Metallic Vinyl

[MotorCityMan]

Does anyone make a printable metallic vinyl?

 

[bob]

Does anyone make a printable metallic vinyl?

Vinyl of most any sort is pretty much inherently printable with most any flavor of solvent inks.

If you're going to print on metallic vinyl the only one you need to consider is silver since you can create any other color merely by printing it. 3M makes a very nice air release silver comparable to their 180 line.

Once you start messing around printing on silver you'll find the results to be absolutely incredible. There is a bit of color shift since the white point is now gray but the only thing it really affects is that it tends to make yellows somewhat brassy. Which is not necessarily a Bad Thing.

I printed and installed some panels for my truck on the hood and tailgate using the 3M silver and the results were jaw dropping. It gives every appearance of someone having done and incredibly intricate candy apple paint job. The inks, being translucent, become metallic colors with a depth you would not have ever expected.

The reason I tried printing on the silver is that my truck is silver and I didn't want colors on whatever I put on it to be dead relative to the silver paint.

Try it, you'll like it.

 

[Sticky Signs]

You can always print on clear and apply that to the metallic. Works if you're in a jam.

 

[MotorCityMan]

Vinyl of most any sort is pretty much inherently printable with most any flavor of solvent inks.

If you're going to print on metallic vinyl the only one you need to consider is silver since you can create any other color merely by printing it. 3M makes a very nice air release silver comparable to their 180 line.

Once you start messing around printing on silver you'll find the results to be absolutely incredible. There is a bit of color shift since the white point is now gray but the only thing it really affects is that it tends to make yellows somewhat brassy. Which is not necessarily a Bad Thing.

I printed and installed some panels for my truck on the hood and tailgate using the 3M silver and the results were jaw dropping. It gives every appearance of someone having done and incredibly intricate candy apple paint job. The inks, being translucent, become metallic colors with a depth you would not have ever expected.

The reason I tried printing on the silver is that my truck is silver and I didn't want colors on whatever I put on it to be dead relative to the silver paint.

Try it, you'll like it.

do you have any pics of that? I would love to see it. Any ideas on the print profile? Do you have to laminate?

 

[MotorCityMan]

You can always print on clear and apply that to the metallic. Works if you're in a jam.

Great idea!

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Vinyl of most any sort is pretty much inherently printable with most any flavor of solvent inks.

If you're going to print on metallic vinyl the only one you need to consider is silver since you can create any other color merely by printing it. 3M makes a very nice air release silver comparable to their 180 line.

Once you start messing around printing on silver you'll find the results to be absolutely incredible. There is a bit of color shift since the white point is now gray but the only thing it really affects is that it tends to make yellows somewhat brassy. Which is not necessarily a Bad Thing.

I printed and installed some panels for my truck on the hood and tailgate using the 3M silver and the results were jaw dropping. It gives every appearance of someone having done and incredibly intricate candy apple paint job. The inks, being translucent, become metallic colors with a depth you would not have ever expected.

The reason I tried printing on the silver is that my truck is silver and I didn't want colors on whatever I put on it to be dead relative to the silver paint.

Try it, you'll like it.

+1

 

[bloobird0]

Until now I have no found any metallic chrome silver that I can print with my mild solvent mimaki.

- RTape vinylEfx: prints very good but curls like a hell
- Oracal 352 claimed printable: simply does not print at all
- some others only have non permanent adhesive which does not fit my needs

I currently print on clear and laminate oracal 352 but when the print requires lamination, the result is a stack of 3 vinyls, too thick for my needs.

If any of you knows a good printable chrome silver vinyl with permanent adhesive (not too expensive ) ...

 

[MotorCityMan]

I found this, anybody familiar with it?

http://www.xpres.co.uk/consumables/versacamm/sign_making/XP_printable_metallic_vinyl.php

 

[SightLine]

I've not had much luck printing on chrome films but I've really not tired much. Not a big Avery fan but they do have some nice metallics which also print great. The attach shot is on Supercast 900 Ultra Metallic silver then laminated with optically clear Oracal 290GF. Like any print, if you want it to last then laminating is mandatory. They also have it in white and according to Avery's site it is available in up to 48" rolls. Since it's a cut vinyl its not guaranteed free of contaminants but so far I've found that it prints great. Tough to photograph it well - it is VERY metallic. White or silver should do very well for print without affecting color much. I tried a sample of the metallic laminates but just was not as happy with the effect.

One thing I have found - I had to recalibrate OPOS on our Summa cutter, the metallic effect made it unable to find the registration marks for contour cutting. No biggie to do really - it has instructions right in the menus to do so and once I adjusted the sensitivity it finds the marks fine.

 

[bloobird0]

One thing I have found - I had to recalibrate OPOS on our Summa cutter, the metallic effect made it unable to find the registration marks for contour cutting. No biggie to do really - it has instructions right in the menus to do so and once I adjusted the sensitivity it finds the marks fine.

To solve such problems I simply place a mate clear square of laminate over register marks, even on chrome vinyl.

(works great on the mimaki cutter, i hope it will still be ok on the graphtec FC8000 that will soon come).

Thanks for the tip with the vinyl you use (much too expensive for my needs because I make quite big stickers with but interesting to know). What kind of printer/ink do you use?

Regards :U Rock:

 

[SightLine]

Mimaki JV33 with aftermarket Triangle inks....

 

[bloobird0]

ok, then aggressive solvent inks. Sounds great if you never experience any curl!

 

[bob]

do you have any pics of that? I would love to see it. Any ideas on the print profile? Do you have to laminate?

Here's a couple of pictures. The ding on the tailgate is courtesy of the dim-bulb at the feed store dropping a bale of hay so that it slid down the tailgate. The pictures do not do justice to the actual colors.

Printed on a Mutoh 1204 and contour cut with a Graphtec FC700.

For a profile I used the same one I use for most everything, Oracal 3651G. Since the white point of the media is so far removed from anything resembling white, the profile really doesn't matter all that much. Whatever comes out of the printer is what you get. The printer is the truth.

These aren't laminated since I didn't know how it was going to look and might have ended up removing them. I just gave them a coat of Clear Shield. I may well end up making some changes here and there and redoing them. Those I'll laminate.

The only problem I had was contour cutting. The plotter couldn't read the registration marks on the silver vinyl. This was easily solved merely by shining a flashlight beam on the media beneath the plotter's mark sensor. The plotter picked up all four marks this way.

 

[MotorCityMan]

that looks awesome!

 

[Ken]

I've printed on avery ultra metallic (silver)to good effect.
I just used my regular ICC. AS bob says, the results are stunning.
Cheers!
Ken

 

[john1]

Wow!