Asphalt Art Foil, Anyone Have Experience With It?

[AMGearhart]

I just got an order and some materials from my supervisor to do some graphics to go on asphalt. The material brand we got is Asphalt Art. Has anyone ever worked with this material? Fortunately, the design is simple. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing my plotter would do well cutting, and I don't want to tear up my blade to find out. So for such a simple design, I am happy to hand cut it. I'm going to use our laser to create a styrene template for install. So in a nutshell, I guess I want to know:

How well does it take ink?
Can it be cut on a regular plotter?
Anything tips or suggestions regarding printing or installing?

It is my first time working with this material and my supervisor knows as little about it as I do.

Thanks!

 

[flyplainsdrifta]

What do you plan on printing it on? Ive been running it on and off for years. It is a semi risky material to run on certain printers. I prefer to run it on my latex's mostly because of the cheap heads that if i do get a gnarly headstrike, i am back up and running without waiting for a tech. I learned the hard way when i was first starting in this business not to run it on my uv flatbed. the foil doesnt like to lay flat off the roll unless you have it on a take up with a fair amount of tension. can take out some heads if your not careful, turning a quick small job into a 5000 dollar nightmare.

Takes ink very well on my latex's with a lower temp vinyl profile.

I highly doubt a plotter would be able to handle that, although i am not sure at all there (we've always used a zund).

 

[bannertime]

I have only used Alumigraphics, but from samples, they are pretty similar.

Tip 1: You must use the take up system. Run material out to the reel or use scrap material. We use scrap banner material, cut off about two inches of the liner and apply it to the banner. Run it through the machine until it gets webbed up. It's best to do this on a large table and make sure the scrap piece is squared up to the roll or else your machine may through skew errors.

Tip 2: None of the application tapes we've tried will stick to the textured materials so you'll have to be patient trying to lay graphics with holes or odd shapes that stick out. In a pinch we've used thin strips of the same material to hold pieces together.

Tip 3: It's extremely hard to cut on a plotter. In fact on my last job, we had to hand cut 800sqft+ of it because we couldn't get the machine to read the marks and we'd already used about $500 worth of material for testing and samples. Square cut is really easy to do by hand but ours were water drop style graphics. Was too late to get it cut on a partner's Esko. Also, be prepared to go through a few blades.

Tip 4: Installation is really simple. Get some knee pads or a foam pad because you'll be crawling around. Slit the backers before you get on site if possible. I start by positioning a graphic, get my helper to pull the liner back about few inches while I'm finish installing a graphic that's already been prepped. I typically press it down by hand or roll it as some is pulling the liner off. Squeegees will wear down pretty quickly on the gritty stuff. At an absolute minimum use a roller and some heavy pressure to seal the edges. I actually use cotton gloves to push the material into cracks. On square graphics and simple shapes, you can pull the whole liner off and lay it in position.

Tip 5: A light spray of Frog Juice or Clear Shield can help protect against ink abrasion and help prevent dirt from sticking, but don't expect much. As with all floor graphics, if a vehicle turns a wheel on top of the graphic, it'll sheer it right off the ground.

 

[AMGearhart]

Thank you for the advice. You both had some things I hadn't considered. And seeing as how we just replaced some of out flatbed heads, I'm not in the mood to be risky. Still, for us it is only 4 graphics, simple circles. The customer wants us to mark out their parking spots with graphics, so I'm sure it will get dirty and damaged fast. But I also think their main concern is making a visible splash on their "grand opening".

 

[flyplainsdrifta]

there are certainly other options for material unless youre locked into that. we run it here so if necessary pm me. we can get it out pretty quick. otherwise id just be very careful on a flatbed and make sure your right there holding it down. What flatbed are you running?

 

[FireSprint.com]

I have only used Alumigraphics, but from samples, they are pretty similar.

Tip 1: You must use the take up system. Run material out to the reel or use scrap material. We use scrap banner material, cut off about two inches of the liner and apply it to the banner. Run it through the machine until it gets webbed up. It's best to do this on a large table and make sure the scrap piece is squared up to the roll or else your machine may through skew errors.

Tip 2: None of the application tapes we've tried will stick to the textured materials so you'll have to be patient trying to lay graphics with holes or odd shapes that stick out. In a pinch we've used thin strips of the same material to hold pieces together.

Tip 3: It's extremely hard to cut on a plotter. In fact on my last job, we had to hand cut 800sqft+ of it because we couldn't get the machine to read the marks and we'd already used about $500 worth of material for testing and samples. Square cut is really easy to do by hand but ours were water drop style graphics. Was too late to get it cut on a partner's Esko. Also, be prepared to go through a few blades.

Tip 4: Installation is really simple. Get some knee pads or a foam pad because you'll be crawling around. Slit the backers before you get on site if possible. I start by positioning a graphic, get my helper to pull the liner back about few inches while I'm finish installing a graphic that's already been prepped. I typically press it down by hand or roll it as some is pulling the liner off. Squeegees will wear down pretty quickly on the gritty stuff. At an absolute minimum use a roller and some heavy pressure to seal the edges. I actually use cotton gloves to push the material into cracks. On square graphics and simple shapes, you can pull the whole liner off and lay it in position.

Tip 5: A light spray of Frog Juice or Clear Shield can help protect against ink abrasion and help prevent dirt from sticking, but don't expect much. As with all floor graphics, if a vehicle turns a wheel on top of the graphic, it'll sheer it right off the ground.

This is what this forum is all about. GREAT post! We have been exploring offering this to the trade, but it is a material that takes a fair bit of babysitting to run.

 

[flyplainsdrifta]

This is what this forum is all about. GREAT post! We have been exploring offering this to the trade, but it is a material that takes a fair bit of babysitting to run.

indeed it does. honestly though, once you get the tension right on a latex, its pretty much like just running vinyl. ive done full rolls on my 560 without a single headstrike or issue.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

I tested both out behind a building we later moved from and when I returned a year later the alumigraphics was still there and the ashpalt art had disappeared.

 

[AMGearhart]

Sorry for the absence. Between holidays and installs, it got hectic.

I ended up printing it on my Valujet 1204. Unfortunately, my manager only ordered a little bit more than what was needed, and we were sent less than what we ordered. It was enough to do the job, but it gave me no extra to test color or experiment. Still, I printed it out, cut it with scissors & a box cutter (it was a simple geometric design), and had our laser cut a template out of styrene. I shared everyone's advice with the installers and they reported no issues. So it all seemed to work out well. Time will tell. And hopefully I can get the manager to order a few feet more of the material so I can work with it, test it and get a better feel for it, just in case they use it again in the future.

Again, thank you all!

 

[Jake Indiana]

there are certainly other options for material unless youre locked into that. we run it here so if necessary pm me. we can get it out pretty quick. otherwise id just be very careful on a flatbed and make sure your right there holding it down. What flatbed are you running?

I just finished off my first roll of Alumagraphics and I hate working with the stuff. I've scratched up my printheads, crashed the print carriage and ruined a few plotter blades. And with the foil backer I ripped the material trying to install it around and underneath fridges and countertops. From what I've been reading it doesn't seem like Asphalt Art is much better to work with.

What other materials have you used for floor graphics? I'm specifically trying to cover an interior floor that's made of an epoxy with grit (feels like sand paper). Is there a thinner more workable vinyl material that would adhere to that? I also need a more permanent solution. Ideally something that would last for 4 or 5 years. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[rjssigns]

I just finished off my first roll of Alumagraphics and I hate working with the stuff. I've scratched up my printheads, crashed the print carriage and ruined a few plotter blades. And with the foil backer I ripped the material trying to install it around and underneath fridges and countertops. From what I've been reading it doesn't seem like Asphalt Art is much better to work with.

What other materials have you used for floor graphics? I'm specifically trying to cover an interior floor that's made of an epoxy with grit (feels like sand paper). Is there a thinner more workable vinyl material that would adhere to that? I also need a more permanent solution. Ideally something that would last for 4 or 5 years. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Thanks!

I've made stencils from 4mil then paint with epoxy. It's the only way you will get any durability whatsoever.
One client used sandblast mask, blasted the floor about 1/16" deep then filled with floor epoxy. It was for a warehouse with forklift traffic.
There are no quick and easy options for longterm durability.

 

[Maxz3241]

Maybe G-Floor, but that's not a vinyl and it's thick