I need longer lasting prints! I have the eco sol blues.

[WinGraphics]

Hey everyone. I've been in the sign making business forever and i am already on my 6th large format printer. I am about to buy a new 63" solvent machine and i need one with an ink set that will last unlaminated the longest time outdoors possible. I will be sending most of the prints out to the Phoenix Az area where the sun shines all day and it get's to about 110 degrees. Stuff fades quick! I will be printing on sticky back vinyl and will be applying to mdo boards that will be vertical. The catch is that i will not be laminating the prints and i need them to last for 20 months before they visibly start to fade. Is this possible with today's eco sol inks? Sieko says they can. The new Mimaki SUV solvent printer is being touted as a solution. I would love to hear any feedback.

 

[Desert_Signs]

Why wouldn't you laminate them?

It sounds like you're trying to go an inexpensive route. You might get lucky, you might not. Is it really worth it?

Keep in mind that there are very few vinyl manufacturers that will warranty printed vinyl (laminated or not) for more than 1 year out here...

 

[Biker Scout]

True Solvent Printers last longer. I mean look at the super large billboard signs on the back of the hotels here facing the freeway on the strip. From Mandalay Bay on down to Caesars. They all have huge semi-permanent signs advertising their long running shows. Obviously they aren't run on 64" - 54" wide eco-solvent printers. And they face the sun during the hottest part of the day, everyday.

According to ZAAR, there are 6 classifications of ink outside what you know about eco-solvent, latex etc: OIL BASED | SOLVENT | NON-VOLATILE SOLVENT | FAST DRY SOLVENTS | CERAMIC INKS | UV CURE INKS

Now, seems to me that you might want to look into OIL BASED PIGMENTED ink sets. Since they have the highest resistance to fading without coating.

And even if you aren't going to film laminate something, that doesn't mean that you still can't liquid laminate it. Unless there is a real specific reason that there can't be any coating or film of any kind that you aren't sharing with us.

 

[SightLine]

I see a couple of options. One - depending on the model printer you have there might be full solvent inks available for it. We run full solvent Triangle inks in our Mimaki JV33. I have some banners out that have been in direct sun every day for 3 years unlaminated. Of course they have faded a little but they still look good. Laminate the prints, I mean cmon' if you are selling unlaminated prints I'm assuming you are also printing on cheap calendared vinyl. You could apply cheap calendered laminate to a full 4x8 for well under ten bucks your cost. Is that little of an amount on a 4x8 really that much of a deal breaker?

 

[ol'phart]

Just Laminate it....You'll sleep better

 

[Auburnpeanut]

I agree laminate the prints. We go over with all of our customer the pros of laminating versus the cons of cost. We charge more for the laminate and make it worth our time to do. By informing the customers, we help them get a better product than alot of my competitors offer. We have found that most appreciate our telling them and most gladly spend the little bit extra for the laminate to make a longer lasting print. There are those who just care about the cost, but they are generally few and far in between.

 

[TammieH]

There are plenty of reasons to laminate everything for outdoor use, added lifetime, graffiti etc

actually laminate everything printed that is meant to be at least semi permanent, indoor or out

 

[PrintItBig]

The new Mimaki SUV solvent printer is being touted as a solution.

I'm interested in this. What do people think about this printer for long life signage? Any opinions?