This is the first and only book dedicated to this popular and growing segment of the sign and vehicle graphics industries. Craig Campbell offers the benefits of his years of experience with vinyl products, ...
Also, tips and tricks for successful laminate use
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By Molly Waters
Most wide-format graphics veterans accept that overlaminates are necessary for a wide-format graphic. However, I’m still regularly asked, “Do I need to laminate my graphic?” I generally answer with a question of my own: “How are the graphics going to be used?” If the customer requires durability beyond two to three years, a laminate will be needed. If the graphic will be applied in a high-traffic area, a laminate will protect the image from damage.
Why laminate?
Some may wonder, “What is an overlaminate?” Sometimes an overlaminate is interchangeably referred to as a laminate or film laminate.
A film laminate is basically a clear film with adhesive (pressure-sensitive or heat-activated, we will focus on pressure-sensitive) that is applied to a printed graphic for at least one of the following reasons:
Increased durability. Solvent inks, including mild and eco-solvent, generally last two to three years outdoors without protection. Laminates contain UV inhibitors that help protect the inks from the sun’s UV rays and slow the fading process. Solvent digital graphics can offer five-year durability, depending on the inks, printing material and laminate used.
Abrasion resistance. Overlaminates protect the inks from abrasion and perpetuate image quality longer. Always use laminates on vehicle applications because they protect against a car wash’s abrasive bristles. Laminate long-term wall graphics in high-traffic areas, where people might brush up against the image, or if they require frequent cleaning. Out-of-reach graphics, however, can be left unlaminated as long as the durability requirements don’t exceed the unprotected ink’s durability.
Finish. What if an intermediate calendered film with a matte finish may be used, but the customer requires a gloss finish? A glossy laminate can change the finished graphic’s gloss level. The opposite can be accomplished by printing on a very glossy material and applying a matte laminate.
Ease of handling. An overlaminate can also help reduce the need for a premask (aka an application tape) when installing some graphics. Premasks aren’t as conformable as vehicle graphics. Installers who encounter a complex curve while premasking must stop and peel away the premask so the film can conform to the surface. The increased thickness also helps applications such as wall graphics.
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