3M Engineer Grade Reflective

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

I am printing onto 3M EG Material most specifically 3M 3290 and 3M CW84NL. Everything prints great. They are very scratch resistant and everything is awesome. We have had some rain the last couple of days and the print is coming off the media. The Media is still good. Still stuck to the aluminum but even the slightest touch with your hand and the print will rub off in little chuncks. What the $%#^ is going on. Can anybody help me. Is there a possibility that I am heating the material so much that the ink is not curing correctly.

 

[gabagoo]

I don't have an answer, but why not laminate them?

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Ok really wondering if anyone else is having an issue with water and EG 3290. We have also got some signs from a distributor that I know uses 3M EG 3290 and I know that they screen print solvent inks. The signs we got from them are doing the exact same thing. As soon as they get water on them they become very easy to just rub off with a rag. Anyone with similar isses. Did 3M recently change their coatings? I know it's not a printable material and should be screened but then why are the screened signs having the same issue?

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

I don't have an answer, but why not laminate them?

Cost. Read above also. The screen printed ones we buy from our supplier are having the same issue.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Cost. Read above also. The screen printed ones we buy from our supplier are having the same issue.

a cheap house brand laminate would work just fine for what you are trying to do, the added cost would be extremely minimal, especially when compared to the price of 3M reflective vinyl!!

 

[rjssigns]

3M may have incorporated a graffiti proof surface. If they didn't I'd say the material is defective.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

3M may have incorporated a graffiti proof surface. If they didn't I'd say the material is defective.

If they made a graffiti proof surface how would you screen print to it???????? The material is made to be solvent screen printed a graffiti shield would block the solvent from being able to adhere.

 

[shoresigns]

Three ways to solve your problem:

1. Use 3M 990 series ink. That's the only ink designed to be compatible with 3200 EG.
2. Laminate
3. Switch to a comparable reflective vinyl that is more receptive to printing, such as Oracal 5600

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Three ways to solve your problem:

1. Use 3M 990 series ink. That's the only ink designed to be compatible with 3200 EG.
2. Laminate
3. Switch to a comparable reflective vinyl that is more receptive to printing, such as Oracal 5600

What do you say to my distributor who is using 990 screen ink and having same issue.

 

[shoresigns]

What do you say to my distributor who is using 990 screen ink and having same issue.

You hadn't mentioned what inks were being used, so I thought the most likely scenario was that third party inks may have caused the problem. If the same issue has come up with 990 ink and whatever other ink you're using, then I think that narrows down the problem to either a bad batch of vinyl or a deliberate change in the manufacturing of the vinyl. Either way I think it's a question for 3M now.

 

[FireSprint.com]

In my experience it's hardly ever the ink. Typically a substrate.

I can't tell you what the issue is, but if I were in that position I would send a sample of the vinyl to my ink supplier and have them tell me what to use to print on it.

We use a fairly specialized ink to print on reflective.

Let me know if you guys need a quote.

 

[rjssigns]

If they made a graffiti proof surface how would you screen print to it???????? The material is made to be solvent screen printed a graffiti shield would block the solvent from being able to adhere.

It is entirely possible they changed the material. AFAIK they don't call every shop and tell them what they're up to.

I'd still put money on a defective batch if in fact it is supposed to be receptive.

You can put ink on anything. It doesn't guarantee it will stay put.

 

[MikePro]

A: laminate it. the cost of reflective is pretty high, so why not protect your print with a laminate that only costs about 30% extra? beats the 100% increase in cost when you have to replace.

B: though you're making reference to solvent printability when you're actually a latex printer, my HP26500 prints on reflective just fine (even on materials that don't boast printability.)
From my understanding, the 360's ink set is that much more durable I'm more inclined to say that you're print hasn't cured properly.
IDK, but chances are, there's no stock profile for 3M 3290 for your machine and you're running a default profile from something else? Try dialing-up your temperature/dryer settings and run some tests...
Water doesn't just simply break-down latex prints, after all.
If the material is truly rejecting the ink, it should be flaking-off & not smearing in the rain.