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Double Sided Printing - Cling Vinyl

M

MIMO

New Member
Interested to know if anyone out there has tips on producing double sided window clings (digitally printed). Has anyone run cling vinyl back through their machine? 'Laminated' two pieces of cling together?

I noticed in some past threads there was discussion about laminating adhesive vinyl to clear cling, but that the different rates of heating and contraction between the two materials would not be compatibl (which I would imagine as well and am testing in a window under direct sunlight right now). I'll let you know how it goes.

If anyone wants to share their know how, it'd be great. And we are talking temporary use, in window, some in direct sun, some not.

Cheers.
 
sfr table hockey

sfr table hockey

New Member
What I have found with static cling is that if you print normal, your image is the side that gets stuck to the window. In heat it's possible for the ink to stick a bit to the window when removing and if it removes enough ink your image may suffer.

If you reverse print, so that the ink would not touch the window, I would think it would be better. Then you might try to use a cast with a clear adheasive to print your decal for side 2 and then apply to your cling.

Unless you have the ability to print white this is the only way to make the image appear on both sides. Like you said there may be some different rates of exspanding between the two medias.

Someone else may be able to say if they found cast better than calendared or not.

You wondered about running it through on the back side but even if you could, unless you can print white, you would just have a double image showing through both sides one being reversed. Now if the image you want to print does not get reversed for side two but is meant to line up exactly with the front side then it would still be easier to do that with a separate (white backed media) cut out decal of that image. If you don't need the white behind the ink to make the image show then just reverse print and leave as is as you would see the image easily on both sides.

Make sure, if your white vinyl print is a full bleed of ink, that it dries for at least a couple days so it won't want to shrink a bunch as soon as you lay it on the cling.

Sorry for all those who I may have lost along the way..... take a couple advil and you'll be ok.

I would have never thought you could remove the backing off static cling and run back through....... you are kidding Mikepro...........are you not?
 
M

MIMO

New Member
sfr, thanks for all the input. No white ink here. This is what I've tested and found so far:
-full coverage solid print with print side on window results in low/no cling
-heavy coverage with print side on window resulted in a fair bit of ink left on window
-clear cling backed with white adhesive vinyl looks really good, but I'll keep testing it in the windows to observe expansion/contraction.

Cheers!
 
sfr table hockey

sfr table hockey

New Member
Reverse print one so that when you stick it to the window, it's the non ink side sticking to it. Then put the white decal over the ink side. I thought I read that you might wet apply the cling so once you squeegee the water out the decal sticks better. Not sure on that, but at least when reverse printed the ink will never get touched and no chance of it sticking to the window.
 
G

gnemmas

New Member
How is the opacity of the white cling material? Would the image show through slighly from the back side?

When we do double sided decal, we always need a barrier layer in between.
 
M

MIMO

New Member
gnemmas, the opacity issue is the one I need to overcome now. I've got the clear cling reverse printed then backed with white but the show through stinks. I have an old sample that appears to be screen printed and there is some kind of blockout in there but no one seems to know what it might be. It's a mystery! Oh and they are 24"x36".
 
petepaz

petepaz

New Member
MIMO said:
gnemmas, the opacity issue is the one I need to overcome now. I've got the clear cling reverse printed then backed with white but the show through stinks. I have an old sample that appears to be screen printed and there is some kind of blockout in there but no one seems to know what it might be. It's a mystery! Oh and they are 24"x36".
Click to expand...
if it's silk screened then they used silver for block out
you screen your backwards image, then white background, then silver, then another white and then your forward image
lot of setups and colors
 
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