Mirror Chrome vinyl for cut letters

[Patentagosse]

What's your prefered chrome vinyl for vehicle graphics? Why? How long does it last before "ghosting" / whitening? How easy is it to weed? How 'bout tunneling when going back and forth the plotter?

Back it the days, I used Avery / Universal Products material but damn it was hard on blades and painfull to weed until I switched to Oracal's 351. Wow! finally a material that is easy to plot & weed... but it chalks within 2 years.

Many truckers ask me to do their lettering in chrome but I have to teach 'em it will turn white (dull) faster they would like. And I never apply chrome on paint, knowing it's a PITA to get it off... I create a drop shadow to make sure I'll have real vinyl to pull.

Share your experience, drop some names or recommandations.

Thanks

 

[jfiscus]

We use VinylEfX Durable Smooth Silver here for small cut vinyl lettering (15" roll).
For large wraps/cut vinyl we use Avery's Chrome wrapping vinyl.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I've been using Creative Film Corp. (Coburn), aka Griff Film Corp. with great results for over 4 years. As far as oxidation, I haven't seen much of the lettering I've done over the last few years come back, but it seems as though what I have seen has held up quite well. To prevent oxidation, we sometimes will laminate over the top with a optically clear film that is cut with an 1/8" or so overlap, the same way we do on some fire trucks.

We always use a base layer of vinyl under chrome lettering. Considering it can damage the paint when removing it, I think it's unethical to place chrome metallic polyester film directly on paint, although some of the other local sign guys seem to have no problem doing it.

 

[strypguy]

We always use a base layer of vinyl under chrome lettering. Considering it can damage the paint when removing it, I think it's unethical to place chrome metallic polyester film directly on paint, although some of the other local sign guys seem to have no problem doing it.

+1. We also laminate if we are attempting to make it last longer. We use Oracal. John

 

[CSOCSO]

from experience: i think it's more important to put something under the chrome film than overlaminate it. We do yacht letterings every month with chrome. Just get chaper removable calendared air release vinyl and laminate the chrome on top of it. You can also laminate it but that won't help the removal. Chrome will eventually will fade. It doesn't matter if it stays on for 6 months or 3 years. It will be PITA to remove the lettering