Does anyone know the process of printing on LEXAN?

[stickygraphics12]

I have a customer that would like me to mass produce lexan stickers or him and i am trying to figure out the process? What equipment i would need? And any other advice anyone has with this topic? Thanks Everyone!

 

[Adam Bennett]

how thick does the lexan have to be?

 

[stickygraphics12]

its real thin! i thinks its .030? but it also has a clear sticky backing to it.

 

[Adam Bennett]

and why are they requesting lexan? Would any translucent material work for them?

 

[stickygraphics12]

it is for coin boxes and thats what they sell for them and i am trying to match them up for his customers. So it has to be on lexan.

 

[Adam Bennett]

So it comes to you on a roll?

 

[Fred Weiss]

Lexan (generically polycarbonate) is a low energy plastic in the same family as polypropylene and and polyethylene. This means that inks and paints don't adhere to it as well as other plastics. It can be successfully screen printed using screen inks made for the purpose and it can be thermally printed with printers such as a Gerber Edge.

Most printed polycarbonate products are not labels or decals so, if an adhesive surface is required, you should plan on applying adhesive with release liner to the polycarbonate.

If you are open to an alternative approach, excellent results can be achieved by printing on standard media or vinyl and then cold laminating the prints with a polycarbonate overlaminate. We've used this method for producing dashboard labels for boats and aircraft any number of times.

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

We print on Lexan quite often using the Edge. It's called LexEdge. You print on the back side of it and the front has a lil' bit of a texture. Expensive stuff. It doesn't have a sticky back, tho. We have to put dbl back tape on it after printing.

 

[stickygraphics12]

I have a roland pc60....will this print on lexan? The example that the guy gave me looks like it has double sided tape on it......but it looks like it was printed on the top of the lexan?

 

[synergy_jim]

roland

Roland just released a roll to roll UV printer that will print on lexan and also has white inks and clear coat...

its also a print/cut machine...

http://rolanddga.com/color/products/printcut/lec300/default.asp

 

[mimakitech24]

how bout a Mimaki JF?

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

how bout a Mimaki JF?

I drove down to Atlanta a few months ago to check out the Mimaki JF... for our deadlines and huge orders, it was too slow, but for a smaller shop that will not be recieving huge orders like us, the JF has beautiful quality. If you can wait for your prints, the JF is a good machine for 100k.

 

[mimakitech24]

well put, no argument here, speed is sacrificed for amazing quality, but you can get the 1631 (the smaller size) for a lot cheaper than 100k...

 

[CarolinaCabinet]

well put, no argument here, speed is sacrificed for amazing quality, but you can get the 1631 (the smaller size) for a lot cheaper than 100k...

I thought the 1631 was the 5x10 and the 1610 was smaller... cuz I was quoted 100k for the 1631.

 

[woolly]

I have a roland pc60....will this print on lexan? The example that the guy gave me looks like it has double sided tape on it......but it looks like it was printed on the top of the lexan?

never used it but i would expect the lexedge to work in the pc60.

woolly

 

[cmpginc]

I thought the 1631 was the 5x10 and the 1610 was smaller... cuz I was quoted 100k for the 1631.

The 1631 is the 5 x 10. We have one and 100K is what we paid about 7 months ago. Hope this helps and if you have any questions let me know.

 

[onesource]

Lexan ink!