Hi Guys, I have an epson S40600 and I wanted to print on a metallic gold adhesive vinyl. Insofar, many have said that I will experience curling and that the metallic vinyls aren't suitable for solvent printing. Do you guys have any recommendations on a metallic gold like adhesive vinyl for solvent printing?
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Metallic gold vinyl
- Thread starter yoshiyagi
- Start date
SignMeUpGraphics
Super Active Member
We haven't had any issue printing onto gold and silver vinyls. We don't contour cut afterwards though. Just trimmed to a big rectangle/poster.
hey! Thanks for replying. What media do you use? And do you use a solvent printer as well?
jfiscus
Rap Master
You should be just fine for the most part printing to a quality "gold" metallic vinyl. On your printer's media profiles you might want to lower the heater temperature a little bit if you're worried about curling or head strikes but I don't think it would matter since it is on a backer.
Rtape vinylefx makes a printable gold... More expensive than the cheap non printable stuff, but you'll have better luck with it.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
None of those are metallic gold.
Rtape vinylefx makes a printable gold... More expensive than the cheap non printable stuff, but you'll have better luck with it.
johnnysigns
New Member
Mirror gold is polyester based and metallic vinyl is likely PVC based.
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
I print on metallic silver 651 and 3m series 50, no problems. It's always been black, you might need to print white first for colors but I dunno.
bob
It's better to have two hands than one glove.
I print on metallic vinyl all of the time. I use silver, there's no reason to use gold or any other color. If you need a gold color just print it. I use either Oracal 951 M Silver Lake or 3M 180mC Satin Aluminum. Neither of these is advertised as being printable but it's vinyl so with ecco-solvent, what I have, it prints just fine and, by extension, should work equally well with full solvent.. I routinely contour cut both flavors. I use 3M when I have to do a full bleed, I've never had it lift on the edges. I use the Oracal vinyl when I don't do a full bleed although I don't know if it will lift along the edges of a full bleed or not, I've never tried it. It'll probably work as well as the 3M, maybe someday I'll try it. I've been doing this for years and never, as in ever, have had a problem with either vinyl.
The only challenge is contour cutting. My cutting tackle, an ancient Graphtec FC7000, has a hard time reading the registration marks on either vinyl. Your mileage may vary. Back when I was wrangling Flexi I'd just use 4 point manual marks but the software I'm using now [long story] doesn't work so well with manual marks. That being the case, I'm forced to provide my own home made registration marks on the print, register the leading edge of the vinyl at some geographical point on the printer, print just the registration marks, place a white vinyl patch over each of the marks, back the media up in the print so that it's once again registered at exactly the same place as before, and finally print the entire image including registration marks. If you did it right the registration marks in the actual print will land right on the white vinyl patches. I use Oracal 751 for the patches. Not 3751, just plain old smell my butt 751. Most any white vinyl will work.
The only challenge is contour cutting. My cutting tackle, an ancient Graphtec FC7000, has a hard time reading the registration marks on either vinyl. Your mileage may vary. Back when I was wrangling Flexi I'd just use 4 point manual marks but the software I'm using now [long story] doesn't work so well with manual marks. That being the case, I'm forced to provide my own home made registration marks on the print, register the leading edge of the vinyl at some geographical point on the printer, print just the registration marks, place a white vinyl patch over each of the marks, back the media up in the print so that it's once again registered at exactly the same place as before, and finally print the entire image including registration marks. If you did it right the registration marks in the actual print will land right on the white vinyl patches. I use Oracal 751 for the patches. Not 3751, just plain old smell my butt 751. Most any white vinyl will work.
We used to play the game also but it was like throwing darts. Just when you think you have a good plan figured out for registering, boom it misses and wastes some more time and vinyl. It's a shame that silver
is like that to contour cut. We have a new FC8600 and it does no better than your old one Bob. lol
Goatshaver
Shaving goats and eating bushes
I've tried RTape metallics and also I tried some sign vinyl by Griff and they all curled when I printed to the edges and cut. The only vinyl I have had luck with is the Briteline holo vinyl. It's a 6mil so it's a bit on the thick side but I've had no problems with that curling at all.
I'll have to look into the Orcal stuff myself for future use. Always good to have alternatives to turn to.
I'll have to look into the Orcal stuff myself for future use. Always good to have alternatives to turn to.
Goatshaver
Shaving goats and eating bushes
Yeah, some had said to let it dry longer or use a different laminate, but it never worked they all eventually curled. The only one I've had success with is the Briteline when printing full bleeds. Otherwise it's always best to stick to no bleeds or
pulling the artwork away from the cut to avoid any of that curl from the solvents.
Anyone using a resin printer tried it on this material?
Norman Clifton
New Member
Does anyone have any photos of finish prints on Metallic vinyl looking at doing a donor board printed text on metallic gold or silver with UV curable - wasn't going to overlaminate - but i see some people recomend that
Patentagosse
New Member
I do a lot of semis striping. I print on cast metallic films every weeks w/o a single issue, not even at cutting step. My Roland find the marks as it was on white. Our inks are translucid meaning you can see the metal flakes through. I have a VG2-540 (with orange). Printing on silver or gold means your colors will show up darker (red -> dk. red) but no big deal.
I use 3M/Gerber 220, Oracal 751 and any of the colorchange wrap films I want. Today I have printed on a very nice film from Hexis called Saturn White (HX20BSAB) which is a white metal flake (coarse flakes) and it creates amazing metallic colors. I always laminate with 3M 8518, whatever the film's brand under it. I do this for a long long time (time tested). Sure you can use the 3M ij180-120 which is a real printable film but you pay more for nothing (except it's a Comply ControlTack... easier for bigger pieces when going cowboy (dry). I can't tell for other brands / ink set but my Roland with OEM TR2 is amazing for that kinda jobs. Oh BTW, I always print bleed... let it dry for 24h and you're good to go.
I use 3M/Gerber 220, Oracal 751 and any of the colorchange wrap films I want. Today I have printed on a very nice film from Hexis called Saturn White (HX20BSAB) which is a white metal flake (coarse flakes) and it creates amazing metallic colors. I always laminate with 3M 8518, whatever the film's brand under it. I do this for a long long time (time tested). Sure you can use the 3M ij180-120 which is a real printable film but you pay more for nothing (except it's a Comply ControlTack... easier for bigger pieces when going cowboy (dry). I can't tell for other brands / ink set but my Roland with OEM TR2 is amazing for that kinda jobs. Oh BTW, I always print bleed... let it dry for 24h and you're good to go.
Patentagosse
New Member
Patentagosse
New Member
'Had a video too but cannot post it here, probably too big