Vinyl life + Ink life + Laminate life = How much life?

[PrintItBig]

Hi,

We mainly do printing for internal use so this isn't something I know a huge amount about...

If I take a 3 year vinyl and print on it with 3 year eco sol inks, generally speaking, I can expect that print to last 3 years outside before noticeable fading occurs. Correct?

So if I laminated that print with a 2 year UV protective laminate, would the fade resistance (generally speaking) then last 5 years (the original 3 plus an additional 2 because of the laminate) or still only 3 years or would the laminate start to fail in 2 years spoiling the appearance of the print?

If 3 years, is that because the laminate adds nothing because it has a shorter life than the print *or* because the vinyl is a 3 year vinyl so would start to fail regardless of the laminate?

For arguments sake, if I printed on a 1 year vinyl with 3 year ink and used a 2 year laminate, how long would the expected fade resistance / life of the print be?

Thanks.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

i wouldn't go without laminate on ANYTHING outside... and even with the lam i wouldn't guarantee it for 3 years.
fades resistant for UP TO 3 YEARS doesn't mean you won't see any fading UNTIL 3 years... but at least with the laminate you'll have a chance of less fading in the first 2 years.

i just did an install on a 5 year vinyl with lam and still told the client it was temporary... promised it would last the 2 MONTHS it would take to get his permanent sign fabricated and installed.

i turn down jobs if the client doesn't want to pay for lamination, unless i KNOW it's really only going to temporary and only if they sign off saying they "refused lamination."

 

[PrintItBig]

Hi,

Thanks for that.

I realise what you say is true, but I was really after how the various elements (vinyl / ink / laminate) affect each other from a longevity point of view (even if only theoretical).

Also, I thought 3M offer 7 year matched vinyl / laminate combinations that they garantee? Surely other materials must offer similar life spans although possibly not with a guarantee?

 

[Jester1167]

Vinyl manufactures warranties are based on middle America and are different in southern climates. They are based on vertical installations so a vehicle hood, roof or trunk will last half as long. (Vertical surfaces don't get a full days sun while horizontal surfaces do) We laminate everything except cheap really short term work. The lamination protects the ink from scratches when installing, makes it easier to install cast unmasked vinyl, and protects it from future abrasion, chemicals and acid rain.

I have removed 5 year old laminated wraps with Roland EcoSol Max inks that looked great at 5 years. But, when I removed the overlapped vinyl you could see that the inks had faded maybe 20%. It happens slowly over time so no one really notices it and they don't look faded. Those real world experiences were based in Kansas City.

 

[Jester1167]

Good points Pat!

Also, If you live in a city with lots of pollution the vinyl won't last as long.

On vehicle wraps the customer need to properly and regularly clean the vehicle or it won't last as long as well. Here is an article I wrote that is a summarized version of both Oracal and 3M's tech sheets. http://www.coregraphics.com/caring.html