laminates

[noack214]

as i read through these forums i see i must be missing a major piece of equipment.

i use a mimaki jf 1631 for printing, but have no laminator. from what i am reading this is a problem.

i am with out a doubt new to this business so can any1 tell me a little more information on y i need a laminator? it will help me convince my boss on y i need 1.

 

[wes70]

Easy...ya gotta protect the prints!

 

[Tourney Services]

Laminating your print is the only way to protect it from scratching, fading and the elements outdoors. If you do only indoor printing that is installed where no one can touch it you can probably get away without lamination. Other that that I recomend laminating your prints. What or where are your prints being used? Vehicle wraps, outdoor signs.....?

 

[BigfishDM]

Its simple, try doing the following applications without a laminate:

Tradeshow Graphics
Floor Graphics
Vehicle Graphics

Laminates also give you different and sometimes unique finishes that normal products cant give you unless you laminate. Laminate is a great source of profit, most standard laminates cost about $0.17-$0.26 a sq.ft and you can mark that up to $2.00-$5.00 a sq.ft for little work.

 

[noack214]

vehicle wraps????

thanx for all the info. it really did seem logical to protect my prints.

now as far as vehicle wraps, when we purchased the machine we were told we could not do wraps because of our inks. y would that be?

 

[Tourney Services]

What type of Machine / inks are you using?

 

[noack214]

the machine i use is a mimaki jf1631 "5x10 flatbed". the inks i use to my under standing are U.V inks.

 

[john1]

Get the Big Squeegee (BS).

It works really well after you pull your hair out a few times. I use it and have very good results. Literally out of 100 laminates i will mess up maybe 5

 

[CentralSigns]

I was cheap. I use a piece of Alupanel 4 in wide by 30 in long with a Velcro fuzzy edge. Works good for small stuff. Quick and easy to use and I never get flaws. I guess I wasn't cheap, but more closer to the truth was, it was too much of a hassle trying to find a Canadian Big Squeegee (BS) supplier.

 

[noack214]

what good media is out there for me to get use to laminating. i dont need the best out there to start.

 

[john1]

Match your media and laminates up for best results. Although i use Concept 203 from General Formulations at Fellers with Oracal 210 lam with great results. Alot complain about the backing on the 210 being too thin but i learned to work with it and i love it.

That media is good for a wide range of products. Only thing i would not use it on would be rivets of course and some permanent signage.

 

[Mainframe]

Get the Big Squeegee, the original one is made too well to try to duplicate, it has a roll holder on it & is set just right, get the 24" 38" & 54" laminators & you will be well on your way to quality prints to sell, if you need to laminate this is the only avenue to take short of buying a 5 thousand dollar machine!

 

[fmg]

Get the Big Squeegee, the original one is made too well to try to duplicate, it has a roll holder on it & is set just right, get the 24" 38" & 54" laminators & you will be well on your way to quality prints to sell, if you need to laminate this is the only avenue to take short of buying a 5 thousand dollar machine!

Not really.
There is always the Daige unit!

 

[Sticky Signs]

Careful, UV inks and laminate don't always play well together. Do your research before jumping into anything you don't understand.

 

[noack214]

ok very useful info from all. but as i sit here in front of some samples ive done in the last 6 months or so. i cant help but ask myself what needs to be laminated? would i laminate a 4x8 sheet of DIBOND , SINTRA , PVC , or should i be looking to protect my finer pieces of indoor prints?

and how hard is it to laminate to my uv inks?

 

[Sticky Signs]

I'm no expert with UV ink because I have very little experience with it. I did however do a few installs for another company that uses uv. Here's what I found and I'm sure others will agree.
- Uv inks usually have a bit of texture which makes it hard for the lam to properly adhere to the vinyl. This causes the lam to peel off the prints.
- the UV lamps have a "baking" effect on the vinyl which changes the vinyls characteristics. It can become more brittle and it seems to make removal that much more difficult.
I'm sure there are companies that have solved these issues but like I said, I'm no expert so hopefully someone will come along with some solutions for you.