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good chrome vinyl for vehicles

slappy

New Member
what is a good brand to go with?

I had avery when i first started with signs in 2004. I seen that if faded white so that's out. I've been an oracal fan, but now signwarehouse is recommending scheiin. :help

any opinions?
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Honestly, I don't believe there is a good one out there. Not saying that it isn't advertised as such by manufacturers, I just don't think chrome vinyl lasts outside, period.

One will fade in two to four months, while the best on the market claim two years.

Who wants to spend the money for a two year lettering job ??


Talk them into something else and something that will be legible. No one can read chrome vinyl. Chrome hand-painted... YES, but not vinyl.
 

slappy

New Member
well this scheiin claims to have "up to" 5 year and is 3mil compared to the 2 year and 2 mil oracal offers.

and i take the time to explain to my customers that want it, the short life of it, and they normally go with something else... but if they are persistent on having it and have deep pockets to replace it.. i will be happy to put it in for them.

I like to stock it cause it does grab attention with the people coming in and out cause it's shiny:wink:
 

Jillbeans

New Member
I try to talk people out of it, I've never been truly pleased with any chrome vinyl.
Make sure you layer it onto a high-performance outline to aid in removal after it isn't shiny any more in two years.
Love....Jill
 

SightLine

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Same as others - never once found any worth much of anything. Very tough to work with as well and a nightmare to remove. Wondering out loud - apply it to a quality high performance vinyl as suggested for ease of removal later, and maybe laminate with a good cast optically clear lam. Might extend its life marginally. I talk customers out of it - easy way out is to say you dont stock it and their small bit needed will not justify the cost of ordering a several hundred $ roll.
 

Flame

New Member
R-Tape Vinyl FX, hands down. I get mine from Pacific Coast Sign Supply, it is worlds better than Oracal or any other brand I've tried. Thicker, easy to cut and weed, applies easily. It's still chrome and you're taking a gamble, but it's the best stuff I've tried.
 

TyrantDesigner

Art! Hot and fresh.
It's all pretty much the same in my eyes, I've tried a LOT of brands ... you still have them turn milky and white after a year or three (in the best conditions) ... just get a yard of any brand you can think of, cut the same thing on each yard (and make it pretty difficult) then weed mask and apply and see what you like most ... mine is oracal, but scheiin is decent and they have blue and red chrome, so goal on that.
 

slappy

New Member
i'm not recommending it and i don't recommend it to my customers that want it.
I show them the 2 year period on the oracal color sample book and tell them that i had a different brand before and it faded white... then they normally go with the metallic.

I've used it on one vehicle lettering job and made my customer aware of the 2 year durability and told him about the fading to white, yet he still wanted it.

I was just wondering if there was a better chrome out there. I see other vehicles with it, and depending on how it's been used, some of it looks really nice, and i was just wondering what else, if any is out there.... but i guess it's all crap unless it's painted so there's really no sense of restocking it then unless it's used for something indoor.

Gino, if you remember my jeep from the meet, i did that "tribal" on my rear window above my spare, that was oracal 351 chrome and it's still on there and actually still shines, that's been 3 years.... plus i use my rear window wiper on it. I figured it would scuff the vinyl but it hasn't... so i'm not sure if it's just how i park, cause it's not in the shade.. but the sun i think faces opposite of how i do park.... or it could be because it's on the glass... maybe it don't retain the heat? not sure.. i wonder sometimes when it will fade though.

i thank everyone for the replies... it's been helpful :thumb:
 

TyrantDesigner

Art! Hot and fresh.
Why would anyone recommend lettering a truck with something that's illegible and only gonna last a short time ??

People want, what the want. Anytime I'm asked what I think would be a decent color, I tell them "Not chrome" and list the longevity issues. Though, I did have a truck come in with 4 year old chrome that was only slightly getting milky spots on the vinyl ... but it was also a show truck which was kept inside for 6-10 months out of the year.
 
I refuse to stock it. I refuse to use it. I just tell customers it won't last and it's a PITA to work with. Funny thing is, I told a customer that one time and he brought me his truck that I'd done ~ 8 years before with chrome and it looked the same as the day I applied it. I'm sure it was Avery, that's all I used to use back in those olden days.
 

Jim Doggett

New Member
No offense, but that's my point. It's not a two year, but UP to 2 years.

Why would anyone recommend lettering a truck with something that's illegible and only gonna last a short time ??


For fun and profit :^)

Also, everyone is "up to." It's a function of being able to weasle out of warranties when someone uses it in an unintended fashion. But in normal use, sure, a coupla years or better is typical. And your customer should know that too, so they can get it redone on time. :^) $$$

And it's one of our highest rated (user ratings) products. Look at the comments: http://www.signwarehouse.com/p-VGF-2450-759.html Folks love it.

FWIW
 
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