What lamination to use on printed reflective?

[Modern Ink Signs]

Excellent thanks for the info

 

[MNT_Printhead]

The Avery/Mutoh printers on Avery reflective Omni are rated for 18 years, their lower reflective is 7-8 IIRC. The 3M HP latex machines are at 10 with Diamond Grade. Printing traffic reflective on and HP that doesn't allow you to raise the carriage sucks, I don't have the traffic setup on my 360s, but I have the profiles and it melts at times.

When I was in traffic signs full time, most older cities would require 3m EC over lays and not deal with printed because that is how they have always done it since cut graphics were approved.

This was a typo, omni is 10 the lesser is 7 or 8

 

[Charlie Davidson]

I know I'm a little late to the party, but we use 3M 3930 HIP reflective sheeting and 3M 1170C clear UV overlaminate for making our traffic signs. We print most of our jobs with an HP Latex 365, especially street name signs.

You can also sheet both sides of the sign blanks with 3930 and use your plotter to cut and apply 3M 1170 Green EC film. We have made them both ways, and both have always turned out great for us and our customers have been very happy with both. Both options are MUTCD and FHWA approved and they do require a minimum of High Intensity Prismatic reflective for all street name signs and regulated traffic signs. Do not use Engineer Grade (AEGP and beaded EG) reflective as it has been banned by the FHWA in 2009.

Glad to give you more pointers with traffic sign production if you need some help!

 

[Boudica]

We use cast lam on reflective... Optically clear to be precise. Currently on deck would be 3m 8518

 

[MikePro]

+1 to optically clear overlam.
gloss/lustre works in a pinch for our handicap signs, but its a major difference when you up it to optically clear for more POP.
satin/matte dulls the reflection bigtime, but is a cool effect to mix&match on some stuff for vehicle graphics.