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Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in News & Trends
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Important Wall Graphics Application Update

3M recently released a Bulletin regarding graphics application over low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, which 3M says are becoming increasingly popular and can cause adhesion issues.

Installing Wall Graphics3M’s recommendation is to clean a section of the wall twice with a mixture of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and 30 percent water.

Then, apply strips of the graphic to the cleaned areas where the graphic will be installed and observe their release characteristics after 15 minutes. If the adhesion looks good, use the same cleaning method to prepare the entire application area.

However, be sure the surface hasn’t been freshly painted. Installation professional Keith Bernard of Road Signs in Sarasota, Fla., says to avoid alcohol on freshly painted surfaces. “A lot of interior barricades you find at malls are drywall with a fresh coat of primer, and if you use alcohol you run the risk of smearing the paint, which will cause adhesion problems with the material you’re installing,” he says.

And, as you prepare for the application, the first rule with inkjet-printed media is to allow the ink to dry and set for a minimum of 24 hours. Then, it’s safe to apply to whatever substrate you’re using. Also, when you prepare the surface, don’t use soap, Windex or any ammonia-based cleaners as they leave a residue that will affect the graphic’s adhesion. It’s best to follow 3M’s recommended cleaning and application procedures, which you can also find detailed at http://3mgraphics.com/lowVOC.

If you need any additional help or advice, give one of our experts a call at 800-453-9538.

Posted on by Regan Dickinson Posted in Case Studies & Profiles
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Carnival of Inkjet Printed Backlit Signs

Printing backlit signs for a travelling carnival

Keith Bernard, owner of Now That’s a Wrap by Road Signs, is a vinyl application expert. Based in Sarasota, Fla., the company wraps anything and everything with precision and perfection.

When the company was recently asked to create a package of 48 backlit signs for two carnival game stations, Bernard decided to take a unique approach.

Instead of simply applying a translucent backlit inkjet material with a gloss laminate to the front of the approximately 24″ x 40″ Lexan panels that would line the top of the game structure, Bernard printed LexJet Simple Transparent Adhesive Vinyl in reverse, backed it with Simple Translucent Vinyl (6 Mil) and applied both to the Lexan with a laminator.

An alternate way to print backlit signs“Since they travel a lot from place to place and they wanted it protected by the Lexan itself so that if the Lexan gets scratched it doesn’t scratch the print. So we did a second-surface mount and mirrored the image so that you’re looking through the Lexan at the graphic,” explains Bernard. “We could have printed to a translucent material and applied a gloss laminate and no one would know the difference, but with the second surface mount to the Lexan it really looks a lot better and it’s more durable for all the traveling it will do.”

Once the carnival is ready to pull up stakes and move to the next venue, like a state fair, the entire game station folds up for easy transportation. Then, when it’s folded out again the Lexan graphics are already in place in their slots and backlit with LEDs recessed in the top of the game station.

“Those graphics really popped out there and the customer was very happy,” adds Bernard. And, thanks to the process Bernard chose to apply the graphics they can be handled rather roughly with no damage to the graphics.