Need Help 5 year outdoor digital inks available ?

[Sunney]

I am a large format graphic screen and digital printer proposing to make large printed, Vacuum-formed signboards, framed, with LED back-lighting.
I can screenprint smaller sizes with 3 year and 5 year outdoor life; solvent and UV inks, but when it comes to 8x4 feet or bigger sizes, I have no screen printing machine.
For this segment I plan to digital Flatbed printing.
But the problem is outdoor durability of digital inks: So far I have no information of a DIGITAL ink that has 5 year outdoor durability.

Anybody know of a Digital solvent or UV ink that has better OD life more than the usual 2 year, please ?

 

[letterman7]

I dunno... my laminated eco-solvent prints have been on the streets for at least 5 years now and still looking decent...

 

[2B]

If you are looking for true long term, then you will need to use plotter vinyl.

Otherwise you will have to laminate whatever digital ink you use.

Sent from my SAMSUNG using Tapatalk

 

[Sunney]

I dunno... my laminated eco-solvent prints have been on the streets for at least 5 years now and still looking decent...

A digital ink at outdoor for 5+years and still standing ? !
Which brand of ink and Printer, please ?

And what kind of lam: normal thin film or something extra ordinary?

My place in Southern India, which is too sunny, and pretty much hot too comparing to Pennsylvania

 

[Sunney]

If you are looking for true long term, then you will need to use plotter vinyl.

Otherwise you will have to laminate whatever digital ink you use

Plotter vinyl:
1. There will be CMYK images involved.
2. Lamination: I am planning to print 2nd surface of 2mm and 2.8mm clear sheet, and a white coat to finish, so as it make the effect of a 2mm thick lamination effect. Isn't it enough?. But this is in the case of screen printing.

Is this 2nd surface printing in reverse order possible in all digital machines ?

 

[Patentagosse]

A digital ink at outdoor for 5+years and still standing ? !
Which brand of ink and Printer, please ?

And what kind of lam: normal thin film or something extra ordinary?

My place in Southern India, which is too sunny, and pretty much hot too comparing to Pennsylvania

'Always used OEM Roland inks since 2004 and I swear, I have jobs on big rigs that reds are still red, not pinkish, not orange... My profiles are kinda generous on ink coverage which makes the colors to stand the time. Before I bought my 1st printer in 2004, I sub 'em to a guy that printed from a Vutek + liquid laminate. I made a job for my neighbor, a construction guy, and the green hasn't lost more than 10-20% of it's vividnest. Job is +13 y.o., always parked outside, never washed. We're in Montreal, Canada sure... not in Southern India. Our range of temperature is from -35°C to +35°C. Humid, not desert dry.

 

[Solventinkjet]

5 years for a solvent digital print laminated is the norm. If you are getting less than that it's most likely a cheap materials issue or you have some sort of extreme environmental conditions.

 

[Sunney]

'Always used OEM Roland inks since 2004 and I swear, I have jobs on big rigs that reds are still red, not pinkish, not orange... My profiles are kinda generous on ink coverage which makes the colors to stand the time. Before I bought my 1st printer in 2004, I sub 'em to a guy that printed from a Vutek + liquid laminate. I made a job for my neighbor, a construction guy, and the green hasn't lost more than 10-20% of it's vividnest. Job is +13 y.o., always parked outside, never washed. We're in Montreal, Canada sure... not in Southern India. Our range of temperature is from -35°C to +35°C. Humid, not desert dry.

Thickness of ink makes the difference, I assume.
Can we increase ink thickness on a Roland ?

Thanks...

 

[letterman7]

A digital ink at outdoor for 5+years and still standing ? !
Which brand of ink and Printer, please ?

And what kind of lam: normal thin film or something extra ordinary?

My place in Southern India, which is too sunny, and pretty much hot too comparing to Pennsylvania

Mutoh 1204 with their Eco-Solvent inks. Laminated with 3M 8519. The heat shouldn't make that much difference - sun exposure sure will, though.

 

[Patentagosse]

Thickness of ink makes the difference, I assume.
Can we increase ink thickness on a Roland ?

Thanks...

I use a profile for matte vinyl but on gloss. The profile has been "tweaked" by the tech as he was performing initial testings at installation. I'm not really into "in-deep" details as for setuping custom profiles but it's in saturation somewhere... he tested the limits before the little squares printed turn darker on the edges. You can see ink thickness... You drop just a bit before that

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

I get to stare at a job we did for a client across the road every day.
Printed on a Roland VS-540 in 2011 on 3M IJ40 and laminated with 8518.
Still looks identical to the day it was printed. It's on a delivery truck, so sees the sun all day 5 days a week.

 

[Patentagosse]

I get to stare at a job we did for a client across the road every day.
Printed on a Roland VS-540 in 2011 on 3M IJ40 and laminated with 8518.
Still looks identical to the day it was printed. It's on a delivery truck, so sees the sun all day 5 days a week.

I use the same printer, also bought in 2011. My colors are still the same on jobs done after purchase (vehicles, trailers, signs...). I use OEM inks. Nothing to complain but cost more per sq.ft. As I have low volume, printer can sometimes be 2-3 days w/o getting turned ON, never experienced issue like head clogging. I had head replaced this summer, tech said it's "normal" after +6 years of service. Had the heads replaced after 6 years on my previous SP-300 also...