Need Help Can you print on Avery V2000

[Gary1]

Hi. I have a Mimaki JV150 printer. I usually use 3M 3200 to print on when making reflective signage. I called the vendor this morning
and that product jumped up in price. They offered me Avery V2000 at almost $400 less $$$. Has anyone printed on this material with OK
results? I am using ES3 inks. Online it says not digitally printable. But so does 3M 3200. Just asking. Thank you!

 

[Gary1]

Hi. I have a Mimaki JV150 printer. I usually use 3M 3200 to print on when making reflective signage. I called the vendor this morning
and that product jumped up in price. They offered me Avery V2000 at almost $400 less $$$. Has anyone printed on this material with OK
results? I am using ES3 inks. Online it says not digitally printable. But so does 3M 3200. Just asking. Thank you

 

[Gary1]

The verdict is, No you cannot the ink just pools and swirls So now you and I Know

 

[bteifeld]

You can print on a printable clear film that has permanent adhesive, laminate that to the v2000, and then use liquid laminate or laminate film as a protectant. Your color management can be easier too.

I am curious though- can you create your own media configuration, complete with calibration/linearization, ink limiting and icc profile?

 

[Gary1]

You can print on a printable clear film that has permanent adhesive, laminate that to the v2000, and then use liquid laminate or laminate film as a protectant. Your color management can be easier too.

I am curious though- can you create your own media configuration, complete with calibration/linearization, ink limiting and icc profile?

Nope. I already printed on clear laminate, then I'll have to laminate that then mount on reflective then mount on the signs. Won't be buying that stuff again. At least the 3M 3200 series prints fine. Not made for it but the ink holds well.

 

[Elwood "Woody" Smith]

We direct print to Avery V4000 all the time. Eco-Solvent. That is what I would use for a good result.

V-4000 High Visibility Beaded Reflective Film | Avery Dennison | Graphics

Avery Dennison V-4000 high visibility reflective films achieve striking color consistency in 6 amazing colors that will bring your brand to life.

graphics.averydennison.com

 

[Gary1]

We direct print to Avery V4000 all the time. Eco-Solvent. That is what I would use for a good result.

V-4000 High Visibility Beaded Reflective Film | Avery Dennison | Graphics

Avery Dennison V-4000 high visibility reflective films achieve striking color consistency in 6 amazing colors that will bring your brand to life.

graphics.averydennison.com

Good to know. I liked the 3M 3200 because it was cheap in price and preformed reasonably well. I never used it on vehicles, just on signage. I will look at the Avery V4000. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Albert Cyrus]

I've never used V2000, but have you tried Avery T-1500 reflective? It's definitely solvent printable. I think it's similar price to V2000.

 

[Gary1]

I've never used V2000, but have you tried Avery T-1500 reflective? It's definitely solvent printable. I think it's similar price to V2000.

No I haven't tried the Avery T-1500. Haven't heard of it either. I have an eco-solvent printer. Thanks for the tip!

 

[citysignshop]

No I haven't tried the Avery T-1500. Haven't heard of it either. I have an eco-solvent printer. Thanks for the tip!

My 3M rep advised that they were not going to produce the 3200 series for much longer. it's been replaced by 7310, which is much whiter, just a fine dot screen look ( still ASTM type I).....and it's less expensive.
It has a paper liner, and is a bit fussy as far as heat and vacuum, but after a few trials it prints pretty well with my Roland ecosol....just using the generic 3M reflective profile.
I agree, the 3200 glass bead had a great topcoat, and you could print almost anything on it ( from back in the screenprint days).

3M™ Advanced Flexible Engineer Grade Reflective Sheeting, 7310
I pay about $1.30 a sq. ft...you guys down south, probably pay half that! most of it's made in Texas!

 

[Gary1]

You can print on a printable clear film that has permanent adhesive, laminate that to the v2000, and then use liquid laminate or laminate film as a protectant. Your color management can be easier too.

I am curious though- can you create your own media configuration, complete with calibration/linearization, ink limiting and icc profile?

Actually I hadn’t tried other profiles I guess I have more testing to do thanks for thinking outside the box!

 

[bteifeld]

Actually I hadn’t tried other profiles I guess I have more testing to do thanks for thinking outside the box!

You're welcome. If I may clarify- I was asking if you considered making your own media configuration from scratch, inclusive of calibration/linearization, ink limiting, and profile.

 

[Gary1]

You're welcome. If I may clarify- I was asking if you considered making your own media configuration from scratch, inclusive of calibration/linearization, ink limiting, and profile.

I do not have a clue on how to do that I use what little profiles I have which is what I have in SignLab and they only supply a few for SS2 inks and I use ES3 inks I’ve been getting by and when I check online with manufacturers no one that I’ve seen so far has profiles for ES3 inks you’d think they would because they’re more environmental friendly Even this Color Base thing that has 1000’s of profiles are only for true solvent printers

 

[citysignshop]

My 3M rep advised that they were not going to produce the 3200 series for much longer. it's been replaced by 7310, which is much whiter, just a fine dot screen look ( still ASTM type I).....and it's less expensive.
It has a paper liner, and is a bit fussy as far as heat and vacuum, but after a few trials it prints pretty well with my Roland ecosol....just using the generic 3M reflective profile.
I agree, the 3200 glass bead had a great topcoat, and you could print almost anything on it ( from back in the screenprint days).

3M™ Advanced Flexible Engineer Grade Reflective Sheeting, 7310
I pay about $1.30 a sq. ft...you guys down south, probably pay half that! most of it's made in Texas!

Replying to my own comment??? well, I have only run some 'no parking' signs, which seemed ok...but printing more than one square inch of red, for example, comes out horrible! Blotchy, often with dark spots where it pauses over the vacuum holes in the print bed. Just garbage! I believe our 3M rep a few years ago confirmed that they did not have a profile for it! Hard to believe!...nor does Roland. I've tried most every setting and profile I can think of, to no avail!
anyone with any ideas, other than switching to Avery, which is my next move!

 

[DL Signs]

Do you need the massively reflective glass bead, or will a finer reflective work?
I usually use 3M, but also use a lot of the Oralite 5650RA because it prints so good. It's a cast 7 year printable exterior reflective with air release. It's pretty conformable (have done trucks with rivets), prints great, laminates great. It is a finer reflective, but fits most sign/ vehicle graphic scenarios. Plotters read registration marks with no issues, in daylight it just looks like a slightly off white vinyl. There are profiles available, at least for Mimaki and Roland that I know of, but it prints so good a generic one will work.

 

[ikarasu]

Replying to my own comment??? well, I have only run some 'no parking' signs, which seemed ok...but printing more than one square inch of red, for example, comes out horrible! Blotchy, often with dark spots where it pauses over the vacuum holes in the print bed. Just garbage! I believe our 3M rep a few years ago confirmed that they did not have a profile for it! Hard to believe!...nor does Roland. I've tried most every setting and profile I can think of, to no avail!
anyone with any ideas, other than switching to Avery, which is my next move!

You're running a latex, correct?

Latex prints on 7310 beautifully for us. On my Epson it'll be blotchy.. it doesn't hold ink. If youre trying on a solvent... Turn the ink percent way down and it'll work with no blotchyness. Of course that means you have to reprofile for acurate colors...

Or do what we did. Switch to nikkalite for glass bead 3m wants to keep raising the price on 3290 because they want to obsolete it... That's fine, well buy a diff brand!

We exclusively use nikkalite now for glass bead, it's solvent printable... And say cheaper than 3290 to boot.

We pay .86 usd per sqft - free shipping, and they pay any duties if it's over... 2.5k I think? Comes out to between $1.10 and $1.25 a sqft depending on the exchange rate. Prints beautifully on latex and solvent.

We just got an alert - 7310 is going to be put on stop production through fall. So you have to pre-buy bulk right now or risk running out... Apparently it's to upgrade the line, I think it's more to do with no one is buying it so they're trying to sell a big chunk off quick.

 

[citysignshop]

You're running a latex, correct?

Latex prints on 7310 beautifully for us. On my Epson it'll be blotchy.. it doesn't hold ink. If youre trying on a solvent... Turn the ink percent way down and it'll work with no blotchyness. Of course that means you have to reprofile for acurate colors...

Or do what we did. Switch to nikkalite for glass bead 3m wants to keep raising the price on 3290 because they want to obsolete it... That's fine, well buy a diff brand!

We exclusively use nikkalite now for glass bead, it's solvent printable... And say cheaper than 3290 to boot.

We pay .86 usd per sqft - free shipping, and they pay any duties if it's over... 2.5k I think? Comes out to between $1.10 and $1.25 a sqft depending on the exchange rate. Prints beautifully on latex and solvent.

We just got an alert - 7310 is going to be put on stop production through fall. So you have to pre-buy bulk right now or risk running out... Apparently it's to upgrade the line, I think it's more to do with no one is buying it so they're trying to sell a big chunk off quick.

No, sadly still using my Roland Vs540....thanks for the tips, going to try Oralite, at double the price of 3m, and the nikkalite! Can you send me a PM with your supplier? thx
3M seems to have lost their little minds! 4 years ago they were discontinuing 3200, so I bought a bunch...then they didn't. Now this fall some issue with the 7310, but the price of 3200 is scheduled, on their E-commerce site, to drop from $1.86 to $1.54. Moving production offshore?...still want the bumper sticker market, or what? Their hasn't been much 'engineer' about it for the last 40 years!

 

[ikarasu]

We buy direct from nikkalite on the USA.

gtamayori@nikkalite.com - this is George's contact information. Very knowledgeable and was a big help in getting us switched over.

Allgtaphicsuoplies sells it... For about double the price of buying direct. If you want to test a roll, I'll sell you one for cost and shipping - Vancouver to Kelowna shouldn't be too bad.

They also have r8500 - they call it "high def printing" - and they do a cheap air egress (still permanent sadly) reflective.


We mainly switched because we went latex - and while you can print with 3290 on a latex... If you take a wash cloth to it you can wipe all the ink away..so we switched!

Now we do solvent and latex on nikkalite, works great - think we've gone through 100ish rolls by now and not one defect.

 

[Gary1]

Do you need the massively reflective glass bead, or will a finer reflective work?
I usually use 3M, but also use a lot of the Oralite 5650RA because it prints so good. It's a cast 7 year printable exterior reflective with air release. It's pretty conformable (have done trucks with rivets), prints great, laminates great. It is a finer reflective, but fits most sign/ vehicle graphic scenarios. Plotters read registration marks with no issues, in daylight it just looks like a slightly off white vinyl. There are profiles available, at least for Mimaki and Roland that I know of, but it prints so good a generic one will work.

Hi. Oralite is my preferred choice for reflective on vehicles. Took a little getting used to because it’s not as supple as 3M. Kinks a little easier. But the game changer is the cost compared to 680i and it’s 54” wide!!!! Means you stick one size laminate and wider prints mean bigger graphics. 3M and everyone else is 48” media for printable reflective. 3M 680i doesn’t track well in my Summa S2T160. Media is too heavy. Yes I’ve turned down all the parameters but still struggled. With the 680i I have to have an indeed and out feed table. 5650ra does not require this babysitting. Tracks well, installs well to. I letter and stripe about 30 ambulances a yr and use 5650ra hands down.