do digital prints on calendered shrink a lot?

[gabagoo]

I have this bad habit of printing coro signs to the finished size of the blank and find many times when I apply them that they dont quite make it to the edges all around. Is the stuff shrinking that fast? I use a big squeegee to put them down so I like the print to be the size of the blank so I can see where to lay it down. I am sure there is a way to oversize them and create a bleed but How do I line them up fast for application?

 

[TheSnowman]

w/ the Big Squeegee I just make them like 1/2" small all the way around, then I can line them up real quick. They don't stretch enough in that small amount of space to be off on an 18" X 24". If you have to have some that are perfect, I just use the "SuperFrog" to trim them down. The print being slightly smaller, always helps w/ the hinge, and quick registration w/ an eyeball.

 

[jasonx]

Do you buy blanks pre cut? or precutting them yourself?

I mount to corro then cut to the margin marks on the print.

 

[astro8]

Do you buy blanks pre cut? or precutting them yourself?

I mount to corro then cut to the margin marks on the print.

+1

 

[scarface]

I haven't had any coro sign jobs since my new printer but a guy locally told me to make them 1/2" smaller all around and mount them.

 

[cartoad]

Do you buy blanks pre cut? or precutting them yourself?

I mount to corro then cut to the margin marks on the print.

+2

 

[jiarby]

18x24 coro gets a 17.5x23.5 print.

Align it by eye, tape down the 18" side,the squeegee it down. When you get in a groove you can probably do 60 in an hour-ish.

 

[scarface]

What do you do if the coro is white but the print is black full bleed? Would look off IMO if the background color doesn't match the coro.

Also i hear alot of guys don't lam the coro sign prints since it's a temp sign.

 

[thewood]

18x24 coro gets a 17.5x23.5 print.

Align it by eye, tape down the 18" side,the squeegee it down. When you get in a groove you can probably do 60 in an hour-ish.

If I were doing 60, I would just print them in groups of 10 and mount them to 4'x8's--waaaay quicker.

 

[TheSnowman]

I buy the blanks cause it's cheaper, and they don't have all the crap on them that they sometimes do when you cut them...depending if you are using a saw or a knife.

If you have to have it exact because of color, you can either cut the coro down after you lay it, or you can just take a little more time, and wrap it around the edge...it's just not as easy to get started, and you may have to trim it when you are done.

I generally don't laminate a thing that's coro that goes out my door. I use Orajet 3621 to print on, because it's removable and doesn't leave adhesive when it's removed. If I'm doing informational signs that parts have to be updated, it's a lot easier to rip off.

 

[jiarby]

I'll bet that I can mount 10x 24x18 coros faster than you can mount a 4x8 print onto a sheet of coro and cut them in to separate signs!!

 

[TheSnowman]

Ooo...them's fightin words! But, I'd have to agree. Pre-cut is pretty slick. Plus, it's cheaper to buy them pre-cut than to buy a 4' X 8'. At least where I'm at.

 

[gabagoo]

what i normally do with coro signs is put a border on the sign and then cut either right on the edge or leave .1 of an inch over the border, then eye ball it down and use the big squeegee. I just seem to notice that onm larger prints it seems that my final size is always smaller than it should be. I assunme it is shrinkage.

 

[Bly]

Yes to answer gagaboo's question, printed vinyl shrinks when you take it off the backing paper, even laminated. I rarely do coroplast signs but usually print things with a 10mm bleed unless I lay them down with app tape.

 

[javila]

I don't think they're anything other than magnets that I print "actual size" I always include bleed on two sides. Fast mounting and fast trimming.

 

[thewood]

I'll bet that I can mount 10x 24x18 coros faster than you can mount a 4x8 print onto a sheet of coro and cut them in to separate signs!!

I doubt it. I hinge the vinyl on a 4' x 8' sheet and run it through the laminator in about 5 seconds, slice the sheet in half with a coro cutter and cut the resulting pieces on the shear according to printed tick marks so there is no measuring. The whole process takes a few minutes. It would admittedly take you ten minutes to do the same number of signs.

 

[WB]

Calen. Vinyl will shink, it has to thats how it's made.. I always, always mount then trim.. Barry I'll send you pics of how I use the laminator to mount vinyl. You'll never go back..

You cab print actual size, buy the time you go to mount it should shrink but your still doing it by hand and you'll hardly ever get it perfect.. Trimming after you mount is the only way to go.

 

[Mosh]

I buy the blanks cause it's cheaper,

Are you on drugs? We buy 100 4x8 sheets of coro @ $4.75 per sheet in a bunk, no way I could get cut peices cheaper than that. Anyway, who wants to be stuck with a certain size?

BACK TO THE TOPIC...We trim stuff 1/8 from the edge when covering.

 

[gabagoo]

Are you on drugs? We buy 100 4x8 sheets of coro @ $4.75 per sheet in a bunk, no way I could get cut peices cheaper than that. Anyway, who wants to be stuck with a certain size?

BACK TO THE TOPIC...We trim stuff 1/8 from the edge when covering.

$4.75!!!!!

unbelievable.... Best I can get is about $7 and change. Not that I want 100 sheets hanging around mind you lol

 

[Mosh]

We try to buy stuff in bulk. You know you are going to use it why not get a better price. We do that with coro, .040 aluminum, max metal, 18x24 realty frames, beer. You know stuff you know you are going to use up.