Backlit Panels

[xtreme872]

I am going to be replacing some panels in a lighted sign. They are 4'x8'. They will have a full color logo plus some white text and a black background... I have done these before some using cut vinyl and some using oracal 3850. I a trying to decide the best way to do this one so it looks really nice. I have attached a pic of artwork. Thanks for your help in advance

 

[signcrafters london]

Do you have a 54" plotter? You could cut the black background and print the logo on white translucent for the outside. Reverse print the logo on clear and apply to the inside so the colors will be consistent when lighted and not lighted.

 

[oksigns]

I am going to be replacing some panels in a lighted sign. They are 4'x8'. They will have a full color logo plus some white text and a black background... I have done these before some using cut vinyl and some using oracal 3850. I a trying to decide the best way to do this one so it looks really nice. I have attached a pic of artwork. Thanks for your help in advance

Couldn't help but notice in the tag line, "Exit Realty, A Smart Move", the typeface for "A" and "Move" are in a different weight then the rest of that copy. It can be perceived as a mistake rather than intended for emphasis.

 

[Gino]

Why not just make it easy on yourself and go with this ??

 

[xtreme872]

The attached is what they want sent from corporate

 

[bernie]

Corporate does not always know best, even though they may think they do. It's visual. If it's worth your time, I'd send them the proof their way and then changing the A & Move thickness
and let them see the difference.

 

[xtreme872]

That is not my concern right now.. I was looking for help in the best way to make the panel..So I can prepare my quote.

 

[oksigns]

signcrafters london has the right idea, cause that black should be brilliant lit and unlit. You could always throw the typeface weight thing as a note with a reason on the estimate and let it be their decision.

 

[Billct2]

I'd get a price on a double layer translucent print, apply it to white lexan or acrylic.

 

[Gino]

That is not my concern right now.. I was looking for help in the best way to make the panel..So I can prepare my quote.

Alrighty then, tell us what your capabilities are and we can go from there, instead of guessing.

 

[ams]

I've always been told to do a overprint for all translucent printed vinyl (printed twice), that will keep the colors and not wash out.

 

[xtreme872]

I can do printed or lay cut translucent. I have a 54" Printer. I was thinking possibly about reversing printing logo on clear and backing with white translucent inside on clear acyrlic? and laying black translucent background on inside as well but i was afraid the black would wash on clear acrylic? I am trying to stay away from tranlucent paint.

 

[Gino]

Then, exactly as signcrafters explained it.

 

[BudgetSign]

Front or Back application of vinyl

I have a similar project to original poster (backlit polycarbonate) 4x8 with dark green background. I was going to apply the green on face of sign. Was it suggested here that reverse cutting the letters and applying to back of polycarbonate is preferred way? Also, anybody worry about out-gassing on this type of job? Only heard of this recently and not sure what I should do differently to prepare polycarbonate.
Thank You.

 

[Andy D]

I've always been told to do a overprint for all translucent printed vinyl (printed twice), that will keep the colors and not wash out.

I know a lot of sign companies make their backlit images this way, but after making tens of thousands backlit prints/signs, I can tell
you definitively that the only way to get an image to look the same day and night and to have correct colors is by doing three layers: color - white - color,
meaning one print at 50% to 100% of the daytime print (every job is different) a layer of white diffuser or white ink and then a second print at 100%... sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Andy D]

I can do printed or lay cut translucent. I have a 54" Printer. I was thinking possibly about reversing printing logo on clear and backing with white translucent inside on clear acyrlic? and laying black translucent background on inside as well but i was afraid the black would wash on clear acrylic? I am trying to stay away from tranlucent paint.

That would work, I would put cut black vinyl, mirrored for the second surface, down first
Then the 1st printed Image , then 3M diffuser (white translucent vinyl might be fine but diffuser makes it pop more)
and then as I said above, a second print behind the diffuser so that it doesn't wash out at night.

 

[ams]

I know a lot of sign companies make their backlit images this way, but after making tens of thousands backlit prints/signs, I can tell
you definitively that the only way to get an image to look the same day and night and to have correct colors is by doing three layers: color - white - color,
meaning one print at 50% to 100% of the daytime print (every job is different) a layer of white diffuser or white ink and then a second print at 100%... sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

Sadly I don't have a white ink printer yet, only a CMYK. However that is next on my list.

 

[Andy D]

Sadly I don't have a white ink printer yet, only a CMYK. However that is next on my list.

Yeah, it's made everything so much easier, but there was a real learning curve with ours..
Too much white and the top print looks washed out, too little and it's too dark.
Before we got our printer that prints white, we had to do two prints, one laminated with clear and the other laminated with white diffuser
and register them together with the diffuser in-between the two prints.

 

[visual800]

if it were me I would lay hp black andthen order translucent prints for the exit. done!