How Do You Stop Mimaki Hard Ink Coming Off Acrylic Due To The Weather?

[Your Plate Frames]

Hi Guys,

My partner and I own a small business making number plate covers and we specialise in personalised printing. We are having trouble with some of the colours coming off the acrylic that its printed onto and were wondering if anyone knew how to stop this happening? We use Mimaki hard ink but have just found out that hard ink is not overly weather resistant. I did read where you can spray the ink with a clear protective coating? Can anyone recommend anything or have done this before with good results. Its only on certain colors as well, never the White.

Thanks,

Michelle

 

[Adam Vreeke]

By 'Hard Ink' I assume you mean LH-100 ink set?

Do you use Adhesion Promoter at all? If so, what kind and have you tried anything else?

Do you allow 24 hours after printing and doing a scratch test on it?

Do you reverse print these at all?

I have printed on acrylic with adhesion promoter and then printed flood of clear ink over it to help protect it and it worked out well. However, this did not go outside, much less on a car that is getting jostled around.

 

[Tipgypsy]

Hi Guys,

My partner and I own a small business making number plate covers and we specialise in personalised printing. We are having trouble with some of the colours coming off the acrylic that its printed onto and were wondering if anyone knew how to stop this happening? We use Mimaki hard ink but have just found out that hard ink is not overly weather resistant. I did read where you can spray the ink with a clear protective coating? Can anyone recommend anything or have done this before with good results. Its only on certain colors as well, never the White.

Thanks,

Michelle

Once you have a good bond to the acrylic you might be able to use Sign Painters 1-shot speed dry uv acrylic clear spray to beef up the outdoor protection a bit.

 

[JohnTom]

Are you using primer? I've had stuff adhere pretty well as long as I have a primer layer down first. If I don't it can peel off.

 

[johnnysigns]

I'm not familiar with the mimaki ink sets, but adhesion promotor should help it stick. We've also gotten away with taking a propane torch and flashing the surface to 'fake' a corona treatment in some applications.