Inks for better outdoor life

[vikcho]

Hi Friends,

I own a roland SC-545Ex in India and use Triangle MLD inks to create car graphics but the print fades in around 3 to 6 months. Clients here are not ready to pay for extra clear vinyl lamination cost but want more durable and weather resistant graphics.
Can any one advice an eco or mild solvent ink I can use for better outdoor life?
or
Any kind of economical coating such as uv coating through any spray or some machine which can be used to increase the outdoor life of graphic.
Please help.

Thanks and regards
Vikram

 

[GAC05]

Hello,
take a look at the liquid laminate they have for solvent based prints.

http://www.clearstarcorp.com/clearshield.asp

It is pretty cost effective and you can brush, roll or spray it on.
To get a smooth uniform coat you can set up a flood coating laminator for not much money - they sell them or you can make your own.

http://www.daige.com/liquid_laminators.htm

wayne k
guam usa

 

[vikcho]

Thanks Wayne K,
But it appears to be a slow process requires 20 to 25 min for a print to dry. Also the cost mentioned per sq ft is 11 cents in indian we can get a clear vinyl at this price to laminate so no saving of money.
Also Have anyone tried MaraJet DI inks mentioned on the cleartarcorp website. Are they really fade resistant inks?

Thanks And Regards
Vikram

 

[Vinylman]

Vikram:

If your customers are not willing to pay for the PROPER PROTECTION of their prints, {i.e. lamination,either liquid or over-laminate films}
Then they must accept the short life span of the inks that are currently available in the market place.

Everything in life has risks and rewards. Trade offs if you will.

The customer that wants to save a few dollars by NOT LAMINATING his graphics will be buying replacement graphics due to reduced print life from improper application of STANDARD TRADE POLICIES.

The manufacturers have laminates in the market place to provide the added protection that outdoor applications require.

YOU, must decide whether you or your customer will be making the final decision as to how long the product will hold up, {especially considering some of the harsh weather conditions in India}.

IF your customer is to cheap to see the value in doing a print & laminate job CORRECTLY, perhaps you need to send them down the road to a competitor who does not have the customers best interest at heart, but only is interested in selling as cheaply as possible.

You must decide, are you competing on price only? OR do you offer service, QUALITY, and professional design?

These can and will make a profound difference in the money that you make, as well as the quality of the finished product you sell in your market place.

 

[vikcho]

Dear Friend,
My problem is a little bit complicated. I produce vehicle graphics similar to what comes installed from the company on new cars (Mahindra jeeps in India). I don't have huge volumes but my competitor have. He is using screen printing along with some uv coating and giving 1 year color fading warranty without any extra charges. Now even my customers are moving to him considering the fact that my graphics fade. I need a quick solution either in form of more reliable inks or some economical yet efficient coating to stay in the market or I will lose all my jobs sooner or latter.

Vikram

 

[CL Graphics]

if your profit margin is so close you cant afford 11 cents a sqare foot then something is wrong. Sounds like you need to find new clients OR get rid of the printer and buy screen printing equipment.

 

[Mainframe]

Get a Big Squeegee & laminate by hand, have you thought of that?

 

[vikcho]

Hi Mainframe,
Can you explain the procedure and tell me more about it's costing. As I think my competitor is using this way. Is it more economical then liquid lamination through machine?
CL graphics my profit margin is not so low but I don't want to reduce it. Also 11 cents is Rs.5.50 in India. The price of clear vinyl is Rs.4. So liquid lamination not a good idea, thats it.

Vikram

 

[Mosh]

+if you can't afford to laminate you are not charging enough. What are you in like China or India or some other country out to drive costs down.

 

[vikcho]

Hi Mosh,
It's really a competitive market here in India. You can get eco-solvent printing at a price as low as 0.35 $ per sq ft. So until customer is not ready to pay extra cost of lamination we can not reduce our profit margins.

Vikram

 

[Mosh]

Make money off your design to set yourself apart. Or just keep on the price cutting treadmill and never make any money. Up sell!

 

[rfulford]

Even without lam Triangle mld should be good for up to 1 year. At 35 cents a sqft, I assume the vinyl may be suspect as well. Can you convert to true solvent? If you laminate, can you offer a 2 year or even 3 year guarantee? These are the avenues that I see as open to you.

 

[vikcho]

We use quality vinyl like Orajet 3164 or Avery MPI 3000 PP. Triangle inks may be good for outdoor banners or vinyl sinages but a vehicle is washed daily so it is not holding up good on it. That's what I think.

 

[SignManiac]

Sounds like you're pretty much screwed then if your margin is so thin that you can't afford to compete by using the proper materials for the job. I would say that you have discovered the absolute rock bottom of the industry and there's no where else to go. You could always by a cheap plotter and cut paint mask and then paint the designs on. That should last a while.

 

[J Hill Designs]

yup I would up your material selection, add laminate, and offer a 2 year warranty, letting the customer know that at 1.5x the price you get double the warranty of your competition...

 

[MikePro]

not laminating a wrap is just silly. first time you drip gasoline on it you're artwork is ruined.... not to mention everytime you touch it you're essentially taking ink off the print.

 

[artbot]

i think the replies should be a bit more respectful. studies show that within 30 years india will be as prosperous as the U.S., while in the same frame of time GDP of the U.S. will probably go down slightly or remain at it's current plateau. this guy might be struggling in a competitive market. but this is a country that will be showing us "how" to compete over the next few decades.

 

[marcsitkin]

This is not really any idea I have tested, and it's success would depend on your facilities, but how about using a consumer level polyurethane varnish, perhaps something produced locally?

It seems you need to be creating something well outside any "certified" parameters, so this may be worth testing.

Yes, there is more time involved, but that and labor combined with really cheap material may be your only way out. I don't think that ink alone will give you a solution.

Not to seem disrespectful, but it seem's you are really working at the bottom of the market, and that may be the new reality. It's going to take an outside of the box solution to get where you want to be.

 

[BigfishDM]

not laminating a wrap is just silly. first time you drip gasoline on it you're artwork is ruined.... not to mention everytime you touch it you're essentially taking ink off the print.

Exactly!! Not laminating a wrap is NOT RECOMMENDED EVER! If you cant compete then find a new application you can make money on and go for that. Vehicle wraps are a commodity where most people are looking for the best price and they are getting cheaper by the minute. Hows the floor graphic and tradeshow graphic market over in Inda?

 

[wrapman jamz]

Is this a "Twilight Zone" post?

Is ROI at 35¢ a foot about 100 years on a piece of equipment that is outdated in four?

Do they make tents big enough to wrap in and generators that run on methane (If I must compete for business against India & China's margins in 30 years I must say I will surely retire before that happens)

How much is a can of clear spray paint?