Graham Scanlan]

Who mentioned vinyl with a laminate?
I personally think wall coverings is the best terminology as it covers everything (no pun intended) including wallpaper

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Shane

I know there will be a number of companies that could help you. You could try super wide digital

http://www.superwide.com

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Attachments:

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Ian,

For your info

NOTE that HP may be required to discontinue earlier in particular countries or jurisdictions if they implement the Stockholm Convention ban earlier than December 3rd, 2020. In particular, the European Union has not yet published legislation setting the date from which the Stockholm Convention ban will apply in the EU but there is a possibility that the date could be as early as July 4th, 2020.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Phil

As you’d expect the world has gone crazy for both Clear PETG and PVC. I think anything below 240 / 220 micron would be a bit flimsy and 220 micron would be a push, you could try one of our branches as I’m away from the business until we get the all clear

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Hugh

I’m more than sure the PP stands for polypropylene, you may need a company who’s a roll label printer.

[Graham Scanlan]

Theres an instance over in the northwest where a signmaker / Printer has decided to be a trade supplier of trays / digital printing / flat sheets foam, fluted polyprop, acm, banner media and digital vinyl. Making them a competitor and a supplier at the same time ( it’s bonkers)

Buying most items from China thanks to LinkedIn, I wish them the best, but with all the other dedicated competition out there, it’s not going to be easy

To be a serious suppler who can support customers through the good times and bad you need deep pockets

[Graham Scanlan]

Coala is an own brand name, and therefor the product can be changed to another manufacturer to suit the cost. Own branded vinyls are often tendered out to the most competitive manufacturer and then used as a fighting line. My customers tend to prefer a branded product over own brand, unless it’s for a roll up film or banner PVC then as long as it prints well nobody cares where it comes from.

I don’t know anyone that would touch an own brand wrap vinyl even at half the price.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi All,

There are a few more differences in these brands. Avery Supreme has a bubble free / Repositionable/ slideable adhesive and Mactac ColourWrap has a repositionable/ bubble free adhesive and are both guaranteed for deep recesses. Oracal 970 RA rapid air adhesive / Repositionable adhesive is not guaranteed for deep recesses so you would need to switch to non rapid air.

Here’s a note from the Oracal 970 application guide

Select the Right Film Type for your Application
VH 06 2018/16 Page 3 of 7
Applications to difficult 3D geometries and rivets: Cast films (without micro-structured adhesives)
Applications to vehicles or vehicle parts without difficult 3D geometries: Calendered films, structured films (Premium
Structure Cast) and films with micro-structured (RapidAir)

The gloss level is exceptional on the ColourWrap and to be fair Oracal 970 has a good gloss level too.

Colour wrap application temperature is half that of 970. +10 degrees c compared to Oracal 970 being + 21 degrees c

As you guys know the most expensive part of a wrap is labour and this where avery supreme wrap wins due to how user friendly it is.

One last tip. Use the recommended surface cleaner with the brand you are using. The Surface cleaner is matched to the adhesive and gives optimum performance.

As an example if you used Avery surface cleaner in conjunction with Mactac ColourWrap the adhesive becomes more grabby and you won’t get full experience of using the film.

[Graham Scanlan]

This is a popular issue with latex printers and the cheaper laminated 440gsm banner, I think I’m right suggesting it’s a plasticiser issue. The only true way to fix this is move upto a coated or semi coated 510gsm if not You would switch brands and that could work for a while

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Carl

If you only have a 2k budget and you want to print solids onto coloured vinyl you can look at a pre loved Gerber Edge and cutter. This printer is a thermal ribbon printer transfer and doesn’t need any lamination and a second hand unit should cost you well under 2k as long as you can live with a limited width of 378mm wide.

I have a a couple of customers that have moved over to HP latex and have for sale Mimaki JV33 machines and would probably take £2k or less for them, but you would as the guys have touched on need to buy a laminator and in this case a cutter.

If you have enough work to finance one , that would be an option

[Graham Scanlan]

You can use roll up material but this is a waste of product, we (Pyramid Display Materials stock a product called Syntisol 170 micron it almost feels like a paper but is made of Polypropylene and it’s water proof.
https://www.sihl.com/en/products/syntis … 170-satin/

[Graham Scanlan]

I’m sure you can use most of the cast wrapping films on the market, however ensure the application is above the water line and sealed with the recommended sealer. Also read the warranties of the chosen film for life expectancies

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Pane

The process is lenticular printing, a quick google came up with a few companies that offer it. Here’s one

https://www.mjcp.co.uk/lenticular-printing

[Graham Scanlan]

Paint protection films are a completely different application method compared to vinyls

Hope this helps

This is Avery but I’m sure your aware there are lots of brands out there

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi everyone,

Aslan CA 30 range is a printable mirror bubble free adhesive film
With a 5 year external life.

https://www.aslanfolien.de/en/products/ … 3117k.html

You just need to find a Uk distributor

[Graham Scanlan]

I can’t give you any feedback on the company. But if your desperate for the eyelets
Give Hanolex a call and ask for SP11 eyelets they will fit your machine.

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Martyn

Looking at the pictures they do look like they do have a 3d curve, if this is the case I would recommend a true cast film. Many suppliers supply smaller roll length kits to make them affordable. MDX is cheaper however it’s a conformable polymeric and has its limitations. Also if the pods are made from a low energy plastic, this is renown to have adhesive key issues, some wrapping cast manufacturers have a hi tack version to get around that problem.

[Graham Scanlan]

A few things to consider when Comparing digital vinyls

Monomeric shrinks (Orajet 3164, MD3, Avery MPI3000, and I believe MDI
Monomeric blends like 3651 perform better (maybe this is MDi ?
Polymeric shrinks less (Orajet 3551, MD5, MPI2000)
Cast shrinks the least. (3951, MDC, MPI1104)

A cast, is a cast, is a cast. There is no such thing as a hybrid cast. It’s either formed from a liquid. its calandered.

Some suppliers / manufacturers have claimed some of their range is a 5 year film and its assumed by the user its a polymeric and this isn’t always the case, you just need to ask or try and decipher the data sheet.

Adhesives are the other thing to consider. Most Monomeric and some polymeric films have water based adhesives , this tends to come apparent when applying clear film onto a window using water. And when trying to apply when cold. Most big name polymeric films have solvent adhesives.

Then there’s the backing sheets PE lined backing sheets tend to perform better in higher humidity and Kraft liners work well most of the time depending on the printer.

The more they take out of a product the cheaper it becomes. If it’s full fat it’s rarely cheap.

I’m up for being corrected on any of the above. And yes there are tons of brands out there and they will fall into the above remit somewhere.

Over the last few years I’ve come across a small number of suppliers using smoke and mirrors to up market the specification on some films to help their products to hit a golden price for the customer and get them buying.

[Graham Scanlan]

You could try Apet / PETG this product can be lasered and is available in lower gauges including 1.5mm , Stronger than acrylic. Just notice that only the 3mm is in Opal

And don’t laser PVC as it gives off dangerous gasses

[Graham Scanlan]

I’m not sure about an off the shelf colour meeting that Pantone colour, but you can get down to 1 roll of a colour matched cast vinyl. It would be down to what the work is worth to you and how much margin is in it

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Cheryl

Drop Callum an email with the picture, size and quantity., he should be able to help. The product is polypropylene, either 500 mic ,750 mic or 1200 mic ,let him know if your looking for the blanks or with the printing

Callum.scanlan@pfisolutions.co.uk

[Graham Scanlan]

There are a number of options when considering buying ACM
The cheaper hoarding board options are great for short term applications mainly flat panel work. Most of the sheets are 3mm thick as standard with varying skin thickness
All ACM will expand and contract so the correct fixing method will always need to be considered especially in south facing conditions.

3mm single sided hoarding tends to be single sided Matt white , mill reverse with either .12 or .15 skin. (You pay your price and takes your chance)

3mm double sided lite ACM .2 skin this is a great choice if your not folding. These sheets tend to be Matt one side and gloss the other in white and colours (depending on the quality of the core, some people can also fold this grade)

3mm double sided fabrication grade sheet double sided .3 skin Matt one side gloss the other in white / colours and special finishes

Then there’s a range of sheets specifically designed for the direct to print market, these sheets have been optimised to be printed directly too

[Graham Scanlan]

Nice touch, hopefully it will help spread the word

[Graham Scanlan]

Looks like a Graphtec

[Graham Scanlan]

I’m kind of new to the boards so hi everyone,
I did some research of my own and found an alternative address,

Unit 1
White Hall Farm
Shalford Green
Essex
CM7 5AZ

Not sure if this will help, or are there any local members that can take a peek.

[Graham Scanlan]

Martyn, Avery also produce MPI 1104 easy apply and they have just launched speed master

Compare those prices with MPI1105ears and you should see a great saving

[Graham Scanlan]

Avery have also bought Mactac although they have two faces to market, hence Mactac now have a cast vinyl both digital and colour change, Avery have the casting lines

Avery bought JAC

Mactac bought Multifix

Avery bought Mactac

Orafol bought reflexite and KPMF

[Graham Scanlan]

Yes Dave, great company when it was part of Paperco, I was there from its conception and jumped 12 months before went down. But as with all these companies with massive overheads things change just like the Vink group now. Too many names under the same umbrella. Consolidation is always sold as a great positive move,

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by  Graham Scanlan.