3M football helmet vinyl

[Will308decals]

Hi, I am using convex now for football helmet decals and they have gone very smoothly but I am looking for a link to 3M football helmet vinyl. 20 Mil vinyl. Does anyone here know the type of vinyl that is used for the thick football helmets made from 3M? Or do you have a link? Anything would be appreciates. Thanks

 

[Rusty B]

I may be a little late to the party but I just ran across this post.I know lots of time you see folks advertising the 3M helmet decals. That name sells the product of course. Although I'm sure 3M makes a clear vinyl for inkjet printing and even a white that would work the product they are selling is a 3M adhesive. In the old days you could print these on convex reverse print which was 18mil. You would print the decal in reverse whether you were screen printing or using a thermal printer. Then flip the decal over and the ink would be under the thick convex laminate.Then they would use a 3M 467MP adhesive or a 468MP one is roughly 2 mil the other is 5 I believe. Oracal (Orafilm1377) has their own version that works just as good for way less money but in the end the name on the back of the decal sells it for most people. I make the ones for our local schools and I have used both over the years and can see no difference in them as far as quality and the ease of removal at the end of the season. Recently the age of wide format digital printing has changed the game on helmet decals and that's the main reason convex gear wrap was created so you can use inkjets to print the clear (with adhesive already applied) and then laminate with a convex 17mil laminate, cut the decals out and youre finished. I still prefer to use the convex reverse print (no adhesive on either side) and the 3M or Orafilm PSA if I can find it but I believe the reverse print is getting harder and harder to find.
I prefer to screen print these for one reason....You can print white ink. I know for some its possible on a thermal or a latex printer but You can print a white underbase print quick with screen print. On white helmets I will print the clear on an inkjet with my old mutoh 1204 and make sure it puts down plenty of ink on convex gear wrap clear(looks washed out until applied to a white helmet) then laminate with the 17mil and cut them out.

If you go the screen print route its actually much easier than most would believe with minimal tools.