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Practical tips to help you select the right vinyl

By Rob Ivers

Rob Ivers owns Rob Ivers Inc. (Raymore, MO), a vehicle-graphics and installation company. He’s installed vinyl since 1978 and taught vinyl-graphics installation since 1993. For more information, visit www.robivers.com

Using the right vinyl is crucial for many, if not all, graphic jobs. The number of vinyl manufacturers, coupled with their wide product arrays, can make choosing the right media seem daunting. It reminds me of walking into Baskin-Robbins and choosing from 31 flavors. I’m sure they’re all terrific, but there’s a reason they have so many flavors- every palate is different. And if you’re like most people, one flavor tastes better than others on a given day.

The same principle of choice applies to vinyl. There are many excellent graphic films, but most are better suited for some jobs than others. The bad news is, the first time you select a product, you’ll need to do some homework. But, once you’ve found the right product for a particular job, you’ll be prepared for the next one. And, the information you need is readily accessible.

Key resources

Vinyl manufacturers provide valuable product information on their websites. Many employ search tools that allow selections from a series of dropdowns that guide you to a list of recommended products. Product blurbs generally link to bulletins that contain more detailed information.

Most product bulletins include benefits, applications and uses, recommendations (including application temperatures), limitations, characteristics and warranties. Instructional bulletins explain processes rather than products.

My goal is to provide some general advice and practical wisdom. If you’re interested in digging deeper, I suggest purchasing Jim Hingst’s Vinyl Sign Techniques (available through ST Media Group’s book division at http://bookstore.stmediagroup.com). Jim devotes 10 chapters to all different types of vinyl, laminates and even application tapes.

Factors to consider
I use several guidelines to determine which product(s) will provide the best performance for a given job. Factors to consider include environmental exposure, life expectancy, and the application surface’s properties and characteristics. Secondary factors may include ease of application, removability, appearance and even color choices. Notice I didn’t mention cost.

Cost factors into my pricing equation, not my product-selection process. I recommend what I know will work best. A client may refuse to pay for the product best suited for a job’s requirements. I’ll save that topic for a separate column.