Question Does Anybody Have Any Experience With Translucent Banner?

[GB2]

I was wondering if anybody has any experience with a translucent banner product? I'm not looking for a "flex-face" per se, but really just a typical 13 oz. banner only translucent. The only thing I find is an Ultraflex Vulite Pro BL, has anybody ever used that? I need to latex print it and I'm wondering if it would work well for a back lit application.

 

[Gino]

Is this gonna be the face or surface facing against the elements ?? The stuff you're talking about is for short term outdoor durability. There is a material called duratrans, which is considered outside durable, but needs a protective covering in front of it. We used it years ago with success. We didn't print any white, but sandwiched it between a clear front piece and a white backer. In addition, we usually made two identical pieces for the best viewing. Looked really good. However, it wasn't flimsy like banner material.

 

[GB2]

Yes, this will be like a typical exterior banner printed 1st surface and lighted from behind. I'm familiar with Duratrans but that's not what I'm looking for. Actually the Ultraflex Vulite Pro BL is a 15 oz. banner material and I would expect it to be every bit as durable for exterior use as normal opaque banner.

 

[Gino]

Perhaps, but when you look it up on their site, it says indoor use or short term outdoor.

Vulite® Pro BL

Vulite® Pro BL is a 15 oz. economical, back-lit substrate used for a wide array of illuminated indoor or short-term outdoor applications. The smooth print surface has been engineered to avoid flow marks when back-lit. Vulite® Pro is available in a matte and gloss finishes and is compatible with solvent, eco-solvent, screen printing, UV and Latex inks. Available in widths from 54” – 196”.

 

[GB2]

Hmm...good point...maybe because it isn't a scrim material. I didn't look it up yet, I'll have to do that.

 

[printhog]

To my knowledge duratrans is a photography film positive graphic from Lightjet printers only for interior light boxes.

Check out Cooley fabrics as well as 3M. I've used 3M's Panaflex, Ultraflex and Cooley for grand format backlit. All are very good products.

Without a clear coat your life expectancy will be the inks all by themselves. Uncoated you'll have fading over time.

With a solvent or aqueous clear coat like clearstar you can get 5 years more or better. We roll ours on with a short nap roller for the huge signs. I'd check the clear coat tech bulletin to be sure you're compatible with the inks.

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[Gino]

Not to contradict you, but they are used for various outdoor applications, but usually when the pizzazz of the sign needs to really PUNCH and is in close viewable distance of the pedestrian traffic. Usually done on eco-solve printers, but there are a myriad of printers using this technology, when needed.

 

[printhog]

Not to contradict you, but they are used for various outdoor applications, but usually when the pizzazz of the sign needs to really PUNCH and is in close viewable distance of the pedestrian traffic. Usually done on eco-solve printers, but there are a myriad of printers using this technology, when needed.

Sorry Gino. I've worked with duratrans prints for decades. It is a Kodak trademark for large format color film continuous tone photographic positives, produced on RGB laser imagers like Lightjet, Lambda, and such. It's been around for a long time, way before it's digital versions even. Many airport ad contracts and some casinos still specify this particular film as a way to exclude inkjet output from bidding the contract.

In all fairness most new inkjets can print a rival or better image if properly profiled and using a two layer second surface construction. The aqueous inkjet market in the 90s was driven by trying to get to duratrans quality for backlits on second surface coated polyester. But those high end clients often avoid the hassle of getting washed out inkjet color by just calling out duratrans and excluding inkjets. Lost many bids to that.

While it may seem to be inkjet to an average observer, the color space and quality of a duratrans image are very different up close. Duratrans is produced in a photo lab with specialty equipment. It will eventually yellow over a few months time when outdoors as it's a giant color slide vs ink on translucent.

Not nitpicking, just educating so the proper term is used. There might be some vinyl brand calling itself duratrans, since Kodak sold it's trademarks in their bankruptcy, but it shouldn't be called a duratrans print by the trades any more than a MDOplywood sign should be called Dibond.

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[Gino]

Yeah, me too. We did many airport signs this way, along with bus stops and even some outside menu boards, since maybe the early 90s. Never seemed to have a problem with yellowing. In fact, we just got one in here about a month or two ago for 40 pieces and we're trying to talk them into the same kinda material, but a new style, but done the same way.

 

[Z SIGNS]

Why not just use real flex face material?

 

[GB2]

It's too heavy and too expensive, for my needs I want a typical banner material that will have a 30 day duration at the most and needs to be translucent. It seems that the Ultraflex Vulite Pro BL might be my only choice and it seems like nobody has ever tried it! So, I'm getting a roll delivered tomorrow and I'll let you know what it's like.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

I'd go with Panagraphics or something similar that can be bought by the yard (though I have no clue about it's suitability for latex printers), because I'd think that'd be a lot cheaper than buying an entire roll of material (which, in my experience, is the only way to get UltraFlex materials).