to laminate or not to laminate

lam is probably not necessary but it's a great way to up sell to your client

 

How long is it going outside for?

 

Seriously.... laminate is so cheap, why not? Plus it makes installs easier, no chance of leaving fingerprints in the print... I laminate EVERYTHING.

 

Laminate corro signs WTF?
corroplast will fail before the print will... huh????

just use some chizel fonts and you'll be all set.

 

I wouldn't laminate Cor-X.

 

laminate, make install easier and it is not the much. It is a great selling point.

 

I have been in biz since 1988, 22 years and I say laminate! I have some coro signs that have been
up for 5 years, temp signs that never got taken down.

 

laminate. I've had coro last 5+ years also.

 

Something you need to think about.... even if you've been in the business a long time. Although Cor-X has been around for about 35 years or so.... most forms of outdoor printing with solvents and other well known types has only been around for about 15 years. There still aren't many inks that will go beyond 3 or 4 years without some form or rigid or liquid lamination, but if the substrate is only going to last for the most part 1 to 2 years.... why waste an unnecessary step and/or cost ??

You can't get a cheaper sign than Cor-X so put this into perspective... your customer wants cheap, so why up-sell him on something he/she doesn't need or probably even want ??

There are several schools of thought, but here..... use a laminate when it warrants it and give the customer the best product for a fair price.

 

+1 to laminate
easier to apply and won't look like garbage after the signs get a couple weeks of "field" experience. for $.50/sq.ft you can't go wrong.

 

a few of you say laminate is cheap..... I pay more for 3 ml laminate than 3ml vinyl so am I getting ripped or what?

 

All adhesive prints get laminate here . . . !

 

Coroplaste real estate signs? No way i laminate those. Agents want them as cheap as they can get it. Your print, unlaminated will last at least three years before it starts fading. Your coroplaste will deteriorate after two. You do the math.

 

If your paying more than $0.15 a sq.ft for gloss or matte 3.5 Mil Laminate then you should consider a new laminate supplier.

 

Lot of people want stuff cheap. Doesn't mean I give it to em cheap!!!

 

On coro, if its 18 x 24 with full ink flood...I laminate...if it is white background I do not. On anything bigger than 18 x 24 we laminate. Reason for lamination is for easier install to coro.