Question about installation preference regarding inks - NOT about vinyl.

[koz]

This question has nothing to do with cost, brands, materials or anything like that. This question is very specifically for vehicle wrap installers regarding their preference of print technology. Do installers prefer prints made on Latex printers or Solvent printers? Is there even any difference? And if you have a preference for one kind of ink over the other for vehicle wraps, can you please explain why?

Thank you all in advance for your comments.

 

[eahicks]

I think anyone would be hard pressed to tell the difference, on laminated prints, while installing. Now if you are heating and stretching the vinyl, I think going too far will look different between the two. I believe the latex printed vinyl will hold it's color a little longer before whitening up. At least from what I have seen....

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Agree. The differences in install characteristics are the adhesive, laminate surface, and feel of the vinyl. The ink doesn't effect the installation.

 

[ikarasu]

Depends. My shop doesn't like to wait the 2 days before laminating on our solvent printer. It makes the laminate stretch in weird ways. Kind of hard to explain...

I haven't tried latex for installing. But not needing to offgass , and it being a little thicker than solvent, I imagine it's easier to install, if your shop doesn't like a 2 day offgass.

That being said..yea, it stretches weird, can easily tell it wasn't offgass properly, but it's not like it makes it harder. Just annoying... And now that I do all the printing, I refuse to laminate until it's been at least 24 hours, so it's.not a problem. If you do things properly, the difference is negligible.

 

[Gino]

Have the formulas/recipes changed that much, since the latex machines first come out ??

I was at an AVERY wrap class some years ago..... and the instructors told us, that you don't wanna use the latex inks for wrapping as they dried too hard and would not conform over certain curves/bends like inkjet. Same reason I was told they're not particularly good for banners, because of the flexing. I'm sure the ink comes out much finer making this a better choice than before, but aren't the properties still the same ??

We only use the inkjet stuff.

 

[player]

I have read the extra heat from latex can mess with the heat sensitive vinyl.

 

[eahicks]

I have read the extra heat from latex can mess with the heat sensitive vinyl.

Heat sensitive vinyl? What is that?

 

[eahicks]

If you laminate too quick on solvent ink printed vinyl, before having time to outgas, you run the risk of "tattooing" the vehicle. Have seen it first hand....peeled vinyl of a white van I know for a fact was laminated too quick, and there was a perfect, yet faded, impression of the graphic, on the hood of the van. So if you tend to rush your work, than latex is your best choice.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Depends. My shop doesn't like to wait the 2 days before laminating on our solvent printer. It makes the laminate stretch in weird ways. Kind of hard to explain...

I haven't tried latex for installing. But not needing to offgass , and it being a little thicker than solvent, I imagine it's easier to install, if your shop doesn't like a 2 day offgass.

That being said..yea, it stretches weird, can easily tell it wasn't offgass properly, but it's not like it makes it harder. Just annoying... And now that I do all the printing, I refuse to laminate until it's been at least 24 hours, so it's.not a problem. If you do things properly, the difference is negligible.

In my statement, I was Assuming you treat the inks the way they are supposed to be treated before laminating.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Have the formulas/recipes changed that much, since the latex machines first come out ??

I was at an AVERY wrap class some years ago..... and the instructors told us, that you don't wanna use the latex inks for wrapping as they dried too hard and would not conform over certain curves/bends like inkjet. Same reason I was told they're not particularly good for banners, because of the flexing. I'm sure the ink comes out much finer making this a better choice than before, but aren't the properties still the same ??

We only use the inkjet stuff.

Are you sure you're not confusing it with UV cured inks? I've heard that about the UV cured inks but not the Latex.

 

[Gino]

No, I know you can't with the UV inks like in a flatbed, but some of us from our shop were at a 2-Day Wrap Class at Grimco in New England some years ago and they were saying about latex printers being very new and not having enough flexibility in them. The way I took it..... the ink comes out too thick compared to an inkjet and never becomes quite as flexible for hefty curves and big indentations. Perhaps that was the earlier technology of them and that's been rectified, but that was always something in the back of my mind. Ya know, maybe it was because Grimco didn't sell those kinda printers back then. Hmmmmm.

 

[CanuckSigns]

No, I know you can't with the UV inks like in a flatbed, but some of us from our shop were at a 2-Day Wrap Class at Grimco in New England some years ago and they were saying about latex printers being very new and not having enough flexibility in them. The way I took it..... the ink comes out too thick compared to an inkjet and never becomes quite as flexible for hefty curves and big indentations. Perhaps that was the earlier technology of them and that's been rectified, but that was always something in the back of my mind. Ya know, maybe it was because Grimco didn't sell those kinda printers back then. Hmmmmm.

Yeah the Avery wrap classes were (possibly still are) sponsored by Mutoh, so no wonder they were saying things like this about Latex. I'm not a latex fanboy by any means but I'm pretty sure it does just fine on wraps as quite a few wrap shops run latex machines.

 

[Snydo]

I think anyone would be hard pressed to tell the difference, on laminated prints, while installing. Now if you are heating and stretching the vinyl, I think going too far will look different between the two. I believe the latex printed vinyl will hold it's color a little longer before whitening up. At least from what I have seen....

I believe you are backwards, latex will lighten the more you stretch because it is essentially baked on the vinyl. That being said if you are losing color due to stretch you are probably doing something wrong.