Oracal 290 vs. Clear Shield

[bob]

I notice that prints laminated with Oracal 290 after five or so years start to turn brown or black where prints coated with Clear Shield look pretty much the same as they did when they were made.Case in point, my own truck. Both the tailgate and the hood have prints on exactly the same media, same roll, with exactly the same printer. They were printed at the same time. The tailgate print was laminated with Oracal 290 and the prints on the hood were coated with Clear shield original formula. I starting to notice unremovable reddish-brown spots on the tailgate. The hood looks the same as when I applied the prints. Another data point: there's a print on the front of my horse trailer that's arounf 12 years old. Done on Oracal 3956 [I think] and coated with Clear Shield [I know]. It's starting to show some wear and tear but there's no sign of any discoloring whatsoever.

I've begun to notice the same thing around town. The brown/black area on prints, some mine some done by others. The spots resembling some sort of mold or something. The older the prints the more brown/black areas. Prints I know were coated with Clear Shield, because I did them, show expected aging but no brown/black spots or anything like them.

I assume a couple of things from this...

1. Since none of my Clear Shield coated prints are affected, it's most likely the laminate that's discoloring.

2. Since prints other than my own exhibit this discoloration, I should think that it's not local to Oracal 290 but to laminates in general. I have no idea with what the prints I didn't make are laminated but the probability approaches 1 that they all didn't use Oracal 290.

This makes me question using laminate in any situation that won't be exposed to extreme violence. After many years of using both laminate and Clear Shield I've found the the only functional difference between the two is that the laminate can take a hit a bit better than the liquid laminate. Other than that, and the laminated pieces discoloring, I've yet to see a difference between them.

Has anyone else experienced discoloration on laminated prints over, say, five or more years of exposure to the world**?

**As far as exposure, my truck is always garaged when not in use. It doesn't sit out in the weather.

 

[ams]

I had bad luck with clear shield. It ruined the ink.

 

[Gene@mpls]

I know it is supposed to be a secret, but on which part of which earth do you reside? I have been using Oracal and Orical laminate for 12years and never experienced anything like that.

 

[bob]

I know it is supposed to be a secret, but on which part of which earth do you reside? I have been using Oracal and Orical laminate for 12years and never experienced anything like that.

No secret. I abide in western Colorado. That notwithstanding, I've been using Oracal products almost exclusively for at least 12 years myself. I don't believe that this phenomenon is exclusive to Oracal unless the other examples I've seen just happened to be laminated with it as well. I have no way of knowing. It could be related to western CO. We are a mile or more closer the sun in these parts than most flatlanders..

I'm thinking that laminate in general doesn't age gracefully. Maybe just here, maybe everywhere. In your dozen years of wrangling Oracal, have you checked on any of your laminated work that's more than 5 years old and spent time outside?

Based on the outcome of this informal bit of research, I may or may not ever again recommend lamination in outdoor applications with a caveat. I'll recommend Clear Shield as the better alternative. At least if longevity beyond a few years is an issue.

 

[Gene@mpls]

We have been doing predominately business vehicles for 19 years- started with a Fargo (ha) and then an Edge and the last 12 years with solvent Roland wideformat printers- all the wide format laminated with Oracal. We have many customers who have been with use as long as their businesses have been in existence and come back several times when they run their trucks/vans into the dust with a new one. I am on a major highway into the big city and it is very easy for people to return with problems. And we see strange sh!t- 3M 220 silver metallic that faded out till you could see thru it last week for instance (6 years old- he is buying a new truck and we offered him a discount). Never seen laminate fail.

 

[bob]

We have been doing predominately business vehicles for 19 years- started with a Fargo (ha) and then an Edge and the last 12 years with solvent Roland wideformat printers- all the wide format laminated with Oracal. We have many customers who have been with use as long as their businesses have been in existence and come back several times when they run their trucks/vans into the dust with a new one. I am on a major highway into the big city and it is very easy for people to return with problems. And we see strange sh!t- 3M 220 silver metallic that faded out till you could see thru it last week for instance (6 years old- he is buying a new truck and we offered him a discount). Never seen laminate fail.

Two data points [yours and mine] do not make for much of a conclusion but the biggest difference between you and me is altitude. As well as the number of days of sun per year I'd wager. You're at 830'+- and I'm at 5,000'+- the difference represents a considerably percentage of our atmosphere. Then there's average days of sunshine. You're at ~180 and I'm at ~300. Big differences there as well.

Not enough data but it would seem that environment may be in play here. I'd really like to hear from others in different locations.

 

[Gino]

Between Global Warming, outgassing and your state being higher than a kite these days due to the new laws..... I think you have more residue in the air floating around. At that altitude, the air is much thinner, thus allowing more of all the nasties to play havoc with your wares.

Import more oxygen and spread it around and start selling Girl Scout Cookies to your customers and watch how many happy people you have milling about.

Quite honestly though, I think you are getting great results. I do believe those/your numbers far surpass the norm. I also, would tend to think a rigid lam would keep things under wrap [no pun, there] more so than a liquid lam, therefore possibly creating a chemical reaction over a longer period of time than the rest of us closer to sea level experience.​