Laminating Vinyl Prints – Luxury or Necessity?
NOVEMBER 14, 2017| SpeedPro of SF PeninsulaLook at this picture. Sad, huh?
The service station overhead valance wrap pictured here was not done by SpeedPro! This graphic would obviously have benefited from a quality protective laminate, particularly an anti-graffiti laminate. But honestly there are a lot of display graphics that don’t need lamination. Adding a laminate layer to a print adds cost, and let’s face it budget is almost always a consideration. While posters or decals for short-term or indoor use may be perfectly fine without lamination, there are certainly projects where it’s really essential.
The service station overhead valance wrap pictured here (again… not done by SpeedPro) is an example of why lamination is essential in certain situations. We’ve been brought in to re-wrap this valence which was tagged by graffiti “artists”, and the valiant effort to remove the markings also unfortunately removed much of the print ink. Clearly a layer of lamination would have helped this situation. Lamination isn’t always a cure for graffiti, however. It is a great protection for UV light fading, scratching and other damage, but can subject to damage from some chemicals. But trust us, this would have cleaned a lot better with a 3M or Avery lamination layer on top!
At SpeedPro of SF Peninsula, along with our other large format digital roll-to-roll printers, we have a fabulous flatbed printer with UV-cured ink (which has durable, fade-resistant ink that technically “doesn’t need lamination”) yet there still occasions where we recommend a film or liquid lamination.
Vehicle Wrap and other exteriors:
= a “no brainer” — gotta have it except for window perf under certain circumstances;
Long Term Banner:
= a matte liquid lam will extend the color fidelity for up to several years – if you really need it;
Boutique/Elegant Signage:
= there is nothing like a beautiful luster laminate to set your event or restaurant signage apart from the crowd;
Decals:
= SpeedPro offers polycarbonate and chem resistant tough lams for special situations;
Indoor Flooring:
= a non-slip lamination approved by UL, ANSI or other standards organizations is the best way to protect yourself from an accidental slip or liability
Evening Events:
= gloss overlaminate doesn’t cost that much more, and makes such a great impression on your guests!
We have people from all over Northern California work with us to take advantage of the wide selection of specialty laminations we offer. From San Francisco to Sunnyvale and out to Santa Cruz they come! So if you’re curious about whether or not to add film or liquid lamination, we’ll always offer our trusted advice. We hate to waste your money, either before or after the fact.