Looking For Suggestions For Materials for Motorcross Graphics

[Speedsterbeast]

I've been making up bike graphics for a client for a couple years using Substance brand media and laminate. The Lam is 20 mil thick, but it's very expensive and is a bugger to cut. I'm looking for alternatives to these products. Hoping to find a happy medium between thinner lam and a product that won't wear off under the riders legs after a couple of heat races. Thanks in advance.

 

[VTG]

Take a look at Convex, they have a couple of product lines that may meet your needs.

 

[TDFcustomSL]

I have been playing around with substance as well...but at 22 mils I can't get my cut settings figured out. Wy couldn't you just use the substance vinyl with a thinner lam on top? For small stuff I've used oracal 210 and haven't had any issues. And it's ,uh easier to cut.

 

[MCP486]

You guys should check out their 1000 laminate, it's easier to cut if you're having issues.

 

[kanini]

We use Avery 7545 transparent PVC as an overlaminate for the MC decals, it's thick as whatnot with it's 325 mic., but holds up extremely well. It is used as a stone chip protection film on vehicles but we use it as a overlaminate on the decals (as per our suppliers advice), printed on a agressive adhesive vinyl (Avery 2006 AP). Maybe you could find a similar overlaminate?
It's tough to cut (need a sharp blade and a bit more pressure than usual) and expensive, but the customers love it (the feel and durability) and pay for it. We tried just a tiny bit thinner film/laminate (for getting a better price), but the customers didn't like that.

Duh, googled it now and I'm not sure if this is only an European market product or not...

 

[heyskull]

Substance is great but if you are concerned that it is expensive Convex is even more costly.
I have used both the thinner and thicker laminates and they both work well but still are so slow to cut.

A few years ago I tried another material (it was an unbranded material) which our supplier convinced me was just as good.
It printed great, laminated fantastic and on application stuck and conformed better than any other material.
Then the failures began it came unstuck, de-laminated and the gloss finish of the laminate went matte with what the MX lads were using to clean and treat their bikes.
Needless to say I lost thousands and either had to refund or print & cut in another material.
The supplier refunded 75% of the material cost but their was no compensation for inks and time.

The moral of the story is you have to be using the right material and set up to sell thousands of sets before you can even think about making any sort of money on this material.

SC

 

[CanuckSigns]

General formulations make their own version of convex called motomark, I've never used it but call TCT they should be able to get you a sample roll

 

[Speedsterbeast]

Actually the difficulty cutting it is more of a concern than the cost. It might just be that I don't have the proper equipment for it. My Roland only gives me 300 grams of down force. I cut at 10 cm/ second and make two passes, and I still have to trim around most of the cuts with a hand held blade. Maybe I'll look into the 1000 series. As for 210 lam and thinner materials, these riders are competitive riders that tour and they are very hard on the bike graphics with their riding gear, so it must be thicker stuff.

 

[TresL]

I use my SP300v everyday to run Substance...
Speed 5, Pres. 300

I wouldn't even think of using thin LAM on anything smaller than a play bike.
Race bikes take a lot of abuse, so use the correct material.

 

[Flame]

MX material isn't cheap, and is not the same as cutting regular decals. Many shops get setup with flatbed cutters to handle the cutting easier. Substance and Convex both work well, but if you think Substance is expensive, you will have a cow over Convex. The right material, is going to cost an arm and a leg.

 

[kanini]

Regarding the cutting concern, we had trouble cutting the thick material before and needed to cut in two passes with high pressure (Roland Versacamms), but since we switched to a 60 degree blade instead of 45 it cuts like butter. Good blades do a lot for these difficult materials, now we run at 10-12 speed and maybe 100-115 on pressure, cuts great with one cut only.