Laminating perforated vinyl & air bubbles

[Andy D]

Kind of a newbie question, but we haven't done a lot of perforated vinyl because we don't do vehicles,
but more and more stores are wanting it on their storefronts..
The last perforated vinyl install we did was laminated with laminate made for perforated vinyl,
but the installer said he had a bunch of air bubbles in the holes, is that common?
What's the workaround?

 

[Baz]

Only perforated vinyl i laminate is for vehicles.

For storefronts i will premask the print. Squeegee it down with a regular plastic squeegee and remove the premask.

Done and done.

 

[oksigns]

I print and install a ton of these with Starview or Oracal 60/40 using an optically clear laminate for our stores and I come to realize I get best results when I lay it down somewhat light at first, and go back from where I started and go very firm to finish it off; taking the same sweeps as if I was applying it again- overlapping.

and make sure to have good felt on the squeegee.

 

[TimToad]

Andy,

We usually only laminate perf going on vehicles also, but even then not always.

Perforated vinyl doesn't have the same life span expectation as regular media, so we haven't seen lamination increasing it much. On rear windshields with a wiper, we'll laminate, but it still doesn't prevent the wiper from leaving a big fan shaped rubbing in the laminate.

In fact, I think it shortens it a little because of the two layers working against each other. If your overall adhesion has been lowered by the sheer fact that anywhere from 30-40% of your media area is holes and not helping adhere the sheet to the glass, it stands to reason that the life span of the material could easily be 40% or more shorter.

For retail windows, the graphics are generally considered temporary so we treat it as such. Big, unlaminated panels usually get transfer taped and applied like an earlier post, soft at first contact, then followed by pretty firm squeegeeing before wetting and removing the transfer tape. At times, for really short run, temporary panels, we won't even transfer tape them but it takes two people. Just do a tape hinge about a third of the way down like a wall mural and have one person holding the corners while the other squeegees.

 

[Andy D]

I print and install a ton of these with Starview or Oracal 60/40 using an optically clear laminate for our stores and I come to realize I get best results when I lay it down somewhat light at first, and go back from where I started and go very firm to finish it off; taking the same sweeps as if I was applying it again- overlapping.

and make sure to have good felt on the squeegee.

Thanks, do you apply dry or wet?

 

[oksigns]

Thanks, do you apply dry or wet?

laminated or not, I always do dry.

 

[T_K]

In my experience, you'll always get bubbles under the laminate because it doesn't actually touch the surface where you're applying it. You can reduce the appearance of the bubbles, but I haven't found a way to eliminate them entirely.

As others have said, we wouldn't normally laminate storefront windows. But, at the same time, we've had it requested for durability.

One of our customers had a issue with unlaminated perf when the cleaning company went over it with whatever cleaning solution they used (probably alcohol based). It jacked up the ink, so we had to reprint it. Thankfully, the cleaning company paid for the redo.

 

[a77]

I would say if the customer is using it for a short promotion, 6 months or less, I would do it unlaminated, Otherwise always laminated.

I'm surprised you got the cleaning company to cover the cost of replacement - how else can they clean the windows? If you laminate, no dirt in the holes, and anyone can clean.

For totally flat windows, I find a felt squeegee works good with medium pressure. Like any other vinyl, you can get trapped air if not careful, and then they will show in between the perf as small bubbles in the lam only. You can pop them, of if sun-facing they will go away on their own.

And yes, either way, apply dry.