Skins for phones, laptops, game consoles

[InkHead]

We have a long standing customer who asked if we can print skins/wraps of their provided designs and templates. We print using Mimakis UV printers (UJCV300). They will be selling these skins so quality is a concern. We have never printed skins for electronic devices so I'm not sure what to go with here.

What say you on vinyls to use for these jobs? Calendered vs Cast? 3M with removeable adhesive? Any vinyl recommendations as well as overlams would be greatly appreciated.

 

[unclebun]

https://www.skinit.com/ https://www.slickwraps.com/

If you really want to know, order one and see.

 

[InkHead]

Thanks for the links. It seems that 3M is the popular choice. I'm assuming something with Controltac and Comply (3M IJ180CV3)

 

[ikarasu]

If you sell someone a non removable, cheap vinyl and they put it on their Ps5 and ruin it... you're not going to have a good time!

You cant just use any vinyl. even 180... The big manufacturers have a special vinyl and work directly with 3M to produce ones that work, AFAIK It's not for sale to the general public.

check out the below link. You can use whatever you want... but you'll likely be responsible if it screws up someones console... And as you likely know, theyre not cheap.

https://knowtechie.com/are-nintendo...g skin companies,the Nintendo Switch Joy-cons.

 

[InkHead]

If you sell someone a non removable, cheap vinyl and they put it on their Ps5 and ruin it... you're not going to have a good time!

You cant just use any vinyl. even 180... The big manufacturers have a special vinyl and work directly with 3M to produce ones that work, AFAIK It's not for sale to the general public.

check out the below link. You can use whatever you want... but you'll likely be responsible if it screws up someones console... And as you likely know, theyre not cheap.

https://knowtechie.com/are-nintendo-switch-skins-and-decals-safe-to-use/#:~:text=When the big skin companies,the Nintendo Switch Joy-cons.

It is definitely something to think about and is exactly why I wouldn't want to use just any type of vinyl. Will do some more research on this before we do anything. Thanks for the info.

 

[Pauly]

Don't think UV is good for vinyls that will be wrapped around corners etc (Wraps) you better do testing first and speak to your client for product testing too.

 

[Tatonka]

If you sell someone a non removable, cheap vinyl and they put it on their Ps5 and ruin it... you're not going to have a good time!

You cant just use any vinyl. even 180... The big manufacturers have a special vinyl and work directly with 3M to produce ones that work, AFAIK It's not for sale to the general public.

check out the below link. You can use whatever you want... but you'll likely be responsible if it screws up someones console... And as you likely know, theyre not cheap.

https://knowtechie.com/are-nintendo-switch-skins-and-decals-safe-to-use/#:~:text=When the big skin companies,the Nintendo Switch Joy-cons.

just because those companies say they worked with 3M for a "special" vinyl doesn't mean they did. In the case of dbrand they just switched from di-noc to 1080/2080 for the Nintendo Switch.

Thanks for the links. It seems that 3M is the popular choice. I'm assuming something with Controltac and Comply (3M IJ180CV3)

UV tends to shrink and leave cause air pockets under these materials, far better to print with solvent and laminate. I've been making skins for phones and video game consoles for years, including thousands of printed laptop skins for various large companies.

 

[Pauly]

just because those companies say they worked with 3M for a "special" vinyl doesn't mean they did. In the case of dbrand they just switched from di-noc to 1080/2080 for the Nintendo Switch.

Doesn't mean they didn't work with them. They would have had a product manager or something finding all the options, and dbrand would have tested them all. Only way to know if it work is to test them.
also they say "special" so other people cannot easily copy their product.

 

[ikarasu]

just because those companies say they worked with 3M for a "special" vinyl doesn't mean they did. In the case of dbrand they just switched from di-noc to 1080/2080 for the Nintendo Switch.




UV tends to shrink and leave cause air pockets under these materials, far better to print with solvent and laminate. I've been making skins for phones and video game consoles for years, including thousands of printed laptop skins for various large companies.

It'd be dumb for them not to have. Our 3m rep has just spent weeks researching and sending vinyl to their testing facility and is testing various inks and weatherproofing them / getting a life cycle out of it for us, and that's just their latest project they're working on for us.

Dbrands issue was not just going from dinoc to 1080/2080. Dbrands was not the only company having issues with switches plastic getting damaged, and it was mainly on their printed vinyl... Which dinoc doesn't have a printed?? So not sure why you think that was their solution.

My guess is they ended up using a lower tac glue such as 3ms changeable films. 3m will custom make products if you order it in enough, so for all we.know they're using 2080 vinyl with low tac adhesive.

And that's the problem. Getting into a market.you know nothing about. If op sold a paltry 20 skins to switch users and then found out a month later the $50 he made just caused $6000 in damage... Is it worth it?

 

[Tatonka]

It'd be dumb for them not to have. Our 3m rep has just spent weeks researching and sending vinyl to their testing facility and is testing various inks and weatherproofing them / getting a life cycle out of it for us, and that's just their latest project they're working on for us.

Dbrands issue was not just going from dinoc to 1080/2080. Dbrands was not the only company having issues with switches plastic getting damaged, and it was mainly on their printed vinyl... Which dinoc doesn't have a printed?? So not sure why you think that was their solution.

My guess is they ended up using a lower tac glue such as 3ms changeable films. 3m will custom make products if you order it in enough, so for all we.know they're using 2080 vinyl with low tac adhesive.

And that's the problem. Getting into a market.you know nothing about. If op sold a paltry 20 skins to switch users and then found out a month later the $50 he made just caused $6000 in damage... Is it worth it?

I meant they didn't get a special vinyl made just for them, not that 3M didn't find them a different one.

It was the di-noc that caused the damage, at the time they didn't even have prints. They switched to 1080 for the switches, and then ij180mc-10UR for their prints when they launched that. The other companies had the same issue (mine included) because they were also using Di-noc. It wasn't the taciness of the glue that was the problem, but a chemical reaction with the plastic on the switches and the makeup of the adhesive used in di-noc. It didn't peel the plastic away but quite literally dissolved it.

 

[InkHead]

Thanks for all the responses. Good points on an fronts definitely things to consider here. I'll probably get some samples and test test test and go from there especially on devices they want these on. The ij180mc-10UR Tatonka mentioned might be a better option then the ij180cv3.

Thanks again for all the info

 

[albertramsbottom]

I was think of ding this but using faux carbon fibre. The main issue I hve is where do I get the templates for all the different laptops. Its not is if they are vehicles which you can purchase the outline vector packages.

Any ideas? Start with the obvious ones like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo etc

 

[Tatonka]

I was think of ding this but using faux carbon fibre. The main issue I hve is where do I get the templates for all the different laptops. Its not is if they are vehicles which you can purchase the outline vector packages.

Any ideas? Start with the obvious ones like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo etc

there's really only 2 ways. Either buy/borrow the laptops and create cutpaths for them by actually applying them, or buy from a reputable company that already creates those skins and just scan their parts. I can tell you from personal experience that some laptops are a pain in the rear to create accurate cutpaths for.