outdoor life of pigment ink and lam

[styleyouneed]

i plan on printing 2 color vinyl decals to include on a box truck install with cut vinyl lettering. we have an encad 750 with pigment ink and a laminator. i have googled and searched on here but have yet to get a straight up answer on how long i should expect the graphic to last under eastern pa conditions. we will be using a waterproof matte hi tack vinyl laminated with oracal 210 or we could use a few others we have here. I know i have read people having great success with pigment inks and lamination on signage lasting a few years, i just want to confirm this.

any info would be helpful. thanks!

 

[JBusch260]

210 is advertised as a 4 year UV protected laminate. As for the vinyl, I'm not positive what exact kind you are using. I would imagine that this estimate is based on average temperature ranges. We're in Indiana, which gets every spectrum of weather and climate, and so far 210 has done exactly what we needed it to be expected to do.

 

[Jackpine]

High quality pigment ink laminated with a UV laminate should last 3 to 5 years. If you are print to the edge you may get moisture that might wick in around the edge due to the coating on the vinyl. I've used 210 but unless it has changed it is a little grey tint to it.

 

[Mosh]

Sub out the printing....that printer is made to print posters not letter trucks!

 

[CP Signs]

+1. Had an Encad 1000i. About 8 months with 210 lam and would start discoloring and bleed.

 

[deegrafix]

What I used to do before converting my printer was trim the logo, then laminate, then trim the lam so it is about .25 bigger than the print and that way the print is protected from moisture. I have some pigment printed stuff out there on trucks for several years that still look good. If moisture gets to the edges of the print it's big trouble. I wouldn't trust liquid edge sealer.

 

[styleyouneed]

Thanks everyone for the replies. what i read pretty much confirmed my thoughts. for this application we should be ok. i planned on having a 1/4" bleed around the edge of the printed area of just the plan white printable vinyl. i do like the idea of trimming first then laminating with an overlap of lam.

deeegrpahix when you did the trim/lam process did you trim the decal backer too or leave it to use as the lamination backer. Or did you use left over backer under the trimmed decal for the lamination process?

Also what kind of printer did you convert and from what ink to what ink? i have contemplated converting one of the sides of my Novaet 750 to ecosolvent but haven't found anyone online who has done it to confirm the print heads will work. i can get eco tubing no problem but the print head is the deciding factor.

as for the "sub it out" comment why sub out a simple job that pigment ink and lamination is fully capable of doing. Its 2 simple decals on a flat surface. I see this debate all the time on here regarding pigment inks vs eco solvent and lasting etc. including people saying novajets aren't made for outdoor printing. good pigment ink and lamination last longer than most people need it too that i deal with.

also how else do you grow your business without taking on new jobs and expanding your services? why spend 20k on a printer to add some simple graphics?