Cleaning Vinyl Graphics

Sign makers should assume that many of their customers will do some pretty stupid things when cleaning graphics. For this reason they must provide the end user with instruction covering proper cleaning and care of any graphics.  When I sold fleet graphics, many years ago, I would give my customers an instruction sheet which included the do s and don ts listed...
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Faux Finishes

My flight out of New Orleans wasn’t leaving for several hours.  Just a few miles from the airport, was the antebellum Destrehan plantation overlooking the mighty Mississippi River. So I had plenty of time to take the guided tour. Walking through the mansion, the marble mantles and sides of some of the fireplaces caught my...
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What Causes Ink Adhesion Problems?

The $64 question is: what causes ink adhesion problems when screen printing polycarbonate film?  While some have suggested moisture absorption as the culprit, the most likely candidate is exposure  to UV light and oxygen.  As the polycarbonate absorbs UV light, it excites the photons of the atoms, which in turn creates free radicals. Free radicals...
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Screen Printing on Polycarbonate

Painting is not the only solution for decorating plastic signfaces. For high-volume  jobs, screen printing is an economical solution. In selecting an ink system, ask your screen print supply distributor for a recommendation. The technical bulletin  will give you printing recommendations. The type of mesh, squeegee, stencil and thinners are a few of the variables...
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Painting Polycarbonate Sheet

The extraordinary clarity of polycarbonate makes it an excellent substrate for backlit signs.  Generally, but not always, the sheet is sprayed on its second surface. Because the paint faces the inside of the sign cabinet, it is protected from the elements. Any painting done on the first surface of the sign face must be clear...
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Mottling and what to do about it

Have you ever occasionally noticed a dull, hazy or blotchy appearance on the surface of some vinyl films or overlaminates? This is a condition called mottling.  There’s no reason to get too excited. While this hazy appearance certainly detracts from the aesthetic appeal of your graphics, mottling can easily be remedied, which I will explain...
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Hygroscopic Plastics

Outgassing: Problems Arising Out Of Thin Air Some plastics can absorb moisture from the air.  These materials fall into the category called “hygroscopic plastics”.  The best known product in this group is polycarbonate. It’s not, however, the only hygroscopic plastic. Nylon and polyester can also absorb water vapor. Water vapor isn’t the only substance that...
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Vinyl Application to Polycarbonate Sheet

Even if polycarbonate sheet was covered with a surface protection film, you should always consider the surface contaminated. That means that you must clean the sign face before applying the graphics. Before you prep the substrate with a solvent or detergent, carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions. For most plastic-sheet applications, the most reliable cleaning method...
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The Importance of Fire Inspections

A Proactive Approach to Reducing the Risk of Fire The old saying, “forewarned is forearmed”, should remind us that conducting regular fire inspections is the best way to keep the incidence of fires low.  By identifying fire hazards in your shop, you can correct them before they cause a fire. In conducting your inspections, here...
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Surface Preparation of Unpainted Aluminum

How to Remove Oxidation on Aluminum Many years ago, some of the tankers and trailers had unpainted aluminum skins.  Direct application of pressure-sensitive vinyl graphics to these surfaces often resulted in adhesion failures. The cause of adhesion problems on aluminum is usually oxidation on the surface of the metal. Whether you are applying an emblem...
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C-C-Corrugations…Never Fear, Expert Advise is Here!

Applying vinyl over rivets is one thing. Applying vinyl over corrugation is quite another. But don’t let that stop you. If you can learn to apply vinyl over corrugation, then you can tap into the lucrative world of fleets. Corrugations are some of the most dreaded substrates over which to install vinyl. But check out...
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AP3155 UV Adhesion Promoter Demonstration Video

Stop by the Supply55 website at www.supply55.com/adhesion_promoters.html to view the AP3155 UV ink adhesion promoter demonstration video.  The video walks you through a crosshatch test demonstrating the improved durability of printed acrylic when using AP3155 in your workflow. Take control of your workflow today with AP3155 from Supply55. For more information please call Supply55 at 734-668-0755.
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Moving and Wrapping Around the World

Are wrapping techniques any different in London than they are in Los Angeles? Find out from one of the United Kingdom’s top vehicle wrapping companies. From the U.S. to the U.K. sign makers are making more than signs wrapping vehicles. They are making profits. Find out how to turn a vehicles into a rolling advertisements....
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A Megawrap with Flavor – vinyl installer wraps world’s largest beer can

Discover the challenges of wrapping a monumental can — and keeping it realistic from top to bottom. How would you go about wrapping a beer can so big that Paul Bunyan would have had to use two hands to slug it down? Impossible? Not according to Avery Dennison Graphics and the wide-format graphics designers at...
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Seamless Wraps 101 – Deciding when to go seamless and when not to

Discover how and when to do a seamless vehicle wrap. Seamless wraps demand careful planning and even then they can be a challenge. Find out how to approach a seamless wrap and when to consider a partial wrap instead. The seamless wrap. It s the Holy Grail of the vehicle wrapping industry. Some...
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