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How reflective vinyl can grow your business
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Picture yourself sitting in traffic when an emergency vehicle rushes by in a flash of flickering lights. What do you see? Personally, I see dollar signs – no, I'm not a lawyer. However, I've been known to chase an ambulance just to see its high-intensity, retro-reflective striping and graphics.
In this column, I'll be discussing the types and grades of retro-reflective vinyl, how they're used and who's using them. Also, this article glimpses into the not-so-distant future to explore new reflective-film capabilities and how they may translate to new business opportunities. This is a very exciting time for the reflective-film market.
To clarify, the terms "reflective" and "retro-reflective" are used interchangeably in the industry. However, their meanings vary slightly — retro-reflectivity measures light that's captured after having returned to the source.
The latter term, reflective sheeting, actually comes from the transportation-sign arena. These manufacturers convert films to sheets for screenprinting and high-efficiency production of highway signage and license plates.
The players
Currently, four reflective-film manufacturers serve the market — 3M, Avery Graphics, Nippon Carbide Industries and Oracal USA. Also, there are 10 different classified, reflective film "types." So, consequently, standardizing procedures for these materials is complex.
These companies manufacture myriad films for such diverse markets as fleet graphics and safety garments. Though some markets may overlap, the types of reflective films may vary greatly. Understanding their construction and type may help you decide which film may be best for your particular application.
Glass bead or microprismatic are the main reflective-film categories. The first is the more recognizable, abundant and economical.
The film's construction contains a layer of microscopic glass beads atop a metallized layer, which contains the film's pigment. So, when a light source hits the film, it strikes the back of the glass-bead layer, and the metallized layer enhances its brightness.
Manufacturers produce this construction in economy, commercial, engineering and high-intensity (encapsulated-bead) grades. Each film's durability and reflectivity dictate these grades, and the films are subsequently grouped into the Type I, II or III classifications, according to the ASTM Intl. (formerly known as the American Society of Testing and Materials) D4956 requirements for reflective-sheet materials.
The green background and the white letters of a highway-exit sign typically require a Type III, high-intensity film. Type II, engineering-grade films are commonly used for municipal street signage and most commercial, reflective graphics.
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