to laminate or not to laminate

[rushworks graphics]

hi all, quick question.......oh and thanks for all the reponses on the other thread regarding the quote process you all do! anyways, i just had a roland vp540i installed last week and are doing our first real estate signage on them. now, we doing them laminated on corroplast. a friend of mine whos been in the sign industry for years said that he wouldn't bother laminating them as the corroplast will fail before the print will, even without laminating. i was always told if anything ink jet is going outside or in direct sunlight you must laminate.....
so, what do you guys all do? i'm using a "trustock" matte material.....using matte as we're geting better results on print quality over trustock gloss and roland gloss.....long story, but thats for another day and thread!!

thanks!

matt

 

[Sticky Signs]

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

 

[BigfishDM]

How long is it going outside for?

 

[Flame]

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

 

[rushworks graphics]

yeah thats what i thought, looks better and as its going outside for x amount of time it should last. not sure how long their going outside for, their real estate signs so could be weeks or months...you know what this economy is like for real estate is like now!
i just woundered if its worth laminating real estate signs in future though? like i said, friend of mine said he wouldn't bother doing it but others laminate everything that goes outside!

 

[KR3signguy]

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

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

 

[Gino]

I wouldn't laminate Cor-X.

 

[Mosh]

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

 

[rushworks graphics]

so, kr3signguy...take it then you don't/wouldn't laminate coro then!.......by the looks of it alot of people do!
and i'm going on what information i was told by someone whos been doing signs for 22 years now that the coro will fail outside before the print fades or is useless...... hence the question i posted, want to make sure i'm giving the customer a good quality sign so they come back and recommend us to others!

 

[Mosh]

i was told by someone whos been doing signs for 22 years now

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.

 

[rushworks graphics]

thanks mosh, just interested in what others do and how they go about doing this kind of thing regarding durability etc. interested that some do laminate and other don't!

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

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

 

[Gino]

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.

 

[MikePro]

+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.

 

[gabagoo]

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?

 

[Replicator]

All adhesive prints get laminate here . . . !

 

[Baz]

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.

 

[BigfishDM]

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?

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.

 

[Flame]

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.

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

 

[Big House Signs]

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.