Vinyl Sticker Paper...is it worth it?

[on30trainman]

I recently bought a few sample sheets of the Papilio sticker paper to try with my ALPs printer. Since the ALPs is not an inkjet I went with the laser materiel - based on their recommendation. This was to print up some car window decals for a club I belong to. The printing worked well but does need some sort of overcoating for protection from abrasion. Most of the overcoating spray cans I found are acetone (or similar) based and will unfortunately attack the ALPs inks. The best overcoat I found was actually an acrylic floor polish (Future) that I was able to airbrush on the decals, but it does have some problems - mainly being it clouds up whenever it gets wet. Papilio has their own overspray can which they claim to work, but can't promise how well with ALPs inks. Also it is very expensive when UPS shipping is added. I plan to buy some more sheets to continue experimenting. Not sure about inkjet printing, especially Canon dye inks. Think they would fade rather quickly in strong sunlight. So far I have only tried BLACK printing but plan on trying some colors in the next batch.

Steve W.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

In the sign industry, physical overlaminate is considered much better than any kind of spray. Nowadays smaller sign shops who don't want to invest in large solvent printers will buy an Epson Workforce 1100 or an Epson 1400 (converted to pigment) and Sihl 3988 printable vinyl. Sihl has a hard-to-find brand as their recommended overlaminate but a lot of people get away with using Oracal 210. The problem with this method for a home user is that it's hard to find small rolls of either of these products. Papilio sells a physical overlaminate sheet designed for their media, but it may also be incompatible with your inks, you won't know until you try, and stick it outside for a few months. For faster durability test put it on your front license plate (or bumper if you are forced to have real plates in the front in your state).

If you have a lot of acid rain, you may need an edge sealer as well.

 

[on30trainman]

I talked to Papilio about their overlaminate vs the spray. The problem is not with compatibility with the ink (ALPs inks are pretty hearty except for acetone based sprays) but getting the overlaminate on correctly without any air bubbles - once it starts sticking there ain't no moving it. Also getting a good edge seal is another possible problem. Anthony at Papilio thinks I will be better off using a compatible spray. Think I will continue experimenting with various sprays. I need to find out more about the spray product they sell. Replacing the decals every 6 months or yearly won't be a problem.

Steve W.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Getting the overlaminate on is a skill that requires practice to learn, so I can see that you wouldn't want to waste a lot. You could get some clear Contact shelf liner and practice with that. The key is starting from one edge and going from there, just like masking vinyl decals. Some sign shops use a cold laminator with rollers, others squeegee it on by hand with a felt squeegee, which is what I do. If you want to make sure it's stuck properly, after you get it on flat, you use a rubber brayer (hand roller) to make sure it's pressed down all the way.

Another option that sign makers use a lot that is highly recommended is Frog Juice/Frog Spit either in aerosol spray or in cans.

 

[vallejoboy]

So I finally had the chance of testing the vinyl paper I mentioned in my first post and I was surprised. Printed a few decals and stuck it on my snowboard without any protection and it held up after days in the mountain. I will try the clear paper next time.

 

[michellea76]

In our online printing company, we do use vinyl for our bumper stickers and the quality is good (texture is more of rubbery than photo paper-like). What's nice about vinyl is that it's a durable and flexible material. The pigments also don't fade easily (but of course, the colors of any printed material placed directly under the sun would fade more quickly).

 

[Jarred]

Vinyl stickers are flexible and rubbery. If you use it for bumper stickers, the ink will eventually fade, whatever ink you use.