Suggestions Better inexpensive overlaminate

[SignsByNicholas]

Hi friends,

Can anyone recommend a good overlaminate that doesn't have the little imperfections I seem to be getting with Ritrama or Horizons Beyond Film? It's not part of the laminating processing... it's little blems I'm seeing in a brand new roll. Like little circular, clear blems. It's hard to explain. I see it in the lam before I even laminate so I try to avoid them, but it's a pain.

I make a lot of inexpensive novelty type signage, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on the 3M type lams that cost a fortune. Ritrama and Horizons run me about $150/roll for 54" x 150'.

I'm wondering if there is a better lam (blem free) around the same price point.

Thanks,

Nick
Signs by Nick LLC

 

[bannertime]

Arlon 3420 is one of my favorites for intermediate stuff.

 

[Dan360]

We use Grimco's Briteline for the majority of jobs, never had any issues with the stuff.

 

[2B]

contact BigfishDM InstantOneMedia
Or any other of the Merchant Members

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

3M 8048 is a great multi-purpose laminate. We pay $215/rl

 

[bannertime]

Another vote for Arlon 3420, Satin has been my go-to since most of the time I leave the laminator loaded for a couple of days and the clear adhesive tends to leave a glue mark across the width of the roll.
$233 a roll

You need to work that price down a bit. I guarantee it can be bought cheaper.

 

[Solventinkjet]

We have it for $205 here in Denver. Just realized OP is in the town over from us. If you want to try it out give us a call.

 

[ikarasu]

3M 8048 is a great multi-purpose laminate. We pay $215/rl

Does 8048 go on pretty clear? We've been using 8508... But it's getting More and more foggy. 3M is sending us a sample of 8048... They said it's their only alternative in the same price as 8508.

8508 is becoming unusable... We're sending samples into their techs to show them how bad it is. On 3 different lot numbers it's turning out like attached... We have 5 rolls.of the stuff left that I won't even touch for cheap real estate it's so bad. Hoping 8048 is better, 8518 is too expensive for mid range.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Does 8048 go on pretty clear? We've been using 8508... But it's getting More and more foggy. 3M is sending us a sample of 8048... They said it's their only alternative in the same price as 8508.

8508 is becoming unusable... We're sending samples into their techs to show them how bad it is. On 3 different lot numbers it's turning out like attached... We have 5 rolls.of the stuff left that I won't even touch for cheap real estate it's so bad. Hoping 8048 is better, 8518 is too expensive for mid range.

Wow, that is worse than $99/roll mono clear...

 

[klingsdesigns]

We use 8048 on everything but cast.

 

[ikarasu]

Yup. When we first tried it a year or so ago it wasn't this bad. It seems to get worst and worst every roll we get... Now it's just unusable.

The rep told us they get a few complaints.. but they chalk it up to defective rolls and no one ever sends in samples. We're pushing it all the way through..sending then samples of three diff rolls, showing it's cloudy even before putting it on the material...and following up every other day. I loved 8508, I know a lot of people.had issues with it failing... But it seemed good for us. Hopefully 8048 works out better.

I'll also say it doesn't look THAT bad on everything we print. I think the pure black just hilighted how bad it really is. But yes... Our cheap $100 no name brand rolls we bundle with our worst media looks better than this. I don't expect optically clear or even near it... But 8508 is a cast overlaminate, no reason cheap $100 rolls should look better than it.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

Yup. When we first tried it a year or so ago it wasn't this bad. It seems to get worst and worst every roll we get... Now it's just unusable.

The rep told us they get a few complaints.. but they chalk it up to defective rolls and no one ever sends in samples. We're pushing it all the way through..sending then samples of three diff rolls, showing it's cloudy even before putting it on the material...and following up every other day. I loved 8508, I know a lot of people.had issues with it failing... But it seemed good for us. Hopefully 8048 works out better.

I'll also say it doesn't look THAT bad on everything we print. I think the pure black just hilighted how bad it really is. But yes... Our cheap $100 no name brand rolls we bundle with our worst media looks better than this. I don't expect optically clear or even near it... But 8508 is a cast overlaminate, no reason cheap $100 rolls should look better than it.

I have a strong contention that 8508 is not a cast. I have 22 100 yard rolls that failed by delaminating and shrinking 1 - 2" on all sides.

 

[ikarasu]

Wow, thats bad. We use some really cheap calandered and I've never seen it shrink an inch even... I've got a few decals on our truck from 2 years ago up, doesn't seem to have shrunk at all - Maybe you got a bad batch? (I've heard lots of people get bad batches of 8508 though...)

I know they label it as an intermediate cast. Only problem we've ever had with it was the glue. Our first few rolls were great... We were happy because we always used 8518 for anything above real estate signs...so it cut out laminate costing in half. We just ordered about 8 rolls of it... They're just sitting in the corner because I don't want to use them even for real estate signs. Waiting on 3M to get back to us on if they agree its an issue or not... either way, I've heard great things about 8048... So hopefully it works out for us.

 

[chester215]

Arlon 3420. We have tried others that were cheaper but we kept going back to the Arlon.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

Wow, thats bad. We use some really cheap calandered and I've never seen it shrink an inch even... I've got a few decals on our truck from 2 years ago up, doesn't seem to have shrunk at all - Maybe you got a bad batch? (I've heard lots of people get bad batches of 8508 though...)

I know they label it as an intermediate cast. Only problem we've ever had with it was the glue. Our first few rolls were great... We were happy because we always used 8518 for anything above real estate signs...so it cut out laminate costing in half. We just ordered about 8 rolls of it... They're just sitting in the corner because I don't want to use them even for real estate signs. Waiting on 3M to get back to us on if they agree its an issue or not... either way, I've heard great things about 8048... So hopefully it works out for us.

We hesitantly switched to 8048 2 years ago and it has been a dream, no issues we use it indoor and outdoors. It does lay clear with very little silvering and we even use it to lam UV prints and it conforms really well.

 

[bannertime]

We hesitantly switched to 8048 2 years ago and it has been a dream, no issues we use it indoor and outdoors. It does lay clear with very little silvering and we even use it to lam UV prints and it conforms really well.

Is 8050 the same thing just matte?

 

[BigfishDM]

Hi friends,

Can anyone recommend a good overlaminate that doesn't have the little imperfections I seem to be getting with Ritrama or Horizons Beyond Film? It's not part of the laminating processing... it's little blems I'm seeing in a brand new roll. Like little circular, clear blems. It's hard to explain. I see it in the lam before I even laminate so I try to avoid them, but it's a pain.

I make a lot of inexpensive novelty type signage, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on the 3M type lams that cost a fortune. Ritrama and Horizons run me about $150/roll for 54" x 150'.

I'm wondering if there is a better lam (blem free) around the same price point.

Thanks,

Nick
Signs by Nick LLC

I have a great laminate that would be about $85 for 54"x150' and it is a matte finish. Do you need matte or gloss?

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

Is 8050 the same thing just matte?

Yes, but.... This is a big BUT, it doesn't perform the same. The texture to create the matte effect reduces the amount of stretch the film can take and makes it less conformable.