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Eco Solvent Printable Reflective Vinyl

strypguy

New Member
I need to print on a good white reflective vinyl. What are the best brands that are proven eco solvent friendly. I have an SP540V. Thanks! John
 

strypguy

New Member
Orafol Oralite 5400, 5600, 5700 all print fine on eco-sols.
That's good to hear. It is a smaller job and I was hoping something would work that I can buy by the yard. I'll see if I have any around to do a test print.
Thanks everyone. John
 

Jester1167

Premium Subscriber
3M also released there new 780mC-10R with Comply 6.6 Mil 9yr Engineered for Wrapping last year. Fellers has it by the yard.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
We've always found the Nikkalite to be well priced, but it tears while weeding and is somewhat brittle. Haven't used in it years. Has it changed ?? Even our supplier stopped carrying it as they had so many complaints about it over the years.
 

ProColorGraphics

New Member
We've always found the Nikkalite to be well priced, but it tears while weeding and is somewhat brittle. Haven't used in it years. Has it changed ?? Even our supplier stopped carrying it as they had so many complaints about it over the years.

I guess I haven't noticed that it teared any easier than any other reflective that I have used. They all seemed about the same to me. I have used KAPCO and 3M, other than now using Nikkalite. From what I was told, they are in the development process of making a version with an air release liner too. Hopefully that comes out soon.
 

bannertime

Active Member
We've always found the Nikkalite to be well priced, but it tears while weeding and is somewhat brittle. Haven't used in it years. Has it changed ?? Even our supplier stopped carrying it as they had so many complaints about it over the years.

I actually have a roll of 3M next to me. It stretched quite a bit before it tore. I went to the Nikkalite and it tore with about half the pressure I gave the 3M. Avery tore pretty quickly, but it's an old roll and the same thickness as the Nikkalite. The 3M is definitely thicker than 4800 series Nikkalite.

Overall, I'd still use the Nikkalite to print with. Only use it for square cut and circle decals.
 

Behrmon

Pr. Bear-Mon
Orafol Oralite 5600RA as it comes in 54", applies easy and does not bruise easily for us. The new 3M780 is nice! Lot's of "pop" for sure with a good White point although about $4 a sq outta the box.
 

bannertime

Active Member
What ever you do stay away from Nikkalite!

Could you actually explain why? If you can, do so. We've only just started printing on it, and haven't had any issues. It's a cheap material, so you can't expect cast properties from it. I have a feeling you've tried to use it for something it wasn't meant for.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Could you actually explain why? If you can, do so. We've only just started printing on it, and haven't had any issues. It's a cheap material, so you can't expect cast properties from it. I have a feeling you've tried to use it for something it wasn't meant for.


I don't know about Oros, but for us, just about any inside corner rips where it's not supposed to. Regardless of weight, temperatures, carefulness, carelessness or whatever. Just doing Chevron stripes.... THEY don't even weed properly without holding everything down and even then, it still rips. The printing properties are all right, but the surface seems too brittle to accept the inks correctly. We used it on and off til we decided it wasn't worth the savings at all..... not at all. We might've used a dozen 50 yd rolls over a two year period. We also used other brands in that same time period, mostly Oracal with no problems whatsoever.
 

bannertime

Active Member
I don't know about Oros, but for us, just about any inside corner rips where it's not supposed to. Regardless of weight, temperatures, carefulness, carelessness or whatever. Just doing Chevron stripes.... THEY don't even weed properly without holding everything down and even then, it still rips. The printing properties are all right, but the surface seems too brittle to accept the inks correctly. We used it on and off til we decided it wasn't worth the savings at all..... not at all. We might've used a dozen 50 yd rolls over a two year period. We also used other brands in that same time period, mostly Oracal with no problems whatsoever.

That's just strange. What ripped for us was the material we were weeding away between the squares. None of my decals have ever ripped. Which I had even printed extra cause I figured I'd loose a few from that. I may be using it to print about 1000 1in x 5in stickers, so I'll update on how that process goes.
 

ActionGraphics

New Member
I know that the following is not the most cost effective solution, but it has solved issues for me in the past when I really wanted to print on a material that I just couldn't print on, or was in a time crunch and needed it NOW. I simply laminate the material with a printable overlaminate and bam, I can print on anything,
 

AKwrapguy

New Member
For flat signs 3M 3290

With an air release 3m 680-CR

I know that 3M also just came out with the 780 series which is 'supposed' to be somewhat conformable and 'heal-able'... have not used it yet.
 
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