What print quality do you use to print your banners?

[Tony Rome]

I am using a Versacamm 540V.
I have been having this debate that we should be using Standard and not High Speed for everyday banner jobs (3x9 mostly).
I have to admit, side by side, not a big difference...time wise double though.
Will something printed in Standard last longer in the sun due to more ink being laid down?
Thanks for your opinions...

 

[john1]

i use high speed and it prints beautifully. I print on matte banner material (ultraflex) and it doesn't grain AT ALL. I print yard signs on high speed as well on pressure sensitive vinyl.

 

[ARMSRAISED]

Nothing that is going outdoors that my customers want to last longer than a few months gets coated in ClearJet, either spray or brushed/rolled on. The amount of ink doesn't matter. When I see faded signs I cringe and and want to make that poor person a new one for free because the sign company that made it was too cheap to spend an extra 5 dollars to make it fade resistant. So to answer your question, if it looks good from 6 feet away, it's good enough for most customers so use the lower print quality but protect it so it doesn't fade! If it is something that people will be standing next to, the better it looks the more people may ask, "who made your sign?"

 

[signpro]

i have a versacamm too, and i use highspeed for banners all the time. not much of a noticeable different from 10ft away at all. never had a complaint about them.

ARMSRAISED.... nothing get coated? i hope you meant anything that is supposed to last more than a few months get coated.

either way, i've driven past a banner i did nearly 2 years ago, it's still hanging, and from the street, still looks pretty darn good. i'm probably the only one that would notice any fading on it. so maybe it's just your machine ARMSRAISED?? j/k

i'd say 2years for a banner to be out constantly facing south-east, and through WI winters is pretty darn good! it's hanging between two trees, so it's not exactly protected by anything either.

i did laminate a banner once for a good customer that informed me it will be up, facing SOUTH, for the next few years. i informed him that i make no gurantees on this lasting as long as he wants, but the laminate will be his best bet (city won't let him put up a sign, so he's going with a "temporary" banner until they make him take it down! ha)

whoa, longer post than i intended. to the OP, i've never had a problem with fast print setting, or fading to quickly from my versacamm.

 

[Tony Rome]

I'll be honest I never coated a banner...would someone mind explaing it.
Is it something you spray or rub on...man I hope that didn't sound as dumb as I think it did.
I have a sample bottle of Clear Shield UV protection, but no directions how to apply.

 

[petepaz]

it depends on the artwork and where it is being used if it's out side viewed from a distance i always use high speed but sometimes with indoor banners that will be viewed up close and the artwork is very detailed i will use the standard setting (not a huge difference but sometimes noticable)

 

[ARMSRAISED]

I coat everything (printed) if it's going to used longer than a month. The coatings protect against abrassion, chemical and UV damage.

 

[iSign]

never coated a banner yet in 6 years of digital printing, however I am also using full solvent Mimaki inks which are a bit more durable then most Roland set-ups I believe...

anyway, high speed, 360x540 for all large banners. If someone is using banner media, but for a smaller, closely viewed POP application, I would print 720x720, and use a smoother banner media

 

[Bigdawg]

No coating here either. Never had a complaint.

We print on standard. I can see the difference and if I can see the difference, it's not going out that way. However, most of our banners are for trade show rather than outdoor so they are viewed up close... but I will say that the football team we just did sponsor banners was able to sell MORE banners because of the print quality vs. what they were getting before. I didn't see the old banners, but I am guessing they were done on high speed...

 

[HulkSmash]

Coat a banner? Are you using a UV printer..? I print 4 pass, for banners.

 

[signswi]

Mimaki solvent, never coat*, 720x720 8-pass fast for almost every banner because I'm a quality whore. Dropped to 4-pass for bulk runs with simple art. I tweak every job pretty extensively for the client/need. P.O.P./indoor is another discussion entirely.


*Haven't had a single complaint, Mimaki solvent is very stable.

 

[bayshorecreations]

720x720 on a Versa Art 640 here. Never coated a banner yet and never had a complaint but now that I am typing this I am probably going to jinx myself and the next time the phone rings it will be a customer complaining..lol

 

[Tony Rome]

Thanks everyone, interesting to read all the different replies.

 

[sign master]

I run a Rolland eco-solvent machine and I've never coded any banners. Being in Phoenix Arizona you think that they would fade really fast but have not noticed any problems. I to have banners out there facing south that have been up for four years and have noticed slight fading but nothing that the average person would ever notice.
John

 

[Mosh]

I never coat banners and run high speed on Roland printers. Like a banner is going to survive longer than 6 months outside anyway.....and if it does they need a perminant sign anyways, not a banner!!!

 

[signswi]

I never coat banners and run high speed on Roland printers. Like a banner is going to survive longer than 6 months outside anyway.....and if it does they need a perminant sign anyways, not a banner!!!

Right on. While we still see some of our banners out there that are five years old or more from clients who didn't inform us*, if the sign is intended as long term and you specify banner in your estimate you aren't doing either of you a favor.

Use the right solution for the problem!



*Or more likely they said temporary but just left it up since it still looked good.

 

[trakers]

To me, banners, by definition are temporary signage. That said I drive by a North facing banner I printed over 2 years ago on the Mutoh and it still looks new. It was for a non-profit that could not afford proper signage with the understanding that it might occasionally require replacement.

In fact, I use it as an example when a customer questions the durability of the "new fangled" digital banners.

 

[signswi]

Where are you that digital banners are still "new"? I'm in a city of 50k and that's way too small for me as it is! These machines have been around for a decade now...longer if you count coated aqueous.