Longest lasting digital print?

[ChaseO]

Hey everybody, I am looking for some input for an upcoming job that I have. I building some signs that will sit on a pedestal at a 45 degree angle (exterior) and was wondering what the longest lasting digital prints are. These signs are full color with a lot of info on them like what you would see at a zoo or a park and I want them to hold up as long as they can. Maybe a vinyl print isn't the answer at all, but its small enough and busy enough that some sort of digital print is needed.


Also, not for this job but has anyone ever printed on vinyl, then used clearshield, then applied an actual laminate to it? I always wondered if that would extend the life any. I almost always used a cast film and laminate for almost every job here, but I'm looking for something longer.

Thanks

 

[Patrick Farrell]

If you're worried about durability, you can do the print 2nd surface so that it sits away from touching hands. Just don't make the same mistake I did the first time and not mirror the image hahaha. You can print on the back DTS or print the image on a clear laminate and apply it to the back of your clear substrate.

 

[netsol]

if you look at epson ultrachrome inks (yhe parent of the k3 & k3 vivid inks,
epson for a ehile claimed theywere "archival" and said they would last 100 YEARS

of couse, you are exempt if YOU KNOW YOU ARE LYING (believe it or not THAT WASN'T A POLITICAL COMMENT)

i imagine 100 years, stored in a black envelope, in a safe deposit box...

 

[weyandsign]

Home

FOSSIL custom high pressure laminate (CHPL) signs are durable, environmentally friendly, graffiti-proof, and have a 10-year guarantee.

fossilgraphics.com

 

[Signstein]

Definitely avoid vinyl film unless it has some type of cover. Second surface would work. At my last shop, we made queue line signs each season for a waterpark and the most cost-effective/ durable combo that worked for us were direct prints with liquid laminate. Not the most robust, but they lasted a season or two under pretty extreme conditions.

 

[bob]

If you want a particular print to resist general aging in general and fading in particular it has far more to do with layout and color use than any particular choice of materials. Limit full color images to non-essential elements of the layout. Put text and any other vital element in black or white or black outlined in white or vice versa. Any element done this way will remain visually unaffected by the passage of time. use color for everything else like background, photos, etc. The color elements will fade away but the black/white elements will remain.

The only issue with materials would be to not use a vinyl laminate which will be sunburned and brown long before the print under has lived its life. Use ClearShield Original Formula or Classic [same thing]. ClearShield is surprisingly tough but vinyl is a bit better in that role. Clearhield is orders of magnitude better with UV protection.

 

[BigNate]

... well, the title and actual question are about the longest lasting digital prints.... Well, let me know if you find any that have lasted longer. There are digital fax transmissions that were printed on cotton paper that are still around and legible ..... these date back to the 1840's... so 180 years? kinda beats most of our modern digital stuff. and the quality of image was not quite there.

 

[MarkSnelling]

Cast isn't going to make your graphic last longer....you can use a polymeric calendared vinyl and get 7 year performance. Keep in mind that 7 years (whether cast or calendared) is how long the FILM will perform before the FILM starts to yellow/crack/degrade. The real issue is how long your ink will last. A good rule of thumb is that a laminate with UV inhibitors will double the life of the print...so if your inks are slated to last 3 years outdoors, then you should get about 6 years with a polymeric UV laminate. I'd let your customer know that they should get a solid 5 years before wanting to refresh the graphics due to UV fade.

A polymeric vinyl and lam (with air-egress) "kit" will cost around $600 for a 54"x150' total. Cast will likely be more than double that number for the same performance.

 

[dreko]

Epson Ultrachrome HDX inks are going to the be longest archival non fugitive inks on fine art papers.
There's no other 3rd party accelerated light testing for the other inks (UV, Solvent, EcoSolvent, Dye Sublimation, Latex, etc) that shows legit data. There is some sketchy marketing that purports longevity for some of these other inks... but I don't believe it....

 

[A Signage]

High pressure laminate signage is designed for that type of use with a 10 - 15 year warranty. I've used them for girl scouts trails signage, as well as exterior directories for amusement parks, exterior museum art, and related.

Porcelain panels I've used in Boston for mbta maps, also extremely durable with long warranty.

They are also very scratch resistant and graffiti proof.