DECAL MATERIALS OPTIONS

AUGUST 19, 2019|

Whether you want to promote a special sale or event, increase awareness of your brand or add a new visual element to your office, decals are an excellent choice. Decals — pieces of vinyl with adhesive on one side so you can stick them to a surface — are versatile and low-cost, and they look great on a variety of surfaces.

You can add them to the following.

• Store windows or doors: Use a quality window decal at your store or office building with your business’ name and logo on it to promote brand awareness, or display a decal with your hours on it to keep customers informed. You can also temporarily put up a decal with information about a sale to get people’s attention and encourage them to check out your store.
• Walls and floors: Adding decals to the walls and floors of your facility can help improve the aesthetics of your building. Consider decals with your business logo on them to promote your brand, or directional decals to help people get around your store. Try decals with eye-catching pictures on them to make your interior design more striking.
• Vehicles: Adding decals with your business’ name and information on them to your vehicle turns your car or truck into a rolling billboard for your business. As people see your vehicles driving around, your name will become more familiar to them, and they’ll think of you first if they never need the products or services you offer.
• As gifts or freebies: Small decals make fun giveaways for customers and potential customers and also serve as valuable advertisements for your company. If someone puts one of your decals on their laptop, car, water bottle or other items, they’re recommending your company to everyone who sees it.

These are just a few of the ways you can use custom decals. Tell your local SpeedPro about your goals, and they can help you figure out the perfect place to put a decal — and the best kind of decal to use.

TYPES OF DECAL MATERIALS

SpeedPro can print high-quality graphics on decals of nearly any shape and size. We also print on various kinds of vinyl and add a variety of finishes to your decals, which provides more options to ensure you find a solution that fits your needs. Let’s take a look at some of the materials we frequently use and how they could be useful to you.

1. CALENDARED VINYL

Calendared vinyl is the most common material used for decals. This type of vinyl is thicker and more rigid than many other types of decal material, helping it last longer. Printing on calendared vinyl involves rolling the material through printers. Calendared vinyl is ideal for use on flat surfaces such as floors, windows, walls and more.

2. CAST VINYL

Cast vinyl is another common decal material. It starts as a liquid mixture, and a gradual application of heat gives it a fabric-like consistency. Cast vinyl is thin and highly flexible, but durable enough to last for years, even if used outdoors.

3. CONTROLTAC

ControlTac is a sturdy vinyl material that has a glossy, opaque appearance. It’s useful for larger decals and those you plan on leaving in place for longer periods, as it can last up to 10 years.

This vinyl material has air release channels in it that let air escape from underneath while you apply it. This feature helps eliminate air bubbles and results in smooth, flat graphics. Although these decals are long-lasting, you can still easily remove them if you want to change them out for another graphic. ControlTac is often ideal for vehicle graphics.

4. METALLIC VINYL

Metallic vinyl is similar to standard vinyl decal materials, but it has a metallic sheen to it. This shiny, reflective material mimics the look of metal. It often comes in gold and silver, but you may also be able to purchase metallic versions of other colors as well. Metallic vinyl decals are ideal for when you want to give your stickers a more sophisticated look.

5. REFLECTIVE VINYL

Reflective vinyl reflects light, causing it to illuminate when light strikes it. Because of its reflectiveness, this material is visible at night as well as during the day. You can opt to get these decals printed with a variety of colors. They adhere to various materials and last up to five years. Reflective decals are an excellent choice if you want people to be able to see them at night.

6. FLUORESCENT VINYL

Fluorescent vinyl comes in bright, bold colors that stand out and get people’s attention. These intense colors can be challenging to produce with regular printing processes, so fluorescent vinyl is the ideal choice if you want this look. Sought-after uses of fluorescent vinyl include road signs, caution signs, emergency vehicles and other applications where it’s essential that people notice the decal right away. You may also want to use it for its aesthetic appeal, however. Common fluorescent vinyl colors include, green, yellow, orange, pink and red.

7. IRIDESCENT VINYL

Iridescent vinyl decals, sometimes called holographic decals, feature a rainbow of shiny colors that seem to change when you look at them from different angles. This material is great for giving your decals a fun, eye-catching look and spicing up your designs.

8. CARBON FIBER VINYL

Carbon fiber vinyl materials look like real carbon fiber, which is a polymer that’s five times stronger than steel, but lighter. This specialty vinyl material reflects light in a way that closely mimics the real thing.

9. WOOD-GRAIN VINYL

Wood-grain vinyl material looks just like genuine wood, giving your decals a unique look. As an excellent alternative to real wood, these kinds of decals offer a sophisticated, eye-catching aesthetic.

10. DIAMOND PLATE VINYL

Diamond plate vinyl mimics the silver, reflective, holographic look of CNC-cut diamond plate metal. Because of the pattern and holographic effect, this two-dimensional material looks three-dimensional. Diamond plate vinyl works similarly to other vinyl materials, but gives your decals a unique, professional look.

11. GLOW-IN-THE-DARK VINYL

Glow-in-the-dark vinyl glows bright green in the dark after being exposed to light. These decals will remain visible in the dark for up to one hour. They can last up to five years and are ideal for use with a variety of surfaces. Glow-in-the-dark vinyl can make your decals more fun and unique, while also enabling people to see them at night.

12. PERFORATED FILM

Perforated film is a specialty vinyl material typically used when placing decals in windows. It uses a mesh pattern to create one-way visibility through the window it’s placed on. The image printed on the decal appears solid from the outside, blocking the view through the window. From the inside, the window looks tinted, but doesn’t lose visibility.

These types of vinyl window decals come in numerous variations. You can choose between adhesive and non-adhesive, as well as calendared and cast vinyl. It also comes in various perforation patterns, including 50/50, 60/40, 65/35 and 70/30. The first number represents how much printable space there is, while the second number represents the transparency of the space. So, 70/30 has the most printable area, while 50/50 has the least. Perforated film is weatherproof and typically lasts up to three years.

13. CLINGS

An option that differs slightly from the standard decal is the cling. Clings use a low-tack adhesive, which helps makes them easy to remove and reposition. Clings don’t typically last as long as decals and are better for temporary use. They usually last for up to six months and work best on flat glass surfaces.

Clings can have a clear or white background, and you can print a variety of colors and images onto them to customize them.

VINYL DECAL FINISHES

We can also apply a variety of finishes to vinyl decals. Some of these finishes may not work with all of the specialty vinyl materials, so check with your local SpeedPro to see what your options are.

• Gloss: Materials with a gloss finish reflect a large amount of light, also referred to as having a high sheen level. A gloss finish will give your decals a shiny, sleek appearance.
• Satin: Satin also refers to the sheen level of a material. A satin finish reflects some light, though less than a gloss finish does, giving it a smooth but less shiny look.
• Matte: A matte finish reflects hardly any light, so it has a subtle look with little to no sheen.
• Etched/frosted: An etched or frosted finish is semi-transparent, meaning it lets light through, but is not clear enough for you to be able to see detailed images. The look mimics that of frost on a window. People often apply it directly to glass, but the use of frosted vinyl materials enables you to achieve this look at a much lower cost. You can apply the etched finish in a pattern to create an even more unique design.
• Clear/luster: Adding a clear coat to a decal using lamination can help protect it and gives it a smoother, sleeker appearance.

BENEFITS OF DECALS

Vinyl decals are an excellent way to promote your brand, provide information to customers, advertise special events or sales and enhance the aesthetics of your building or vehicles. They’re perfect options for these applications for numerous reasons. Some of the benefits they provide include the following.

• Customization: Decals come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, materials, finishes and colors. We can create everything from large wall sticker decals and decals that fill an entire storefront window to small giveaway decals customers can place on their laptops or other personal items. We can also create decals in unique, creative shapes. You can also, of course, customize your decals with your designs, which can feature various colors, pictures, lettering and other elements. The experts at SpeedPro can help you choose the perfect types of decals for your needs.
• Branded elements: Adding brand elements to your decals can help promote brand awareness and keep your business top of mind. Try incorporating your brand’s logo, colors, fonts, slogans and other elements into your design. We’ll make sure we match your decal’s colors, fonts and other elements to those of your brand to ensure your branding stays consistent.
• Easy application: Decals offer a straightforward DIY installation, saving you time, money and frustration. Decals give you access to professional, sleek-looking advertising without having to hire a professional team or take significant amounts of time out of your day. Using decals allows you to get your message and your name out there quickly.
• Versatility: You can place vinyl decals in a variety of places and adhere them to a range of materials. You can use them indoors and outside to promote your brand, and they work on windows, floors, walls, vehicles, laptops, signs, hats and much more. Decals are an excellent choice for advertising your brand in a variety of environments.
• Durability: Vinyl decals are relatively durable, and many of them can last for years. They can withstand the elements and moisture, making them perfect for outdoor use and use on vehicles. When you purchase high-quality decals from SpeedPro, you can be sure they’ll continue to look great for a long time.
• Easy removal and replacement: While vinyl decals are durable, they’re also easy to remove and replace. You can take off your decals without a mess and without damaging the surface you placed them on, which enables you to change out your decals regularly or move them from place to place.
• Affordability: Decals are cost-effective, especially when you consider the longevity of decal materials. They’re not as expensive as some other options, but they still look professional, and they can serve as a lower-cost alternative to materials such as carbon fiber and wood. This affordability makes it possible to use decals temporarily to promote upcoming events and sales. We can also produce custom decals quickly, so you can get your message out there fast.
• Effective advertising: Vinyl decals can be excellent advertising vehicles while maintaining affordability. Using specialty vinyl materials and adding finishes can help your ads stand out even more, and adding brand elements will help promote your brand 24/7.

DECALS FROM SPEEDPRO

There are many options out there for vinyl decal materials, not to mention shapes, sizes, colors, finishes, designs and placements. How can you tell which options are right for you? It’s essential to consider your goals in creating the decals. You can then look at your various options to determine which features will best help you reach your goals.

The experts at SpeedPro are also an asset to you. We’ll work to understand your goals and help you determine the ideal materials and other options for meeting them. We’ll then print your decals to your specifications using world-class equipment. When you work with SpeedPro, you can trust your decals will look great every time.

To get started with creating decals to help you meet your business goals, contact SpeedPro Cleveland West today!