Stickers sticking together!!!

[splizaat]

So we printed about 500 stickers on our Roland printer, onto oracal 3165, un-laminated.

Rubber banded them together (stacked ink side to back of sticker in front of it....like a normal person would stack a sticker) He received them in the mail and said the stickers had stuck to the backing of the sticker in front of them on a couple.........and taken the ink off. Has anyone else had this problem? The stickers sat for two days before stacking them and rubber banding them for shipment.

-Matt

 

[Ursta Graphics]

Yea I had it happen to me on 2 coro signs that were not laminated ran off my summa thermal printer. The guy left them in his car (stacked) and it was pretty hot / humid out. Heat / humidity is most likely the problem. Hopefully you didn't have too many that stuck.

 

[CanuckSigns]

sounds like the edges curled from not being laminated and the movement during shipping caught the edges, you should always try to laminate any decals, if not for protection than to help ease installation for the end user.

 

[splizaat]

Luckily they were little 1.5"x1.5" stickers and there were just a few. He said last person who made his stickers laminated them and it was so hot there in austin, texas than the laminated melted/bubbled off the stickers? How the heck.....Do I need to ship my stickers in a refrigerated box?

They were rubber banded TIGHT...I don't think there was much movement. I think heat had a lot to do with it tho.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I can only tell you that I quit using rubber bands directly on any finished product back in the 1980's. Mostly because of the marks and tears left behind. We send out all of our labels either in premade plastic sleeves or shrink wrapped to a cut down piece of coroplast.

 

[splizaat]

THey were in the middle of the stack tho fred..not necessarily just the top stickers. I am going to try leaving the rubber bands a little looser next time tho

 

[Ursta Graphics]

Wouldn't go that far but maybe send them die cut left on the sheet on an old core / rolled up with some carrier paper or plastic upside down to protect them?

 

[splizaat]

I DID weed the stickers (simple contour cuts) and cut individually prior to shipment. Maybe next time I will try cutting individually without weeding and ship them with the bleed attached for them to peel right before application.

Do you guys typically weed then cut into individual stickers for customers? Or just leave the bleed attached and hand them a sticker that they weed themselves? I've always wondered this, but have always provided an already weeded printed sticker.

 

[petepaz]

sounds like the edges curled from not being laminated and the movement during shipping caught the edges, you should always try to laminate any decals, if not for protection than to help ease installation for the end user.

i was thinking that also but that would just rip the back of the release liner paper, i don't think that would take the ink off.

that's a wierd one.
we stack our the same way you did and then we bag them, box them and ship no issues (not like that anyway)

 

[Ursta Graphics]

If it doesn't require transfer tape I just flex cut through the backer on my summa and leave them on the sheet for the customer to pop out. I save liners from long runs to keep the material from touching the backer. Wrap them around an old core and ship them in a 30" vinyl box.

 

[ProWraps]

mmmmm stickers..

 

[Fred Weiss]

THey were in the middle of the stack tho fred..not necessarily just the top stickers. I am going to try leaving the rubber bands a little looser next time tho

This is how we finish our labels. Weeded and in vertical strips (which customers seem to love) and then shrink wrapped to a piece of coro. Looks great for clients who pick up and ships undamaged in your choice of box or padded envelope. The label layout is the client's and not mine.

I DID weed the stickers (simple contour cuts) and cut individually prior to shipment. Maybe next time I will try cutting individually without weeding and ship them with the bleed attached for them to peel right before application.

Do you guys typically weed then cut into individual stickers for customers? Or just leave the bleed attached and hand them a sticker that they weed themselves? I've always wondered this, but have always provided an already weeded printed sticker.

It's a good policy to do a good job finishing your RTA work. It shows pride and caring to the client.

 

[animenick65]

We've had this problem with coro signs as well after being left in a car. Customer education is key.

We usually separated coro signs with squares of backing paper from laminate rolls that have been used. Seemed to help, though I'm not sure its practical with stickers.