Printing onto vinyl and contour cut, can anyone advice?

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Hi all.

I currently have a HP Designjet T610 which use pigment dye ink. I can get hold of a roll of vinyl which is printable with pigment dye ink.

First question is, how long outside would printed vinyl last using this ink outside without being laminated and how long laminated?

If I were to use a cutter program like signcut to print the graphics onto the vinyl will I be able to feed the vinyl into the cutter to get the pics contour cut around if I place the laser marks in place?

Fiinally if I can contour cut the prints on the vinyl, if I were to laminate first can they still be put in a cutter after?

Thankyou, sorry about the list of questions, its just playing onmy mind and I did not want spend a few hundred out to be wrong.

Thanks again and happy new year

 

[Biker Scout]

Don't even bother trying to use an indoor, dye based inkjet printer for outdoor use. The special receptive aqueous coating "adhesive vinyl" actually sucks. Sure, it will work for about a month. But even if you use pigment ink set, then try and laminate it, the laminate doesn't really like to stick to the matte powdery coating. Contour cutting that vinyl is even worse! Makes the edges peel and curl. You'll start to have lift and separation between the lamination and the vinyl. Silvering will also become apparent after about a week out in the sun. If you use the dye based ink set, the inks fade super fast, but also will just run the first sign moisture.

Then there is the cost issue... that "Special" material that HP sells is way more expensive than regular vinyl that any sign shop would use with either UV Inks, Resin Inks, Solvent Inks or Eco-Solvent Inks. All of which are made for outdoor use.

I'd highly suggest finding a merchant member here that can print, laminate and ship you what you need until you can use your profits to buy your own printer. Seriously, there's guys in my town that sell for $1.50 sq. ft. including lamination all day long. It's much less headache to outsource. I had more free time when I outsourced. It was awesome. Now, I'm a slave to the machine.

 

[Gino]

Welcome from PA.....................................

 

[MikePro]

:Welcome:2:signs101:

1) not long at all
2) yes, but it's not automatic. I am not familiar with signcut, but you will most definitely have to setup shapes intended for cut, spot colors to designate cut paths, and manage settings to make sure that your rip/printer/cutter are all supported.
3) yes. lamination does not change your print, except for the BETTER, and not many things worth printing/cutting are worth selling/applying without laminate, unless you operate a mobile shop where previous clients can't find you when the color scratches/washes-out immediately.

+1 HP materials are overpriced toilet paper.
great printers ...but they are clearly trying to make their $$$, and not their reputation, on inks/media.

 

[Mosh]

DOAH! Not even going to comment.

 

[subplay]

Thankyou for your comments, and I will take all of that onboard.