Printing one way vision by yourself

[Thijno]

Does anyone know how to print a one-way vision graphic yourself that can be applied to the inside of a window while still allowing visibility to the outside?
I've heard that it's possible to print on clear transparent vinyl in mirror image and simulate the perforated structure by printing white and black dots behind the artwork.

Does anyone have experience with this method and perhaps a template for the white perforation pattern?
Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dypinc]

I have printed simulated perforated on clear vinyl by using knockout dots. Biggest challenge is alignment of all your layers. I only did this because they wanted it contour cut but you would be better off using clear perforated vinyl like this General Formulations 261.

 

[MarkSnelling]

There is a product from Continental Graphics that is a clear vinyl (not optically clear, though) that already has white dots in the film. It is called Two Way Vision. I wonder if that would work for you?

panoRama TwoWay Vision

panoRama TwoWay Vision is an advanced, translucent PVC film solution engineered to deliver vibrant, full color graphics day-to-night.

cgxusa.com

 

[P Wagner]

It is indeed possible to print a multi-layer simulated perf pattern onto clear or optically clear film. It requires a printer with an opaque white ink, and the print is typically a 3-layer sandwich: color printed in mirrored format - white - black/ gray that would be visible from the same side of the glass. The SAI (Flexi) RIP software includes this capability to allow the pattern to be added in the RIP, where you have control over the hole pattern (50/50, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20 etc) and shape (round or square holes).

The other approach is to create a custom hole pattern in the design application (Illustrator/Corel/etc). There are Illustrator tutorials on how to create hole patterns. This approach does everything that the SAI RIP does, and gives the added flexibility to control custom hole shape, and specific areas that have the holes and which are opaque without holes. Printing simulated perf allows a single roll of clear film to deliver a wide range of applications (first or second surface, with or without perforations, contour cut or not etc). It also eliminates issues with visibility/ cloudiness in perf films.

 

[DL Signs]

Possible, but more of a pain than it's worth. After you reverse print the image with all the holes, you then need to flood with enough white, with all the holes aligned to show the image, then black flood enough for full block-out with all the holes aligned to achieve the one way effect. One big issue is, even when you get it to work, it's not that great because you get over spray in the holes as you print, clarity isn't that good.

PanoFilm has a tape-on interior perf, but that's best for large or full window coverage.

For spot graphics, I haven't used it, but I'd probably look into getting something like Gecko-Grip, it's an interior mount perf that uses the micro-suction technology, and you print directly to it. Always been curious about it... Maybe someone here has used it and can say whether it works or not??? Looks like a very simple print, trim & install solution.

DAF Gecko-grip Interior Mount Perforated Window Film - DAF Graphic Media

www.dafgraphicmedia.com

 

[P Wagner]

Printing simulated perforated window film onto clear medias (static cling/ monomeric/ polymeric/ polyester/ optically clear) is not necessarily complicated or difficult, and offers excellent versatility to the producer. The clarity of the holes is typically better than traditional window perf, because there are no physical holes to collect dirt into. If laminating, there are no holes with air potentially trapped between the substrate and the laminate.

Here is a comparison of printed perf and traditional perf with a similar 50/ 50 hole pattern for each (~1.5 mm hole). Both went through the printer one time, without the media retracting during printing. An opaque white ink is needed, and lower physical profile ink laydown is preferable to a thick ink profile when laminating.

Printing perf definitely takes longer to print (3-layers of ink), and uses more ink than traditional perf. On the other hand, printing perf offers far greater versatility with media (a single roll can produce first or second surface/ various hole patterns/ better visibility/ can be contour cut, can be laminated without affecting visibility through the holes), while retaining it's traditional application range. Printed window perf to clear film also generally provides better adhesion to the window, due to the fact that there is 100-percent contact between the window and the adhesive, versus as little as 50-percent contact with traditional 50/ 50 perf used on vehicles and storefronts.

 

[dypinc]

Anyone printing simulated window perf on clear vinyl with the Latex xxxW printers, what are your media settings. Biggest issue I have is layer alignment across the whole print where one area will be right on with enough choking and another area will be off and you can see the white at the edges of the bottom and top layer. I think I tried to lower curing heat as low as I could get away with. Are there some clear vinyls that are more stable?

 

[P Wagner]

Printhead alignments are critical, The print sample in this string was Latex Gen4 (700W) printed to Arlon DPF 6000RP clear cast. I have successfully used Lintec E3000-ZC polyester for optically clear, as well as Orafol 3952F optically clear cast SAV for this application.

 

[cornholio]

I have seen perfect samples printed on SwissQ Impala printers...
On Latex Gen4 R2R it's important to reduce the drying temp and airflow. Since it prints quite slowly anyway, you can of course reduce the curing temp as well.