How to do this?

[petesign]

I have a high end client who doesn't mind spending extra if it gives them a look they are after, and I like clients like that... so here's my dilemma.

They are redoing their parking deck and had some of these signs made during a previous remodeling job. Now they are restriping their lots, and want to put directional signage up, and like the look of these. They look like clear lexan, wrapped around the posts, and screwed on, on one side
- but the print is on the inside of the acrylic.

The way I can figure out to do this is double strike print the sign reversed on clear vinyl, then mount it to the lexan, and "laminate" that print with white vinyl. So the print will be opaque and on the inside of the lexan. My question is, will the print bunch up when I try to bend the lexan around the pillar, or is there an easier way to do this with just one vinyl, with the adhesive on the printed side (inside of the lexan).

Am I way off base on this idea, or have you done this before and how did it work?

Thanks in advance!
-Pete :U Rock:

 

[J Hill Designs]

I doubt the print will bunch if you use a good cast vinyl

 

[petesign]

I would be supplying the lexan - the signs that are there look like lexan panels bent to curve around the cement pillars, and screwed in place with another piece covering the seam. The sign that's there looks like the print was either printed directly to the lexan using a flatbed printer that can print white, or doubled with a clear and a white behind it. Are there any other types of materials that you can print, and then apply some sort of adhesive on top of the print, that would be a clear adhesive?

 

[AUTO-FX]

What about printing (right reading) on either a white removable vinyl or some kind of material then just wrapping the lexan around it and drilling through it?

Print on Convex high tack? Apply to column first?

 

[oldgoatroper]

Get a two-inch wide strip of Lexan

Laminate two layers of cast vinyl to it (clear, then coloured).

Maybe do another with three layers.

Go on location and wrap it around a pilaster.

Report back..........




Just wondering... are you planning on using 1/8 or 1/16 Lexan? Probably either would be fine if it is wrapped tightly around the pilasters and secured well...

 

[ProWraps]

just wrap the pillars. why bother with the lexan. the seem with the metal overlap looks hideous.

 

[signage]

How tall are they?

 

[sfr table hockey]

I doubt the print will bunch if you use a good cast vinyl

It does not bunch.

Just did a similar thing with Oracal 290 lamianate (reverse printed and applied to .020 pet film) and backed with Oracal 751 white. You can bend the sample no problem and the image is fine.

The .020 film is thin enough that you could print direct to it ( I use a CJ500 converted) and skip the laminate. However .020 is thin so it may not be durable enough.

 

[petesign]

The Pillars are about 8' tell, the signs look to be about 24" or 30" - the metal seam you see on the pink one isnt visible unless you take what they had over the seam off, which looked to be a wrapped piece of aluminum taped the the seam. You can see the covered seam on the green signs' photo.

I don't know about wrapping the pillars, they aren't very smooth. These really look nice installed, and they really like them. This client is not keen on putting square signs on the pillars, they want something the flows around them, and i'm not keen on losing out on a good job by suggesting some cheaper hanging signs from the ceiling. If I can pull this off and offer a nice product that they are really happy with, I don't see that as a bad thing. I think the key to this looking nice is mounting the graphic to the inside of the lexan, and attaching the lexan to the pillar. It will be smooth, durable, and match the signs they already have.

 

[J Hill Designs]

yep I see no problems whatsoever - just take good measurements!

 

[HulkSmash]

If you can't just wrap the pillar, find someone who care reverse print with a flatbed...directly to the acrylic, and if it doesn't have white, just put some white vinyl to flood the background?

 

[oldgoatroper]

If you can't just wrap the pillar, find someone who care reverse print with a flatbed...directly to the acrylic, and if it doesn't have white, just put some white vinyl to flood the background?

Easiest, cheapest -- fewest steps, least material, least time involved...

I would suggest flooding with white vinyl (not printing it), otherwise you'd have nothing to protect the graphic from scratching while installing on those rough, concrete pilasters...

 

[John Butto]

I have use clear velvet matt polycarbonate and wrap around columns like this with no problem in the method you suggested. Also have made them with clear and put printed cast vinyl with a lexan matt overlaminate which looks nicer right on top of the clear. Have done them for conventions where they put their logos on them while they are at the hotels. The only time you will have a problem is when the columns have a small circumference.

 

[petesign]

Big big thanks to all of you for your suggestions. Mulling it all over, and will post my results!

 

[CanuckSigns]

I would use 1/16" thick Macralon for this, if you use a good vinyl it won't buckle.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I would use 1/16" thick Macralon for this, if you use a good vinyl it won't buckle.

MAKROLON® FI Polycarbonate Sheet meets UL 94 V-0 at .060" and UL 94 5V-A at .125" thicknesses. This non UV stable product

you would?!?

 

[John Butto]

Makrolon 1/16" is too thin and you will have buckling, ask me how I know.