Frequently Asked Questions About Vinylefx® Films

QUESTION:
Is there a profile for printable Vinylefx® products?

ANSWER:
Generally, the ICC printer profile for white, intermediate high gloss vinyl works best.

QUESTION:
What is the outdoor durability of Vinylefx® films?

ANSWER:
Vinylefx® decorative series provides approximately six months to a year of outdoor durability. Vinylefx® decorative films, however, are not warranted for exterior applications. Vinylefx® outdoor durable series provides three to five years of exterior life. Durability varies depending on environmental conditions, installation procedures and the product suitability to the intended applications.

Black and other dark surfaces absorb a tremendous amount of heat. In the summertime, substrate surface temperatures often reach as high as 170ºF. This excessive heat often causes film failure.

Clear coating or protecting the graphics with an overlaminate can extend the film’s outdoor life.
Before clear coating or overlaminating, wait a minimum of 24 hours to allow the ink system to cure. (Some vinyl manufacturers are now recommending curing times as long as 72 hours.) Allowing the inks to cure completely is especially important when the print has heavy deposits of ink. After applying the clear coat, wait an additional 24 hours before application. All outdoor graphics should be edge sealed.

QUESTION:
Can I print on this material?

ANSWER:
Vinylefx® films can be printed using just about any type printer with just about any type of ink system EXCEPT water based inkjet inks.

Sign makers and screen printers have successfully used vinyl screen print inks, thermal transfer systems, solvent-based ink jet printers and hot foil stamp devices.

Before going into production, the sign maker needs to carefully read and heed the printer manufacturer’s recommendations. As we like to say at R Tape: Test, don’t guess.

QUESTION:
Can I screen print on Vinylefx® films? What type of inks?

ANSWER:
You can screen print on Vinylefx® films with either a solvent-based or UV-curable vinyl ink. Vinylefx® films make an ideal base film for manufacturing OEM emblems, decals, nameplates and fleet graphics. And, when printed Vinylefx® films are domed, their illusionary effects are magnified, which makes the graphics especially dazzling.

Since many variables affect screen printing, the outcome, that one printer has, can differ greatly from that of another plant operation. Based on years of experience with screen printers, though, we have learned what does and does not work. Here are few suggestions, with respect to recommended ink and clear coats, and curing and die cutting practices.

Before using any ink or clear coat in production, the over-riding or prevailing maxim, as always should be: Test, Don’t Guess. Some of the inks that printer have used successfully are Sericol TMI II, Nazdar 3500 UV inks and 3M 9700 UV inks. Both Nazdar 3500 series and 3M 9700 UV inks print exceptionally well through a 355 or 380 mesh.

Sericol TMI II is a solvent-based vinyl ink. This ink can be either air dried or jet dried. The advantage of jet drying and curing in a batch oven is to accelerate the production process. Excessive heat, though, can cause Vinylefx® films to shrink.

To circumvent potential problems, our recommendation is to flash dry each color at 180°F for 20 seconds. After the final color is printed, batch cure the graphics at 185°F for 30 minutes. After clear coating with a product, such as Sericol UTMI clear coat, cure the graphics for 2 hrs. @ 185°F.

UV curing also subjects Vinylefx® films to intense energy, which can cause film shrinkage, as much as 1/32”. This problem is not insurmountable. To minimize shrinkage, as well as to prevent puckering of the film on the release liner, always condition the material before printing. By conditioning, we mean sheeting the Vinylefx® film one day prior to production, and racking the sheets face-to-face. This “pre-seasoning” process allows the material to shrink on the release liner, so that the material can stabilize. The result is that better control of registration.

While UV lamps emit intense energy that can cause shrinkage, the results can be minimized significantly by reducing the energy level and speeding up the conveyor belt. Several of our customers adjust the setting of the UV curing lamps to 300 watts, and run the belt speed at 50 feet per minute.
By making these adjustments, the amount of heat, to which the Vinylefx® material is exposed, is significantly reduced.

Don’t be concerned that the graphic will not receive sufficient energy to cure the ink and clear coat. If you print multiple colors and then clear coat the graphic, the Vinylefx film is exposed to multiple exposures, whose curing effects are cumulative. In addition, after each exposure, the UV inks will continue to cure. This is called “post cure”. After each printing pass, you should check the ink for proper curing.

QUESTION:
Is the material a PVC?

ANSWER:
Vinylefx® films are vinyl, NOT polyester. That’s why we call our films Vinylefx® and not Polyesterefx. The resin used in making our films is PVC, which stands for polyvinyl chloride.

QUESTION:
Are Vinylefx® films cast or calendered vinyls?

ANSWER:
Neither. It’s a trick question! The process used to manufacture Vinylefx® films is similar to calendering, but not the same. Calendered films are first extruded, then pressed and stretched between very large calendering rollers. Vinylefx® films are just extruded and then embossed with some really cool-looking patterns.

QUESTION:
Can I do vehicle wraps with this Vinylefx® films?

ANSWER:
You’ve heard of trick questions? Here’s a trick answer. Yes and no. Vinylefx® films are rigid vinyls and will not conform to complex curves. Which means that they cannot be used for a full body wrap. They can be used on the flat surfaces and slight curves of a vehicle. The side of a car is a great place to use Vinylefx® films, as an overlay. For applications to slight contours, get out your heat gun or propane torch. Vinylefx® films are not flexible vinyls, as cast vinyl films are. Instead they are classified as rigid vinyls. You can heat up the vinyl to its melting point and thermoform the film to the shape of the substrate.

TIP:
Using heat to make a film conform to a substrate is a two-part process. First, you use heat to stretch or conform the material to the shape of the surface. Second, when completing the application, post heat the graphic to bond it to the substrate.

QUESTION:
Can I use the material on t-shirts?

ANSWER:
No. Vinylefx® films will not stick to fabrics or any other porous substrate.

QUESTION:
Can Vinylefx® films be applied to surfaces that will be under water, such as to the inside of a fish tank?

ANSWER:
Vinyl films, including Vinylefx®, are just not intended for some applications. This is one of them. However, a technical service person for one of the vinyl companies told me of an application that worked. The graphic was applied to the glass bottom of a tour boat in Florida. After the vinyl was installed, the entire emblem was clear coated with Butch Anton’s “Frog Juice”. Wonders never cease!

QUESTION:
How long will it last outdoors?

ANSWER:
R Tape manufactures two different Vinylefx® series. Our Decorative series is for indoor applications only. If the decorative product is used outside, its durability is anyone’s guess. It could only last a few months when expose to the elements. Or, if protected with a clear coat or overlaminate, it could last a year.

For outdoor applications, we manufacture our Durable series. Generally, this outdoor grade will last between three to five years. This sounds like a trick answer—but it’s not. Outdoor durability depends on a number of different factors:

1. What is the exposure to the sun? North, South, East or West? What is the angle of the substrate to the sun? Horizontal, vertical, 45º? How many sunny days are the graphics exposed to?

2. To what temperatures are the graphics subjected? High heat can prematurely age any film. Extreme heat can discolor a film. Last year, Phoenix had more than 36 days with a temperature above 110ºF. Would you like your graphics regular or extra crispy?

3. What is the altitude of the installation site? At an altitude of 5000 feet, Denver has less atmosphere to block the bleaching rays of the sun than Chicago does at 500 feet.

4. What is the latitude of the installation site? Because of the curvature of the earth, closer you get to the equator, the sun’s rays have less atmosphere to penetrate. It should come as no surprise that the UV light is much more intense in Miami, Florida than it is in Fargo, North Dakota.

5. Are the graphics subjected to air pollution? The polluted air of Mexico City or Los Angeles can actually pit the surface of a vinyl film.

QUESTION:
Can I install it with wet solution?

ANSWER:
Absolutely Not! Vinylefx® films are metalized films. Using an application fluid with any metalized film can result in galvanic corrosion.

QUESTION:
What blade setting do I use for cutting?

ANSWER:
Cutting Vinylefx® film is similar to cutting an intermediate vinyl. Optimal cutting pressures vary depending on plotter type and blade sharpness. Typical pressure is between 135 grams and 165 grams. For best cutting results, use a sharp 45° blade at slow cutting speeds with swivel type of cutters.

QUESTION:
Do you make double-sided gold for window graphics?

ANSWER:
No. But, if you’ve got the will and a digital printer, there’s an easy way to do it. Here’s a Butch “Superfrog” Anton trick that will have them scratching their heads and wondering: “How the heck did he do that?” First print yellow in reverse (wrong reading) on a CLEAR cast vinyl film to match the shape of the computer cut Vinylefx® graphic. After applying the printed yellow graphic (printed clear cast vinyl) on the inside of the window, overlay the cut Vinylefx® graphic to exactly match the printed film. Using this technique, the graphics on the adhesive side of the film, which faces to the outside of the window, will be as golden as the surface on the inside.

QUESTION:
What is the shelf life for Vinylefx®?

ANSWER:
One year form date of purchase, when stored properly, in an environment free from excessive humidity, temperature extremes and direct sunlight.

QUESTION:
What application tape should I use on Vinylefx®?

ANSWER:
Use a high tack application tape, such as R Tape ApliTape™ (#4075, #4076, #4775), R Tape Conform® Series (#4075RLA®, #4076RLA®, #4775RLA®), or CLEAR CONFORM® (AT-42, #2576).

QUESTION:
What are the differences between Vinylefx® films and polyesters?

ANSWER:
In the sign industry, two of the most popular types of metallized films are polyester and vinyl. Each film is a very different type of plastic with its own unique set of physical properties, performance characteristics and applications. Here’s how these two films are different:

1. Vinylefx® films are thermoplastics. Vinyl and other thermoplastics, such as polycarbonate, acrylic and styrene, can be reheated and thermoformed. Vinylefx® films can be thermal die cut. Vinylefx® films are also as easy to cut and weed as any other intermediate vinyl – much easier to cut than polyesters.

Polyesters are a different type of plastic called thermosets. These plastics start out as liquids and cure with heat. Once they’re cured, they can’t be reheated, reformed or thermal die cut. Compared to vinyl, polyester is a very hard, durable film, which can resist chemical spillage. The toughness of polyester is both its strength and its weakness. Because polyester and other thermoset films cannot be reshaped by reheating, they cannot be thermoformed or thermal die cut. Hard, rigid polyesters are also more difficult to cut, which contributes to blade wear.

2. Vinylefx® films are vinyls NOT polyesters and can be printed using the same technologies that are used in printing other vinyl films. These technologies include vinyl screen print inks, thermal transfer systems, eco-solvent and solvent inkjet printers. Virtually every technology other than water-based inks.Polyesters cannot be printed unless they have a special print-receptive top coating or have a surface treatment.

3. Vinylefx® films are embossed after the film is extruded and still hot and impressionable. Embossing the film hot produces patterns as deep as 1 mil, which makes the designs look 3-dimensional. Polyesters are embossed while the film is cold, so their patterns are flatter and more 2-dimensional.

4. Vinylefx® films use an integral colorant. That means that the color is inside the film through and through. Because the colorants are part of the Vinylefx® films, colors are richer, more vibrant and more durable, and cannot be abraded or solvent-washed from the surface. Polyesters are surface-dyed, which means that the color is roller-coated onto the surface of film. Because the color is on the top of the film, it’s exposed to abrasion and chemical spillage. This limits the films durability, especially when used for outdoor signage.

QUESTION:
What kind of a printer do I need to print on the material?

ANSWER:
You can print on Vinylefx® printers using just about any digital printer, except those that use water-based inks. These digital printers include thermal transfer systems; solvent-based inkjet printers; ecosolvent printers; UV-curable inkjet printers; and electrostatic printers.