Toner base printing for outdoor

[MiguelGonzalez]

Do you guys have any experience in using a toner base print for outdoor, i got a new client today who request a super detailed sketch of diagram in self adhesive vinyl around A3 size, i tried it on my eco - solvent but not as detai as the one print on a toner laser printer (printed with konica accuriopress). Print will be sitting under rain and sun directly. Since i have never used it for outdoor how long would it last, if it is laminated.

 

[FrankW]

Have you tried to print with the konica on vinyl?

Laserprinters regularly fix Toner with heat, could melt your vinyl and damage your printer.

 

[MiguelGonzalez]

Have you tried to print with the konica on vinyl?

Laserprinters regularly fix Toner with heat, could melt your vinyl and damage your printer.

yes, ive print a sample on vinyl for laser printer (Avery dennision). Print quality is very good, but what worries me is the lifespan of the toner comparing to solvent ink in outdoor.

 

[JPR-5690]

We get sheets of digital printable vinyl from Lindenmeyr and run it without any issue on our KM 6085.
The material isn't cheap but sometimes its more efficient to run vinyl digitally and cut using guillotine as opposed to running it on a wide format printer and having to set up your vinyl cutter/cutting by hand.

You'll have to laminate it if you want to protect the toner from fading.

FYI dont use thermal/pouch laminates.
We tried separating pouch laminates (aka cut off the sealed edge to get two laminate sheets) and running single sheets of vinyl/lam through a little thermal laminator.
Seems to work great at first until we realized that thermal laminates are usually PET, so the vinyl started to shrink but the lam didn't, so the test decals all started to peel up within a few days.
We've run digital vinyl sheets on our wide format laminator but its a pain cutting the sheets out individually.

 

[MiguelGonzalez]

We get sheets of digital printable vinyl from Lindenmeyr and run it without any issue on our KM 6085.
The material isn't cheap but sometimes its more efficient to run vinyl digitally and cut using guillotine as opposed to running it on a wide format printer and having to set up your vinyl cutter/cutting by hand.

You'll have to laminate it if you want to protect the toner from fading.

FYI dont use thermal/pouch laminates.
We tried separating pouch laminates (aka cut off the sealed edge to get two laminate sheets) and running single sheets of vinyl/lam through a little thermal laminator.
Seems to work great at first until we realized that thermal laminates are usually PET, so the vinyl started to shrink but the lam didn't, so the test decals all started to peel up within a few days.
We've run digital vinyl sheets on our wide format laminator but its a pain cutting the sheets out individually.

Thanks, how long would the toner last in outdoor in your experience or would it last atleast half the lifespan of a eco-solvent ink

 

[a77]

In my experience, toner has horrible uv resistance and fades very quick.

 

[Solventinkjet]

You should be able to get a nice detailed print from most modern solvent printers. Did you try printing at the highest resolution, uni-directional, and slow motor speed? All of those things will improve detail.

 

[MiguelGonzalez]

You should be able to get a nice detailed print from most modern solvent printers. Did you try printing at the highest resolution, uni-directional, and slow motor speed? All of those things will improve detail.

Yes i did all the things you mentioned and print quality aint that bad but since my client saw a more detailed print before they see the solvent print they were expecting it to be as good as small format print, but i can convince them to go with solvent for outdoor use. I was asking as I wasn't sure about the longevity of laser printer for outdoor uses .

 

[MiguelGonzalez]

T

In my experience, toner has horrible uv resistance and fades very quick.

Thank you

 

[richsweeney]

Black will last the longest, up to a year, assuming you are printing on poly. yellow will go the first after about 30 days.

 

[JPR-5690]

Thanks, how long would the toner last in outdoor in your experience or would it last atleast half the lifespan of a eco-solvent ink

Mmmm, maybe a couple months before color started fading.
Without lam we noticed reds (magenta) fading first.
Not sure how much UV protection PET lam's provide, but solvent definitely seems like the best choice for your situation.

 

[petepaz]

toner based printer on vinyl usually not good. need to print on mylar(polyester) and you definitely want to laminate