Looking for better vinyl for making stickers

[tedbragg]

I'm having trouble with our Brightline/GF and Oracal vinyl stickers not coming off when they're peeled. I've adjusted contour blade pressures and other stuff weeds just fine, but our customers can't peel these things off -- not without the backing paper ripping and staying attached.

What stock is best for stickers? The stock we have atm is 2.8 to 3.2 mil -- very thin. Not sure if going thicker is the answer. What's been ya'lls experience?

 

[BigNate]

I personally like anything with the plastic backer and air egress -- much better than the paper backers, no worrying about the paper backer delaminating because you cut half-way through.

I also like making stickers from the Substance - started just because I needed some for the LSE anti-graffiti paint our District uses... but the stickers peel very easy, just make sure to let the customer know it is permanent.....

 

[unclebun]

If the paper comes up with the vinyl you are cutting too deep. Check your blade length on the plotter, and if it's correct then reduce your cutting force.

Most plotters you turn the blade length to the thickness of the vinyl (3 mil) then 1 mil more.

 

[JBurton]

My money is on the customers keeping stickers in the dumbest places, like sitting on the dash, or buried deep in their sweaty pockets, until they are ready to stick, then they're complaining about it not working right when they've 'stored' it in the worst conditions. They're trying to peel apart soggy stickers and complaining about it.

I personally like anything with the plastic backer and air egress

Does anyone make something like this? I know 3m's line with synthetic backer well, but I've never seen air egress on a plastic backer, my understanding was it needs something like coated paper to release without too much stretch.

 

[BigNate]

... I am fairly new to the wide format stickers, but almost all of the vinyl that has air egress channels that I have used has a synthetic backer... I would think that using a paper backer would not be as accurate to form the channels as the paper fibers do not conform to make the ridges as well as a plastic would.

 

[tedbragg]

I figured out the SHRINK WRAP and heatgun we use, was melting the wax coating on the backing into the contour cuts, making it difficult to peel them out. Also switched to 6mil matte BriteLine -- which feels and prints way better.

I'd really like to learn how stickermule and other online sticker services make their products.

 

[unclebun]

... I am fairly new to the wide format stickers, but almost all of the vinyl that has air egress channels that I have used has a synthetic backer... I would think that using a paper backer would not be as accurate to form the channels as the paper fibers do not conform to make the ridges as well as a plastic would.

Not true. Most air release vinyl has paper backer.

 

[unclebun]

I figured out the SHRINK WRAP and heatgun we use, was melting the wax coating on the backing into the contour cuts, making it difficult to peel them out. Also switched to 6mil matte BriteLine -- which feels and prints way better.

I'd really like to learn how stickermule and other online sticker services make their products.

Shrink wrap? Wax? Heatgun? None of those has any part in decal production. You don't need to learn how Stickermule does things. You need to learn what everybody does. And what you are actually working with.

You print on adhesive vinyl, which comes on a carrier, usually paper, sometimes plastic. The carrier is coated with a silicone polymer. Not wax. For ordinary stickers there is no reason to use vinyl with air release.

If you are putting a clear vinyl over the print, you do not use shrink wrap. You use adhesive overlaminate. You apply it with a roll laminator. There should be no heat guns involved in applying overlaminate.

When cutting, the goal is to cut through the overlaminate and vinyl and make an indentation or very slight scratch in the carrier, but not cut through the silicone layer. If you do, you will cause the paper carrier to separate and come up with the vinyl when you try to lift the sticker from the paper. If you did use a heat gun on the vinyl in some part of the process, you would activate the adhesive of the vinyl, causing it to stick to the carrier it normally separates from easily.

 

[JBurton]

Shrink wrap? Wax? Heatgun? None of those has any part in decal production.

While true, I think he's using shrink wrap to package and ship the stickers...

... I am fairly new to the wide format stickers, but almost all of the vinyl that has air egress channels that I have used has a synthetic backer... I would think that using a paper backer would not be as accurate to form the channels as the paper fibers do not conform to make the ridges as well as a plastic would.

I'm sure not trying to call you a liar, but what brands are you refering to? By synthetic, I mean clear plastic. By paper, I mean coated super slick paper.

 

[BigNate]

Not true. Most air release vinyl has paper backer.

As I have said ---"... that I have used..." My sticker time has been limited (over 30 years of offset, though) I took recommendations for the first rolls, and they seem to have worked well--- maybe paper is more common, but my statement still holds as 'true'

 

[BigNate]

While true, I think he's using shrink wrap to package and ship the stickers...

I'm sure not trying to call you a liar, but what brands are you refering to? By synthetic, I mean clear plastic. By paper, I mean coated super slick paper.

the best rolls on-hand came from UBEO, and have no markings - they have a grey adhesive and I was told are cast. the backer is a plastic air release (though now that you called attention to it, I put a torn piece under my 'scope and it is a laminated plastic layer that looks slightly more than half the thickness with the very back being paper. but the blade never goes past the ridges of the air egress ridges...)

I never realized this was a thing - I do get the occasional roll of BrightLine that has paper. I will look through old invoices and get back to you.

 

[tedbragg]

Shrinkwrap once they're cut into stacks for delivery. I was wrong -- not wax backing, but the vinyl's adhesive itself was slightly melting into the ever-so-slight cut line in the backing. We wrapped them tight, lot of heat. Now we just use a box.
Switching to the 6mil BL helped the most.