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Heat conformable vinyl

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
I need opinions on the best, or any for that matter, heat conformable vinyl.

An associate sells custom Lego kits and action figures. I guess they're called 'action figures'. Regardless, with each kit he supplies a sheet of custom decals to decorate the Lego figures and constructs. He's been using water-slide decals but without special softeners it's well nigh impossible to get a water-slide decal to conform to a compound curve.

That and his clientele are asking for vinyl decals. These decals are quite small, some 1/2"x1/8", some are intended to decorate helmets and other compound curved surfaces. Basically a print and contour cut job.

For this application, what does anyone think might be the best media? If a completely heat conformable and printable vinyl exists, one where you could merely set the decal on the receiving surface and expose it to a low heat, like a hair dryer, what would it be?. When heated the vinyl would sort of collapse and conform to the surface under it. I've never seen any such thing but that would be ideal, if it existed.

Failing that, which printable vinyl exhibits the best conformability under the lowest heat? Which would be the best choice for something that is in very small pieces which that kids could apply and not learn how to curse in the process?
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
If there is not a specialty vinyl for this I would think the 3MIJ380 would do the best at that small of a size. It is less than 2mils thick and is supposed to conform better than 180c.
You should be able to get some samples more than large enough to try out at no cost from 3M.


wayne k
guam usa
 
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