Oracal Questions

[3Dsigns]

I used some Oracal "Brilliant Blue"#751 series on some signs a couple years ago and within 18 months the vinyl was cracking all over like mud in a dried up pond and the blue pigment was streaking down the sign. An OC rep told me that this particular color was only rated for 3 years, or maybe he said 2. That was not shown in the 'fine print' on my color chart but he then sent us a new one on which it was. One was a $2000+ job and the other was $300+ but all Oracal would do was to refund the cost of the vinyl. My question: if something only lasts 2 years, why put it with your "hp" line?

My other question;
Has anyone had trouble with Oracal 981 metallic chipping off around the edges of letters, after only being installed about 4 months?
Could that be from pressure washing?
Thanks

 

[Marie]

Oh don't tell me this. I just used that same vinyl (751 brilliant blue) on about 20 parking signs.

 

[3Dsigns]

Yes, When I use "cast" "high performance" vinyl on vehicles or outdoor signs, I just automatically assume I'm using something which should last at least 6 or 7+ years. But apparently the folks at "Oracal" have other ideas. I mean; I don't even bother with the"calendared" "3 to 5 year" "promo" stuff unless I happen to do some coroplast signs.

 

[3Dsigns]

Oh don't tell me this. I just used that same vinyl (751 brilliant blue) on about 20 parking signs.

I hope you have better luck.

 

[Speedsterbeast]

I use 95% Oracal products and have a fairly old swatch book.
Brilliant Blue & Gold is rated for 4 years on this one.
Does yours say 2 years?
That would be quite odd

 

[signguy 55]

Oracal brilliant blue is the only color that has ever let me down, 3 years max is about it. I'm totally pleased with all the other colors, I mainly use 651.

 

[3Dsigns]

I use 95% Oracal products and have a fairly old swatch book.
Brilliant Blue & Gold is rated for 4 years on this one.
Does yours say 2 years?
That would be quite odd

Here is a direct quote from an Oracal rep's email dated 2015-06-03 17:41 : "...751 color brilliant blue has a 3 year durability rating vs. the 7 years of other 751 colors." So, you can see, they lowered the rating there.

The old swatch book had sad nothing about a discrepancy with Brilliant Blue but the newer one this guy sent said three(3) years. Evidently, instead of pulling the stuff from the 751 line, they just kept decreasing the rating in the fine print "exceptions" section. But who looks at that? No, you call your supplier and order a roll of color xxxxx from the swatch book and think nothing of it because the ''exception'' isn't beside the swatch numbers and you're ordering "high performance" cast vinyl for your customer so their sign will last a reasonable length of time.. But like I said there was no exception for this color in my old OC book anyway.

 

[eahicks]

Then Oracal need to take their Brilliant Blue and change it to a 641 or something. It clearly is NOT a high performance vinyl and should not be in the same class as other 751 vinyls. Or just not even make it.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Then Oracal need to take their Brilliant Blue and change it to a 641 or something. It clearly is NOT a high performance vinyl and should not be in the same class as other 751 vinyls. Or just not even make it.

I agree. I've known about brilliant blue in the 651 and 751 line having a lesser than normal life expectancy, but then I've been with Oracal for a while and I paid attention to the fine print when I started out in this biz. So needless to say, we just don't use that color or anything with a dissimilar durability rating from what is the norm.

 

[Speedsterbeast]

Here is a direct quote from an Oracal rep's email dated 2015-06-03 17:41 : "...751 color brilliant blue has a 3 year durability rating vs. the 7 years of other 751 colors." So, you can see, they lowered the rating there.

The old swatch book had sad nothing about a discrepancy with Brilliant Blue but the newer one this guy sent said three(3) years. Evidently, instead of pulling the stuff from the 751 line, they just kept decreasing the rating in the fine print "exceptions" section. But who looks at that? No, you call your supplier and order a roll of color xxxxx from the swatch book and think nothing of it because the ''exception'' isn't beside the swatch numbers and you're ordering "high performance" cast vinyl for your customer so their sign will last a reasonable length of time.. But like I said there was no exception for this color in my old OC book anyway.

That's good to know.
Gotta love this forum for stuff like this.

 

[ams]

Oracal makes great products but their 751 is crap in my opinion. I had bad luck with it also, but their 651 hasn't failed me.
You didn't apply it wet did you?

 

[Pippin Decals]

I just got the new color fan from oracal and it says colors and transparent are 7 yrs now and black and white are 8yrs . 5 yrs metallic, 3 yrs for new gold metallic. I have used the 751 and had no issues as of yet. been installed for 2 yrs now and still looks good and holding strong.

 

[3Dsigns]

Oracal makes great products but their 751 is crap in my opinion. I had bad luck with it also, but their 651 hasn't failed me.
You didn't apply it wet did you?

I've been doing vinyl signs for about 20 years now and have been applying dry for probably a decade, but back when I did all my applications wet, I never had a failure like this.

 

[ams]

I've been doing vinyl signs for about 20 years now and have been applying dry for probably a decade, but back when I did all my applications wet, I never had a failure like this.

Interesting, wonder if it was a product failure. The worse thing to happen to vinyl is ice, if there is ice on the sign and no one cleans it off and it sits there for 48 hours it can do that.

 

[3Dsigns]

Interesting, wonder if it was a product failure. The worse thing to happen to vinyl is ice, if there is ice on the sign and no one cleans it off and it sits there for 48 hours it can do that.

We're in Florida.

 

[2B]

Then Oracal need to take their Brilliant Blue and change it to a 641 or something. It clearly is NOT a high performance vinyl and should not be in the same class as other 751 vinyls. Or just not even make it.

exactly

 

[3Dsigns]

I used Arlon for years, loved it, no issues, until my local supplier went out of business, then used Oracal until this issue came up. Switching to 3M now. I'll never buy another roll of Oracal.

 

[ams]

I used Arlon for years, loved it, no issues, until my local supplier went out of business, then used Oracal until this issue came up. Switching to 3M now. I'll never buy another roll of Oracal.

Haha wow...... 3M is the worst, my competitors use it and I get called in so many times to fix their signs and issues because of 3M.

 

[3Dsigns]

Haha wow...... 3M is the worst, my competitors use it and I get called in so many times to fix their signs and issues because of 3M.

I Thought 3m was top-notch stuff. Haven't been using it long but, no issues so far. What brand do you recommend (other than Oracrap)

 

[Chuck Peterson]

I have never had a problem with 3M or Arlon cast vinyls in 30 years. I avoid anything that costs less. Oracal 751 says in their color chart "Value priced".

 

[blufftonsignguy]

Here is a direct quote from an Oracal rep's email dated 2015-06-03 17:41 : "...751 color brilliant blue has a 3 year durability rating vs. the 7 years of other 751 colors." So, you can see, they lowered the rating there.

The old swatch book had sad nothing about a discrepancy with Brilliant Blue but the newer one this guy sent said three(3) years. Evidently, instead of pulling the stuff from the 751 line, they just kept decreasing the rating in the fine print "exceptions" section. But who looks at that? No, you call your supplier and order a roll of color xxxxx from the swatch book and think nothing of it because the ''exception'' isn't beside the swatch numbers and you're ordering "high performance" cast vinyl for your customer so their sign will last a reasonable length of time.. But like I said there was no exception for this color in my old OC book anyway.

I just looked at my 2014 color fan deck and it doesn't say anything special about Brilliant Blue. It lists New Gold (metallic) as 3 years, Metallic as 5 years and everything else 7-8 years. I have always used oracal on everything unless there was a specific color they did not produce. I am getting to the point now of using some of the other brands more because of the quality of the material. It also kind of seems to me they don't care near as much about the small little shops as much as the bigger shops that run larger quantities of materials.