Printing on Translucent for backlit outdoor led illuminated signs

[scottl]

Looking for tips on printing with latex on translucent adhesive vinyl. Some graphics that we are printing look great during the day, but at night they are very washed out. We are using 3/16” high impact white acrylic and a calendared translucent adhesive vinyl and UV lamanation.

 

[myront]

you can try setting your printer to "double strike"? Makes for a deeper/richer color

 

[Chriswagner92]

*sp540v user here*

First, if you "double-strike" your print will be MUCH darker than it should, and usually doesn't work well. If i can't get good enough saturation through Versaworks, I print a single pass on clear vinyl, no laminate. Apply that, and then apply a laminated print on translucent media over top. That way you'll get the right colors during the day, and when backlit the clear print adds enough saturation. If you already have your translucent print applied you can do a mirror print on clear and do a sub-surface application; it will give you roughly the same results.

 

[Chriswagner92]

IMG_4002

• Chriswagner92
• Dec 22, 2017

Print on translucent with clear print sub-surface

IMG_3999

• Chriswagner92
• Dec 22, 2017

Print on Translucent only

The photo of the sign on the angle is just a single pass on translucent white vinyl. The one straight on has a single pass, mirror printed print applied sub-surface.

 

[MikePro]

double-print, NOT double-strike
search feature on forums has plenty of threads on this topic.

 

[ewded]

There is no way you can have a perfect contrast both frontlit and backlit but you can make it acceptable with 2x overprint and brightening up the image a bit.

 

[msigns]

I think the best way is to
reverse print on clear apply to back of clear polycarbonate then print again on white translucent and place over the clear. Or if you are going to use white polycarbonate apply the white translucent on the first surface then apply the clear print

 

[scottl]

Thanks all!

 

[ams]

Never print on clear, always use double-print on white translucent.

 

[msigns]

And using that technique for over 25 years just use a good quality clear

 

[nickgreyink]

We have a solvent ink printer here so I don't know how well latex will do for this, but we have been printing a regular, laminated, translucent print on the front, and a reverse flipped, non-laminated, clear print on the back facing the light so that it lines up with print on the front. Seems to help very well with the washing out.

Just don't print on clear laminate though. Get an actual material to print on. We tried that at first and it is a hassle and nearly impossible to go on straight which you need to do to make sure the back light doesn't shine through.

 

[MikePro]

Never print on clear, always use double-print on white translucent.

reason for this? I can understand the "face" print on white trans, for best white-point, but adding an additional layer of white trans. will only dull your illumination to the point of being considered extremely "dim" when illuminated.

 

[Andy D]

I worked at a large sign shop where the majority of the signs we did were back-lit.
About a 1/3 were painted, 1/3 were cut vinyl & 1/3 were printed, depending on the job.
1st off: Your face, I definitely would have it painted or use cut vinyl, it would be easier and cheaper.

2nd: The only true way to make your print look the same during the day and night is to print
it twice, apply the 1st layer, then apply a white diffuser , and then apply the second print.
The 2nd print is typically printed at 1/2 the density of the 1st print (assuming you're applying 2nd surface).

When we started printing white, our printer would print color - white - color all in the same
pass, so we could do a complete print on one piece of clear.

IMHO doing a double strike print for a back lit, might be okay for mom-and-pops sign
shops, but if you plan to do high end and/or corporate back lit sign work, you should do it properly.

 

[ams]

reason for this? I can understand the "face" print on white trans, for best white-point, but adding an additional layer of white trans. will only dull your illumination to the point of being considered extremely "dim" when illuminated.

I've seen a dozen of clear printed ones around town with white ink and you can fully see the bulbs through it. The point of illuminated signs is for them to illuminate and not show hotspots or bulbs/diodes/tubes.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

I've seen a dozen of clear printed ones around town with white ink and you can fully see the bulbs through it. The point of illuminated signs is for them to illuminate and not show hotspots or bulbs/diodes/tubes.

That has nothing to do with clear, only their process. We use clear second surface on white translucent acrylic or polycarbonate then first surface translucent from our latex. On our flatbed we do a mirror print in backlit setting second surface and then a normal first surface print, this gives a great night and day image.

 

[MikePro]

you can't rely on printed vinyl to diffuse lightsources. faces need to be a white acrylic/polycarb @ a certain distance from light source to diffuse properly. which is why people still make pillow/thermoformed-faces, that allow for the sign body to be thinner while still retaining a proper distance from sign face to lightbulb.

suggestions for two clear prints, with a white-trans layer between them, only applies to making an image illuminate its "true color", for identical day/night presentation. BUT if you cover a string of diodes with twenty layers of white trans. vinyl, you'll still see hot spots. distance is key for uniform light.

 

[ams]

That has nothing to do with clear, only their process. We use clear second surface on white translucent acrylic or polycarbonate then first surface translucent from our latex. On our flatbed we do a mirror print in backlit setting second surface and then a normal first surface print, this gives a great night and day image.

Why go through all that extra work and twice the material cost?

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

How is it twice the material cost?