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does everyone generally laminate perfed window graphics?

gabagoo

New Member
I am pretty sure most of the stuff I see out there is not laminated.
Optically clear lam is so expensive it just drives the cost beyond where customers are willing to pay for it.

do you think it will last 2-3 years with eco sol ink (Mimaki)?

I am pretty sure it will, but curious as to how others approach this.
 

VitalSignsInc

New Member
it some states it is actually illegal not to lam perf becasue water gathers in the holes and is impossible to see out of....i know it is that way in illinois
 

cgsigns_jamie

New Member
I don't sell perf without optically clear laminate... usually when I explain the difference to the customer they understand why it's necessary. (I have samples on my window to show how the perf collects water without lam, and how blurry "standard" laminate is)
 

HulkSmash

New Member
I am pretty sure most of the stuff I see out there is not laminated.
Optically clear lam is so expensive it just drives the cost beyond where customers are willing to pay for it.

do you think it will last 2-3 years with eco sol ink (Mimaki)?

I am pretty sure it will, but curious as to how others approach this.

most perf will last that long, but is only warranted for 6 months to a year max.

A lot of people dont want perf, because it ends up flaking off after a couple months, and looks like AIDs.
 

genericname

New Member
do you think it will last 2-3 years with eco sol ink (Mimaki)?

Depends what direction the window is facing, I'd say. A window that gets prolonged, direct sunlight will do pretty nasty things to an eco-sol print in 3 years. Of course, it all depends on how important colour consistency is to the client.
 

gabagoo

New Member
Depends what direction the window is facing, I'd say. A window that gets prolonged, direct sunlight will do pretty nasty things to an eco-sol print in 3 years. Of course, it all depends on how important colour consistency is to the client.


In this case the whole idea of what they want seems wasteful.

There unit is the second last down the side of an industrial complex and there is the backwall of a storage facility directly in front of the windows. basically you will only see it when you park to go in.

the graphic we designed looks great and I think it will last at least 2 -3 years. I am going to run 1/2" optically clear tape around all the edges to stop it from possibly lifting
 

njshorts

New Member
In this case the whole idea of what they want seems wasteful.

There unit is the second last down the side of an industrial complex and there is the backwall of a storage facility directly in front of the windows. basically you will only see it when you park to go in.

the graphic we designed looks great and I think it will last at least 2 -3 years. I am going to run 1/2" optically clear tape around all the edges to stop it from possibly lifting

for a shop window, we give them the option to upgrade to a laminate, and OC isn't required... generally, we'll just use oragard 210 or 3m 8518.

for vehicles, OC lam every single time- never had a complaint.
 

gabagoo

New Member
for a shop window, we give them the option to upgrade to a laminate, and OC isn't required... generally, we'll just use oragard 210 or 3m 8518.

for vehicles, OC lam every single time- never had a complaint.
yes but then you wont be able to see out the windows?
 

BadAss

New Member
Almost never use lam. on perf. I hate the way it looks. And here with it raining maybe 10 times a year we just don't use it...M*
 

Kyle Blue

New Member
We don't lam. The only thing we've seen happen was a cover to the bed of a truck that rolls up behind the cab rubbed on the perf and had worn off the print. But that happened over the course of a year. The rest of the window looked fine.
 

njshorts

New Member
yes but then you wont be able to see out the windows?

you can see through 210 or 8518 easily. it's not DOT approved (so we won't use it on vehicles), but have upsold a number of shops to standard. we also give them the OC option, but honestly... 210 sells more than the others for building windows. Obviously, the view is clearer without lam (our main window is unlammed), and we warn them- but at the end of the day, some people want it... and will pay for it, knowing all implications.
 

SebastienL

New Member
By law, in Canada, if perf goes on a vehicle, perf MUST BE laminated. Not only a question of rain but dirt also. All those little holes filled with dirt make it impossible to see thru.... and to wash!

I know 'cause we had to redo about a dozen buses a few years ago for OC transpo in Ottawa. Not the whole buses... just the windows.
 
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