Black Printable reflective?

[edgette]

I've been asked by the local fire department to do some vinyl work similar to what you see here http://www.thefirestore.com/store/category.cfm/cid_102611_color_on_black_reflective/

I know I can easily print on regular looking silver reflective material, but how are they getting the color on this black material? I know this won't be a huge job but it has potential inside the local departments. Apparently this is the "in" thing for firefighters.

 

[inthesignbiz]

I would guess they are not printing on black but
printing black on ordinary reflective.

 

[edgette]

I can understand that, but how are they getting the full color image underneath? In normal light they look (more or less) black but when you hit them with a flashlight they show the full color print underneath.

 

[oldgoatroper]

I used to Edge-print red transparent foils on black reflective to produce a DOT-like stripe that looked black during the day.

 

[inthesignbiz]

I read the descrip. I would have to seen one
and do some reverse engineering

 

[Billct2]

I would also guess and edge print on black

 

[oldgoatroper]

I can understand that, but how are they getting the full color image underneath? In normal light they look (more or less) black but when you hit them with a flashlight they show the full color print underneath.

The key thing to remember is that the colour is not underneath -- its on top.

Its just that when you print a red or blue transparent foil on the black reflective, you can barely see it -- because its black underneath. But at night, when you hit it with light, the black reflects back white light and the wherever there is transparent foils laid over, the black reflects the colour of the foil.

If you are screenprinting on black reflective, make sure to use transparent inks. And stick to solid basic colours.

There's nothing more to it than that.

 

[MikePro]

OR you can just print on regular reflective, and laminate with window tint?
kind of like the cell phone screen covers that are chrome foil, to look like a mirror when the phone is off, but shows the light through when turned on/activated.

 

[edgette]

I read the descrip. I would have to seen one
and do some reverse engineering

If you go to the link and look at the very top image it shows what they look like.

What if I were to print on clear vinyl with my eco-solvent printer and apply that to black reflective? Wouldn't that be similar to what you're talking about with the edge printer?

 

[MikePro]

If you go to the link and look at the very top image it shows what they look like.

What if I were to print on clear vinyl with my eco-solvent printer and apply that to black reflective? Wouldn't that be similar to what you're talking about with the edge printer?

sounds about right to me. black reflective illuminates white'ish.

 

[oldgoatroper]

If you go to the link and look at the very top image it shows what they look like.

What if I were to print on clear vinyl with my eco-solvent printer and apply that to black reflective? Wouldn't that be similar to what you're talking about with the edge printer?

That would have the same end result but if you can print directly on your black reflective, why would you bother with the extra steps?

 

[edgette]

I'm not seeing the black reflective in my books as being printable. I'd have to look around a little more to see if I can find some that is printable but for a small run it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me to do that.

 

[MikePro]

nah, don't bother. try a test piece of clear print laminated to black reflective and i bet this is exactly what you're looking for.
i, however, print on "unprintable" reflective all the time. just take a bit of tweaking with your settings to make sure it comes out clean.

 

[ucmj22]

print on standard reflective, laminate with window tint?

 

[visual800]

do the art and send all art to tara at orders@vinylgraphics.net. you wont have to worry about any of these issues