Printable Translucent Vinyl

[nastewart0521]

We've never had any experience with printable translucent vinyl so I'm looking for some recommendations on what works good? We have a couple solvent, gel and uv printers available.

 

[signheremd]

We use Orajet 3850 White Translucent. We print using a Roland XR-640 with Eco-Solvent inks most frequently. Sometimes we use double Ink (Printer Controls, Overprint 2x in Versaworks). We always laminate to help with UV protection.

We have use our FluidColor Flatbed UV printer as well (though it only prints up to 4x8). We have used color/white/color printing to keep single print color but to darken when backlight.

I would say that generally the Solvent printer we use most often and the colors it produces have been given us great results.

 

[nastewart0521]

We use Orajet 3850 White Translucent. We print using a Roland XR-640 with Eco-Solvent inks most frequently. Sometimes we use double Ink (Printer Controls, Overprint 2x in Versaworks). We always laminate to help with UV protection.

We have use our FluidColor Flatbed UV printer as well (though it only prints up to 4x8). We have used color/white/color printing to keep single print color but to darken when backlight.

I would say that generally the Solvent printer we use most often and the colors it produces have been given us great results.

Thanks for the response! We will have to give that 3850 a try.

 

[mim]

I'm printing on 3m IJ8150 "Clear View" as I type this, it's been great in my experience, would recommend

 

[nastewart0521]

Depends, do you need a white background or would clear work? Is it going behind trim in a cabinet, or will the edge be exposed like on a window install? I use tons of arlon 4500G clear for white faces that go in cabinets. It tends to lift if the edge is exposed, as it shrinks over time.

We would be printing a solid color to mount on push through acrylic letters

 

[nastewart0521]

Usually I mount 4500g to the back of push through letters, though it has a different effect than colored vinyl on the face. Arlon dpf 6500 is a white trans I've used for this, as well as printing onto 3m 8518 for a clear effect.
Clear or white acrylic? Just curious how others do it, but we usually do 3/4" clear with vinyl on the back, and .177 white lexan behind that.

Yeah we do the exact same thing with the 3/4" clear. We put the vinyl on the back of the letters. We normally use translucent styrene to put behind if we need it.

 

[MimakiGuy]

I print on clear with my solvent printer. 3M 7725 series for screen print positives because it has a clear backing For clear decals and such, we use American traffic 490 series. It has a paper backing so the plotter can still read the registration marks.

 

[Lindsey]

I like to use 3M IJ3630-20 & IJ3730-20 for translucent prints. Eco-sol inks with a Roland SP540v.

The colour looks great during the day, but at night when lights come on, the colour can look sad & washed-out because the inks themselves have some translucency. A colleague/competitor taught me about layering with white ink to achieve vibrant colour during both the day & night. I don't have white ink on the Roland, but sometimes I sub jobs out to them. They print the image, then a layer of white, and then the image again. For smaller jobs, my in-house solution is to print on translucent vinyl & apply it to the face of white acrylic, then I mirror print the same image on clear vinyl & apply that to the 2nd surface of the acrylic. The white acrylic in the middle acts as the "diffuser" layer.

 

[nastewart0521]

Really now, that sounds like a much cheaper route! What's the life on something like styrene outdoors? No problem with yellowing/warping?

I go a similar route, but initially I print and stick two versions on a light box, then let the customer decide. One is just one layer, the other is two. The two layers always look great when lit, on occasion they look far too dark when unlit, but at least 90% of the time the customer opts for two layers. Are you doing your face layer in white trans, or are both front and back clears?

Actually I failed to mention that most of our sign cabs are indoors. I'm not sure about styrene outdoors my instincts say that it'll become brittle and possibly turn yellow. But I could be wrong it would definitely be a good experiment!

 

[Lindsey]

Really now, that sounds like a much cheaper route! What's the life on something like styrene outdoors? No problem with yellowing/warping?

I go a similar route, but initially I print and stick two versions on a light box, then let the customer decide. One is just one layer, the other is two. The two layers always look great when lit, on occasion they look far too dark when unlit, but at least 90% of the time the customer opts for two layers. Are you doing your face layer in white trans, or are both front and back clears?

I use white trans media for the face, and clear media for the back.

 

[KGraphics]

Checking to see if anyone has any pictures for reference of the DPF 6500 for me? I used a white translucent film for an install and now the customers think it looks murky/not vibrant; it is on a scoreboard and we did the one below theirs as well in 2020 that they saw and they look identical other than the logos but apparently want something "brighter" so wondering if the 6500 will give more of a white finish on the vinyl itself or not.

 

[Gino]

White or clear styrene will yellow indoors after a year or so from just fluorescent lamps. You can't even keep it on your shelf very long before it starts yellowing. Outside, it's not even durable.

 

[phototec]

I have my first request to replace a 3' x 10' Acrylic sign panel for a lighted sign, I am planning on digitally printing on Orajet 3850 translucent media with my Roland SP540V eco-sol printer and then lamination with Oraguard 290 and apply the graphic onto the blank 3' x 10' Acrylic sign panel. My question is, do you print using the double Ink (Printer Controls, Overprint 2x in Versaworks), whicj I have never done before?