What would cause vinyl discoloration like this?

[WhatsYourSign?]

A client of ours who we do vehicle wraps for has reported that several of their wraps from 3-4 years ago have before to show discoloration.

These were done before I bought the company so I don't know the exact materials they used.

Is this due to washing incorrectly? Degassing? Something else?


Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[MikePatterson]

We call it "sun burn". The UV is breaking down the film. It needs to be removed ASAP.

 

[WhatsYourSign?]

We call it "sun burn". The UV is breaking down the film. It needs to be removed ASAP.

Is this a material defect? 3-4 years seems premature for the sun to be breaking down the materials.

I'm a bit conflicted on the path forward.

This is one of our better clients but these were installed by a previous company (I bought the company last March and going back to 2015, the people who did this install would have been 3 owners ago).

 

[Billct2]

That doesn't appear to be a wrap....just a contour cut print. Cheap materials will fail quickly and 3-4 years is actually not terrible with extreme exposure. ...but 4 owners in 5 years? wow, I would anticipate more issues with previous jobs

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

It also looks to be on a horizonal surface. Far less lifespan than a vertical surface. As mentioned above, 4 years is within the expected lifespan of this sort of vinyl.

 

[BUCKY]

Agree with others here. Just a contour cut graphic and it looks to be applied to a hood. Life expectancy should be expected to be shortened. We figure
half of normal life when applied to a dark colored horizontal surfaces like this. Probably outside 365 days a year also.
Make them up new graphic and charge them.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Being in AZ we don't even tell our clients a wrap will last over 2 years.

That brown does look like burning and will get worse unless you act quickly. What film and lam did you use?

 

[WhatsYourSign?]

That doesn't appear to be a wrap....just a contour cut print. Cheap materials will fail quickly and 3-4 years is actually not terrible with extreme exposure. ...but 4 owners in 5 years? wow, I would anticipate more issues with previous jobs

It's a lot of small individual pieces that cover the majority of the vehicle but you're right, it's a contour cut vs. a wrap.

I know we do these with Avery 1105, which isn't cheap vinyl, but I'm not sure what they used back in the day.


The timeline of owners has definitely been a bit crazy. I'll hopefully be the last owner for a long time, but the basic timeline is below (not that it matters, but figured I may as well explain):

• 2007 - Company started
• 2009 - Owners daughter joins company and rebrands it
• 2016 - Guy who owns a promotional company buys it to break into our region, believing he can integrate signs into things
• 2017 - Realizes signs are a different game than promotional so he sells the sign shop to an employee
• 2018 - New owner realizes he doesn't have the stomach for ownership and sells to me

 

[WhatsYourSign?]

Being in AZ we don't even tell our clients a wrap will last over 2 years.

That brown does look like burning and will get worse unless you act quickly. What film and lam did you use?

I'm not sure what materials they used. We use Avery 1105/1360 for graphics like these now but I have no idea what they used back in the day.

 

[TimToad]

With all those small individual pieces on a dark background on a horizontal plane, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

The hood is cooking the vinyl from both sides from engine heat and from the sun.

 

[WhatsYourSign?]

With all those small individual pieces on a dark background on a horizontal plane, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

The hood is cooking the vinyl from both sides from engine heat and from the sun.

That makes sense...thanks!

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

We as a company prefer to use Avery, but after a few issues in AZ with 1360 we stick to 1060 now. I hear there may be a new version of the 1360 and 1060 coming out to help further with UV exposure.

As a new business owner I would set my line in concrete (not sand). I would separate myself and practices of former ownership and I would not take responsibility for previous jobs as you had no control over it. I would try to work out a deal if you can to replace it but don't lose money for others mistakes.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Hood graphics receive the harshest environmental treatment. They are facing up which means they get more direct sun rays for more hours of the day, they get heat from the engine.. on top of all that, it's on a black car so that just compounds everything.

 

[unclebun]

While you're peeling off that graphic and replacing it, repeat these words 1000 times: "Not everything that goes on a sign or a vehicle is called a wrap."

Wrapping is when you take a large sheet of material and wrap it around something, like a car. You then trim off the excess material, and it looks as though it was painted.

When you cut graphics and apply them to a surface, as was done here, you are applying decals or graphics, not wrapping. Even if you have to fit the graphic around contours, it's still not wrapping.

 

[WhatsYourSign?]

While you're peeling off that graphic and replacing it, repeat these words 1000 times: "Not everything that goes on a sign or a vehicle is called a wrap."

Wrapping is when you take a large sheet of material and wrap it around something, like a car. You then trim off the excess material, and it looks as though it was painted.

When you cut graphics and apply them to a surface, as was done here, you are applying decals or graphics, not wrapping. Even if you have to fit the graphic around contours, it's still not wrapping.

Others have already corrected me, appreciate the insight though.

 

[jcskikus]

Hood graphics receive the harshest environmental treatment. They are facing up which means they get more direct sun rays for more hours of the day, they get heat from the engine.. on top of all that, it's on a black car so that just compounds everything. - Texas_Signmaker

I agree with Texas_Signmaker that you cannot place graphics on a hood, especially a dark hood and expect them to last more than a year or two. I place graphics or wrap a hood letting a customer know that it will not last as long as most of the rest of the graphics that are placed on the sides of a vehicle. Even roof graphics receive too much direct sunlight to be guaranteed more than a year. A company/emergency vehicle that may sit idling for hours wouldn't even receive a guarantee because of the amount of heat.
I would sympathize to the customer of their misfortune and maybe cut them a little break to keep them but in no way would I give away work that will most likely fail just as quickly only to have the argument resurge down the road.

 

[KMC]

horizontal application only last UP TO 2 years, they are lucky thats pretty minimal burning on the vinyl

 

[2B]

there does not appear to be shrinkage.
so they probably used a CAST combo. if you look closely at the air release pattern you can narrow down the brand, but not the style

horizontal surface, engine at that, + dark car = UV BURN
this timeframe is about right, if not a little longer than expected.

if they want a longer life, don't park in the sun.
wash and wax on regular bases.


+1
new owners, new rules and no obligations to the previous warranties.

 

[MikePatterson]

I know we do these with Avery 1105, which isn't cheap vinyl, but I'm not sure what they used back in the day.

We quite using any Avery laminate. I still use 1105 base with Arlon Lam. We started seeing Avery lam failures about 2 years after they introduced the Z line. Prior to the change we had great results. My personal jeep wrap is going on 7 years and is just now starting to burn. We scheduled it in to remove next week. I tested some spots and it still removes easy with no residue.

 

[myront]

We use a specific "hood laminate" on horizontal surfaces. Still only good for 3 years though. But we live 1 floor up from Satan.