Best Reflective Technique

[MastroSigns]

Just sold a job for reflective 18"x24" .080 Alum Road Signs. Never realized how expensive printable Reflective vinyl is. Trying to come up with some other options that will last. Here's my ideas, anyone have any thoughts? The blanks I got are reflective already.

1) Print on clear vinyl, laminate then put on the reflective blanks

2) Get translucent vinyl and put on the reflective blanks (we used to do that at the sign shop I used to work at, my boss said it would work since it's translucent it would let the reflective background show through.... not sure if it really worked though)

3) Bit the bullet and buy the printable reflective vinyl.

 

[Malkin]

If the blanks are already sheeted with reflective, I would go with option 1.
Recommend using a cast, optically clear for both layers.

If its a large qty I would consider sending the blanks to a wholesaler with a flatbed for direct print as long as those inks are translucent enough. Probably laminate after.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Question ... if the blanks are reflective, and the surface needs to be reflective ... and it's a road sign ... why not just use cut reflective vinyl? Unless you need to print black or flat colors on top ... should be your first step ... ***** to weed but easier than trying to re-invent the wheel to print on reflective, just to cover up more reflective.

 

[qmr55]

Question ... if the blanks are reflective, and the surface needs to be reflective ... and it's a road sign ... why not just use cut reflective vinyl? Unless you need to print black or flat colors on top ... should be your first step ... ***** to weed but easier than trying to re-invent the wheel to print on reflective, just to cover up more reflective.

+1 on the cut reflective vinyl.

 

[tsgstl]

I don't want to turn you away from a non signs101 vendor. But Grimco has very reasonable pricing for this exact sort of thing. We had them price out doing Sate inspection 3'x3' reflective signs for a large oil change co. customer of ours. The price was cheaper than us buying the material from them and doing it our self. We ended up doing it our self anyway because of their turn around time. But their prices are very reasonable.

Does the copy have to be reflective? We have never had a complaint with putting regular cut vinyl (non reflective) on reflective blanks. As long as it is just the copy they look just is good if not better that way.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I don't want to turn you away from a non signs101 vendor. But Grimco has very reasonable pricing for this exact sort of thing. We had them price out doing Sate inspection 3'x3' reflective signs for a large oil change co. customer of ours. The price was cheaper than us buying the material from them and doing it our self. We ended up doing it our self anyway because of their turn around time. But their prices are very reasonable.

Does the copy have to be reflective? We have never had a complaint with putting regular cut vinyl (non reflective) on reflective blanks. As long as it is just the copy they look just is good if not better that way.

+1 to grimco ... thing I missed the most about Orlando was the local Grimco supplier ... bought all my 3m and reflective blanks (even odd shaped blanks) from them. good quality.

 

[MastroSigns]

Question ... if the blanks are reflective, and the surface needs to be reflective ... and it's a road sign ... why not just use cut reflective vinyl? Unless you need to print black or flat colors on top ... should be your first step ... ***** to weed but easier than trying to re-invent the wheel to print on reflective, just to cover up more reflective.

I was going to do it that way, but it's for a Business Park that has multiple colors in their logo. By the time I buy the 4 different reflective vinyls, cut, weed (bah) tape and finally make them it'd be cheaper for me to go another route.

 

[SightLine]

3M 1170...... you dont want backlit vinyl you want transparent vinyl. It's made just for this sort of thing and comes in a selection of colors. I'm sure you can get it in some other brands as well.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...ECIE20S7M3000000_nid=RZX45FDBB1beGW5VRFJ6Q9gl

 

[TwoNine]

How many are you doing? 3M has translucent inks (880i) that are made just for this, but they are intended for screening and it isn't logical to do this for a short run. However, I have got to ask...How is it that you just got done selling these road signs and just now "realized" how much the vinyl costs to complete the job?

 

[letterman7]

How many are you doing? 3M has translucent inks (880i) that are made just for this, but they are intended for screening and it isn't logical to do this for a short run. However, I have got to ask...How is it that you just got done selling these road signs and just now "realized" how much the vinyl costs to complete the job?

X2. Sub out the job to someone who is already set up to either screen or print on reflective. How many signs are you doing?

 

[petepaz]

we get nikkalite 4500 relfective, 7 yr, engineering grade and we print on it with our roland printers works just fine. some times depending on what we are using it for we have to print at high quality setting but for signs you should be fine with standard
(harbor sales has good pricing on that material

 

[thewood]

we get nikkalite 4500 relfective, 7 yr, engineering grade and we print on it with our roland printers works just fine. some times depending on what we are using it for we have to print at high quality setting but for signs you should be fine with standard

We have had success printing on a few reflective vinyls including the Nikkalite. Crank the heat up and print 16 pass.