Discussion Bad Printing

[brycesteiner]

I was called in to replace the sign vinyl for a small company. I got there with our new prints and the vinyl that had been installed looked like it was 3m (and based on the smell of the adhesive. With a little heat it pulled up nice and easy.

BUT, the printing was horrible on it. They told me it had been installed 3-4 years ago (late 2014 I think) and it looked really bad. This happened to be the good side not facing the sun. It is not cut vinyl.
Not only did the colors completely fade but it just looks really strange. Another local sign place did this but I just could not believe how bad the printing was. Next, the ink would smear right off with your fingers, without trying much.
I believe it was printed on a Roland because that is what the other company that is near us has (and they told us who made it). Would that be 3rd party inks?
This was not laminated but we have also not laminated certain jobs and have never had anything look like this.
Is this normal for something that is not that old?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Following this post. We have a local sign company around here and we see the exact same thing with their unlaminated prints. Wet your fingertip, rub the ink, and it smears all over the place. We assumed it was latex, though.

 

[brycesteiner]

Maybe it is. Does Roland do latex? I thought latex was more permanent.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

A company I used to work for had prints that looked like this. They used oracal 3651 unlaminated on a Roland eco-solvent printer using generic ink.

 

[Superior_Adam]

If they are printing with solvent inks the print will smear if not laminated. The only way to get around not laminating is UV print or Latex. As far as the quality of the print that could be a lot of different things. I would almost say that they are printing this at a low quality resolution to run their machine faster. I know of a lot of companies in my area that are killing the market price wise but are running the printers so fast their prints look like crap. The customers usually come back and admit that they should not have switched and the quality sucked and then say "Guess you get what you pay for!".

 

[papabud]

i have seen what looks like good prints at first come back after a few years looking like this.
minor print issues get exaggerated over time as the light ink coverage fades faster than the heavier ink areas making lines more noticeable.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

If they are printing with solvent inks the print will smear if not laminated. The only way to get around not laminating is UV print or Latex. As far as the quality of the print that could be a lot of different things. I would almost say that they are printing this at a low quality resolution to run their machine faster. I know of a lot of companies in my area that are killing the market price wise but are running the printers so fast their prints look like crap. The customers usually come back and admit that they should not have switched and the quality sucked and then say "Guess you get what you pay for!".

All the years I been printing with solvent inks, I never was able to smear it unlaminated. Maybe your thinking of pigment inks.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

We have scrubbed our Epson S80600 solvent prints with scotchbrite pads and it still won't come off the vinyl (despite the results others claim to be having on here...)

 

[brycesteiner]

All the years I been printing with solvent inks, I never was able to smear it unlaminated. Maybe your thinking of pigment inks.

Same here. I've had them scratch and fairly easily within a couple days of printing but not smearing and not after several years.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I've seen solvent scratch easily after 3 years

 

[DZineGraphX]

ive done alot of printing with eco-sol after market bulk ink with no laminates and its been fine - i have used thinner and a few items in "test" prints to try and get the ink off and ink held out fine - only thing that would have effect on the inks is cleaning fluid - you wipe enough and it obviously can come off completely. Theres been prints that have lasted a 4-5 years unlaminated some that havent lasted so long.

So many factors mind you - whats it going on coroplast , crezon, vehicle etc. Also colors being printed or images etc. But i do find that odd that it would wipe off if it was eco-sol ink - either after market or original.