Cheap Vinyl Shrinking

[SignStudent]

The guy who I bought my shop from (and used to work for) was using some cheap generic vinyl from his supplier which would shrink and then have about 1/8" of the gray adhesive showing all the way around the graphic.

Now I know many other vinyls use gray adhesive, and I'm curious if they have this same problem or if it's just because we were using the cheap stuff. I'm planning to make the switch to Oracal 3651 with 210g laminate but I just want to make sure that it will solve the problem even though it's only a calendered vinyl.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Don't be hatin on ALL gray adhesives! It would be like grouping ALL white vinyl. Borderline racist.

 

[artsnletters]

easily solved problem: stop using crappy cheap vinyl. Serves two purposes, you turn out a better quality product and don't have customers potentially hatin' on you for the grey adhesive shrinkback....
Tim

 

[fmg]

3651 is the way to go. Great results and will hold up.I lam with 210 and have great results inside and out.

 

[SignStudent]

easily solved problem: stop using crappycheap vinyl. Serves two purposes, you turn out a better quality product and don't have customers potentially hatin' on you for the grey adhesive shrinkback....
Tim

Not to sound pissy but did you read what I wrote? I already said I'm going to switch, I was just checking to see if that's going to solve the problem or if other vinyls do that too. Unfortunately he didn't ever get anything better so I have nothing else to compare it to.

 

[Flame]

Not to sound pissy but did you read what I wrote? I already said I'm going to switch, I was just checking to see if that's going to solve the problem or if other vinyls do that too. Unfortunately he didn't ever get anything better so I have nothing else to compare it to.

Agreed. Lil over the top.

Honestly it's not the color, it's the brand/model/line of material you are using. Really not sure what you have but I also like using 3651 as base for a lot of projects. Great basic sign vinyl for printing.

 

[artsnletters]

OK, sorry bout that. I just hate cheap vinyl with a passion....and yes i did read it. I wasn't trying to be a dick.
Tim

 

[SignStudent]

OK, sorry bout that. I just hate cheap vinyl with a passion....and yes i did read it. I wasn't trying to be a dick.
Tim

Ah, no problem. I'm doing everything I can right now to become a legit sign shop. Another thing we used to do before I took over is use calendered cut vinyl for 99% of jobs including, but not limited to, racing stripes, truck doors, and dibond signs. Hell he didn't even know how to use the laminator so we didn't laminate anything for a long time until I researched the stuff on my own because I was tired of doing such crappy work.

Sorry I used to be part of one of "those" shops but I'm working on it.

 

[Custom Bob]

Cheap Vinyl = The reason your Boss went out of Business I'm assuming?
Was it Avery?

 

[dj_elite]

Ive had good results with Orajet 3164 too and it has clear adhesive. I try and stay away from the 3641 though thats a gray adhesive and has the same problems that you addressed. Oracal really needs to start using different model numbers too there all way to close...

 

[SignStudent]

Cheap Vinyl = The reason your Boss went out of Business I'm assuming?
Was it Avery?

He just kinda did signs as a hobby not a business. He lost a lot of money but didn't really care too much since he has several other sources of income like military disability and rental houses. He's like 62, bad hearing, and just felt like retiring from doing signs since he was about to start getting social security too.

 

[Sign Works]

Sign Student,
A good lesson/standard to learn early on is to use ONLY cast vinyl on vehicles & long term exterior signage. Period!!! End of Subject!!!

One can find a million excuses to use a non cast vinyl for these applications but not one of them will compensate for product failure which is Inevitable.

You mentioned using Oracal media, these reference guides can be useful in selecting the proper media & laminate film for specific applications.



For Some reason the other two reference guides will not upload so here is a link to them.
http://www.oracal.com/knowledge/quick-reference-guides.asp

 

[chopper]

I hate to tell you but the 3651 is also the cheap stuff... calendered print media you will want to go with 3951 that is the 10 year cast ....and the 290 lam

//chopper

 

[jiarby]

LOL!

3651 with 210 Lam IS the cheap stuff!

It is calendared vinyl. It will crack like any other, maybe not as fast as the SUPER CHEAP STUFF you have been buying.

To avoid it you have to buy CAST, and CAST Laminate
Try 3951RA with 290 Lam... a buck sixty three a square before you even look at it. You gotta charge enough...


Dang, Chopper you posted that while I was typing mine! Great minds think alike!

 

[chopper]

LOL!

3651 with 210 Lam IS the cheap stuff!

It is calendared vinyl. It will crack like any other, maybe not as fast as the SUPER CHEAP STUFF you have been buying.

To avoid it you have to buy CAST, and CAST Laminate
Try 3951RA with 290 Lam... a buck sixty three a square before you even look at it. You gotta charge enough...


Dang, Chopper you posted that while I was typing mine! Great minds think alike!

yep..beat you to it!!!LOL.. the 3651 is oracal's print version of the 651 series vinyl hence (3)651
//chopper

 

[synergy_jim]

LOL!

3651 with 210 Lam IS the cheap stuff!

It is calendared vinyl. It will crack like any other, maybe not as fast as the SUPER CHEAP STUFF you have been buying.

To avoid it you have to buy CAST, and CAST Laminate
Try 3951RA with 290 Lam... a buck sixty three a square before you even look at it. You gotta charge enough...


Dang, Chopper you posted that while I was typing mine! Great minds think alike!

I beg to differ. 3651 is an intermediate and lasts really well outdoors as long as there are no complex curves. We used it on my trailer 5 years ago and just removed it this past summer. Clean removal and not a crack or failure in it anywhere.

 

[petepaz]

3651 is the way to go. Great results and will hold up.I lam with 210 and have great results inside and out.

we use 3164 and 3651 w/ 210 lam
about 4-5 years now with good results

 

[Techman]

calendared vinyl will work on flat vehicle surfaces.

It will never work over any ridges or curves or creases. It will always shrink back and lift..

 

[petesign]

I use 3M IJ35 for my intermediate vinyl. It's good stuff. If I want to use something REALLY cheap I will go with the Oracal 3640, but why would you ever laminate that stuff? I use the 3640 for yard signs, temporary stuff, IJ35 laminated for anything that needs to last more than a year or so..

Oracal 3651 and IJ-35C cost about the same per square foot. When given a choice... I always choose 3m.

 

[Marlene]

A good lesson/standard to learn early on is to use ONLY cast vinyl on vehicles & long term exterior signage. Period!!! End of Subject!!!

ditto