laminate clear vinyl for backlit sign

[Signed Out]

Getting ready to print for a backlit sign. Will be mounting on white lexan. the way im thinking about doing it is, print on clear vinyl, laminate with opiticaly clear lam. contour cut and mount to the outside of teh white lexan. This is an update to the sign becasue of new ownership. the lexan is in great shape and i already took the old vinyl off. so i would rather not take the cabinet apart to apply on teh inside. Question is does this seem like the best way to do this? I O.C. lam the best to use?

 

[J Hill Designs]

the only problem is it will look washed out at night

 

[Signed Out]

Why will it looked washed out at night? is it because it will be mounted on the outside? General question, is it better to reverse print on translucent vinyl and apply to the inside of clear lexan, or print on clear vinyl and put it on the outside of white lexan? I plan on double striking the print.

 

[J Hill Designs]

the only real way I have had success is first surface print on white trans over white lexan, then reverse print on clear and mount subsurface...

 

[adrock]

We used to do a layer of laminated translucent applied on top of a layer of clear, both printed. Looked great lit and unlit, but was a pain to line up. Now we mostly double print on translucent. A single layer of clear will almost disappear when lit.

 

[Salmoneye]

Only a partial hijacking of this thread. How many times do you guys strike flex face signage. Some of mine seems washed out with high back lighting. How much can I put down without drying issues?

 

[Signed Out]

So you're saying that if i double strike on clear vinyl and apply to translucent white lexan it will look washed out when lit? So am i better off printing on translucent vinyl and applying that to the white lexan?

 

[J Hill Designs]

double strike on white would work better yes

 

[HulkSmash]

Why not just print on a sheet of translucent vinyl to the size of the lexan, laminate it, and then apply it to whole lexan sheet?

You're going to use that material anyway, might as well skip a step with the contour cutting and masking.

 

[John Butto]

what he said

Why not just print on a sheet of translucent vinyl to the size of the lexan, laminate it, and then apply it to whole lexan sheet?

You're going to use that material anyway, might as well skip a step with the contour cutting and masking.

+1

 

[Signed Out]

Re facing an existing sign. at first customer didn't want to use the sign and had us remove the lettering that was on it. then they asked if we could put their logo on the sign. the white lexan that was there is in really good shape, so i figure it will be easier to just go up there(25 min drive) with cut graphics and apply rather than go up there take the face out go back to shop, apply then go back up there again. I just haven't done many backlit signs and the ones i have done i've used clear lexan and translucent vinyl, i thought clear would work better on white lexan but wasn't sure, then you guys cleared that up for me. Thanks, i'll be double striking on trans., lam, cut and stick it. Thanks

 

[FS-Keith]

what size face?