Vinyl Graphics Glossary

By Jim Hingst @hingst_jim

Are you confused about some of the jargon used in the vinyl graphics industry? Many people are, even those who have been in the business for years.  To help explain some of the industry terminology I compiled a vinyl graphics glossary,  as a reference tool for a book that I published years ago.

Abrasion Resistance.   The ability of a vinyl film to resist the wear and tear cause by rubbing.  Traveling on the highway, fleet graphics must withstand the sandblast effect of rocks, sand and dirt and the scraping of low hanging trees and bushes.


When I worked for a vinyl manufacturer, the lab used an instrument called a Taber Abrader to evaluate the wear resistance of their vinyl films, both unprinted and printed and clear coated. Abrasion resistance tests have been used to evaluate product performance for about 80 years. Here’s how they work. The specimen is mounted on to a turntable, similar to the old record player turntable, just smaller. As the turntable rotates, abrasion wheels rub against the sample for a specified number of cycles and under a specified load. After the test cycle is completed, the specimen is evaluated based on the depth of wear or loss of weight.
 

Acrylic Adhesive.   Acrylic adhesives are comprised of synthetic acrylic polymers.  Compared to rubber-based adhesives, acrylic adhesives withstand higher temperatures, exhibit good shear and resist the degrading effects of UV light, plasticizers and chemicals. Their shortcoming is that  they don't stick well to low-energy surfaces. Acrylic adhesives used in the manufacturing of pressure-sensitive vinyl films include permanent, removable and repositionable adhesives.

Acrylic Emulsion Adhesive.  An acrylic emulsion adhesive is just a fancy name for a water-based, pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive.  Acrylic emulsion adhesives are used in the manufacturing of R Tape’s Eclypse™ 3 mil vinyl overlaminates, and ProGrade™ paint mask.

Adhesive. An adhesive is any material that bonds two substrates. The sap that oozes from a cut pine tree is a common example of a natural adhesive. Natural latex -- the milky fluid that comes from plants, such as rubber trees -- is used in making the adhesive for sign making application tape. Two common types of adhesives used in the sign industry are  rubber and acrylic.

Adhesive Bleed or  Adhesive Ooze.  Flow out of an adhesive beyond the edge of an applied pressure-sensitive graphic. Also refers to excessive adhesive that bleeds from the cut edge of an adhesive coated roll.  Adhesive ooze on the edges of rolls of application tape or masking tape can cause the tape to tear will during unwinding.

Adhesive Residue.  The adhesive deposit that remains on a substrate after a pressure-sensitive film has been removed. See Adhesive Transfer. 

Adhesive Transfer.  Refers to adhesive delaminating from its facestock and be deposited on to an undesirable place. Adhesive transfer can occur in a graphics application, when repositioning the graphic. Adhesive transfer also can occur during graphics removal.

Air Egress Vinyl.  The adhesive systems of air egress vinyls are embossed with a network of microscopic tunnels. These tunnels make applications easier because they provide escape routes for air trapped underneath the vinyl. When the graphic is squeegeed, air is forced through the tunnels. Voila! No bubbles.  Embossing the adhesive also reduces the surface area of the adhesive touching the application substrate. This cuts the adhesive's grabbing power and allows the installer to more easily reposition the graphic during the application process.  For more information read these stories:

Challenges in Developing a Premask for Air Egress Vinyls

Selecting the Right Premask

Anchorage.  Describes the quality of the bond of an adhesive to a facestock.

Application Tape. A pressure-sensitive tape used to transfer cut vinyl graphics and printed films from their release liners to the application substrate. Application tapes are made using a paper facestock or a film facestock. Examples of application papers are RTape ApliTape™ and Conform Series® tapes.  Clear Choice® is a family of application films. For more information about application tape read these articles:

Laminating Application Tape and Hot Mask Films

The Right Way to Do a Wet Application

Application Tape Tips

Storing Application Tape

Are Premask and Prespacing Tape the Same Thing?

Difficult to Transfer Vinyl Graphics

Why Use a Heavyweight Paper Application Tape

Heavyweight paper application tapes are preferred for large format graphics applications.

Link to Vinyl Application Videos

Application Temperature.  The ideal application temperature range for applying a pressure-sensitive film. Applying graphics below the recommended temperature can result in the vinyl not sticking to the substrate.  Applications above the recommended temperature often result in the graphics preadhering during the application process. Preadhesion is when the vinyl sticks before you want it to.  At elevated temperatures, repositioning a graphic is virtually impossible.  The recommended application temperature range for R Tape Vinylefx films is 60°F to 90°F (16°C to 32°C).  The ideal temperature for vehicle wrap applications is 65°F to 80°F. For more information read:

Application Temperature Range

Aqueous Inks.  Another name for water-based inks.  Sometimes   pigments color these inks, but more often than not, aqueous inks use less durable dyes as colorants. 

Banding.  Digital printing defect in which noticeable parellel lines or bands appear across the web of the print. This problem is most apparent in solid colors and in the shadow areas of a print.

Biaxial Orientation.  Do you ever get the feeling that you’re being pulled in different directions?  That’s what happens when a film manufacturer stretches a hot plastic film in two different directions. 

Bitmap.  A digital file consisting of thousands if not millions of tiny colored pixels that comprise a photograph.   Popular bitmap formats include: BMP, EPS, GIF, JPEG and TIFF.

Blocking.  Have you ever tried to unwind a roll of masking tape after, it has been tucked away for years in a junk drawer?  Usually it’s impossible to unwind the roll because the layers of tape are stuck together.  That’s what blocking is.  And it can happen to application tape if it’s stored too long. The key remedy is to rotate your stock.

CMYK.  The letters represent the four primary process colors used in screen printing, digital printing and offset printing. These process colors are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (Keytone tone).

Calendered Vinyl.  In manufacturing calendered vinyl, a plastic powder, called the dry blend, is melted and extruded.  Then the rope of hot plastic is  pressed between a series of huge rollers into a thin sheet of film. Calendered vinyl films are available in a variety of grades: monomeric, polymeric, high performance and blends.  ProGrade™ paint mask vinyl is an example of a polymeric blend, which combines monomeric and polymeric ingredients. For more information read:

How Calendered Vinyl Films Are Made

Carrier. A liquid, such as water, solvent, ecosolvent or monomer, in which the components that comprise an ink or paint are suspended or dissolved. 

Cast Vinyl.  In manufacturing a cast vinyl, a very thin layer of liquid plastic compound, called the organasol, is coated onto a casting paper.  After baking the coated paper in an oven, the solvent in the organasol evaporates and the liquid coating becomes a solid film.

Chemical Resistance. The ability of a vinyl or overlaminate to withstand chemical spillage.   Very important in the manufacturing of  graphics for chemical tankers, fuel dispensers and safety labels.

Cohesive. Cohesive means that a material sticks together. The degree to which the polymer chains of an adhesive are crosslinked affects its internal or cohesive strength.  Did you know that there are materials called cohesives?  Unlike adhesives, cohesives stick to nothing other than themselves.  Cohesives, which are used in the packaging field, are coated to facestocks such as corrugated board or kraft paper. When the cohesive product is wrapped around  a book or a video tape, the cohesive will not stick to the product, but only sticks to itself to form an inexpensive mailing package.

 

Cold Flow.  The characteristic of a pressure-sensitive adhesive to continue to flow out onto a surface over a long period of time. This phenomena accounts for adhesion build over time and adhesive ooze.

Cold Temperature Adhesive.  A pressure-sensitive adhesive capable of adhering at a  very cold specified temperature.

Colorant.   An additive, such as a pigment, dye or toner, which gives an ink, paint or vinyl film its hue or color. 

Color Management.  The process by which the color fidelity of a photographic image is maintained.   By using computer hardware and software the color data is managed beginning at the point of input and display on a computer monitor and ending with the output on a digital printer.  This process is absolutely critical because what you see on your computer screen is generally not what you get when you print. Here’s why.  Your monitor displays color as RGB or red, green and blue.  Your printer prints CMYK or cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The RIP software of a color management system must translate the RGB input into a CMYK output.

Color Separation.   The process of dividing color artwork or a color continuous tone photograph into the four primary printing colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK).  Originally, when this process was done photographically, color filters were used to produce four halftone negatives.  Today, computers automatically separate photo files into red, green and blue (RGB) and printers automatically convert the RGB information into CMYK output.

Conformability.  The ability of a pressure-sensitive graphic to be formed to an irregular surface, such as a rivet, corrugation or compound curve.

DPI (Dots Per Inch).  In digital printing, the number of individual dots of ink that a printer produces in a linear inch.  The DPI is the most common way of defining the print resolution. The term, DPI, is frequently used INCORRECTLY to refer to the resolution on a computer screen.  Computer images are not comprised of printed dots. Instead, they are made up of very tiny colored squares on your screen or monitor called pixels.  When referring to the resolution of your computer screen, the term PPI or Pixels Per Inch should be used.

Decal.   The word “decal” is an abbreviation of a French word “decalcomania”.   Originally a decal was a design on a special paper that was later transferred to a substrate.  Current usage isn’t much different. Today, though, a decal is usually a printed pressure sensitive graphic, such as a screen printed vinyl emblem.

Dimensional Stability. In the vinyl world, "dimensional stability"  measures how much a film will shrink after it’s applied it to a substrate and exposed to heat. Typically, a lab technician adheres the test sample to a stainless steel panel and bakes it in an oven for a specified time.  The baking process accelerates the aging of the film and gives the technician an indication of how it will respond after years of exposure.  After the sample is removed from the oven and cools, the shrinkage of the sample is measured and recorded.

Dot Gain.  The phenomenon of a printed dot of ink growing in size.  Ink will spread on a substrate for various reasons.  A lower viscosity ink will flow more readily than a thicker, higher viscosity ink.  The surface energy of the substrate or the porosity of the stock along with the ambient temperature and humidity of the printing environment also affect dot integrity.

Dye.  Thermal inkjet printers use dyes as their colorants.  Dyes are solutions, in which the dye molecules are dissolved in water. Pigment inks have colorant particles suspended in water or solvent solution. Compared to pigment inks, dyes produce more vibrant colors and a wider range of colors. Unfortunately, dyes have limited fade resistance and not suitable for outdoor graphics.    Pigment inks, on the other hand, have lightfast inks and longer outdoor print life. See Pigment Inks.

Dye Sublimation. Dye sublimation is a process  that uses heat to fuse a digitally printed image onto a substrate. In  dye sublimation,  graphics are printed in reverse using either an inkjet or laser printer onto a special  transfer paper.  The transfer paper is used to transfer the printed image onto a suitable substrate, such as a polyester fabric. Substrates, such as natural fabrics or pressure sensitive vinyl, are not suitable. To transfer an image, the printed sublimation paper is then placed on top of a polyester fabric or film or polymer coated substrate and then heated in a special  heat press to  between 350°F and 400° F for about 30 seconds. 

Ecosolvent Inks.  Inks that use a less aggressive solvent as a carrier.  Contrary to popular belief, the “eco” does not stand for ecologically friendly. These low solvent inks are low odor; but just because you can’t smell the solvent, doesn’t mean that it isn’t in the air.  You’re still breathing it, and that can’t be good for you.  The “eco” in ecosolvent stands for economical. The mild solvents in these inks cost less than the aggressive solvents in a standard solvent ink.  For more information, read:

Printing with Solvent and Ecosolvent Inks

Accelerating the Curing Process

 

Edge Curl.  Vinyl graphics failure in which an outer edge of the applied film peels back from the substrate.

Electrostatic Printers.  Electrostatic printers operate similarly to the Xerox® office copier. In fact, electrostatic technology is also referred to as xerography. Printing is usually a two-step process. The image is first-printed, in reverse on a special paper. Then the image is transferred from the paper to the substrate, using a lamination process. The  generation of electrostatic printers, that followed, streamlined the process. These printers allowed for direct printing of pressure-sensitive vinyl.  Electrostatic technology works on the principle that opposite electrical charges attract. The system’s printhead consists of thousands of electrical wires, which deliver or deposit electrical charges to the paper.  As the paper passed over pigmented particles with an opposite electrical charge, the particles are attracted to and  transferred to the paper. The paper is then laminated to the substrate and, in a heating process, the particles are deposited and fused to the substrate.  Two major advantages of electrostatic printing are high production speed (approximately 1,200 square feet per hour) and durability of the prints (up to five years).

Elongation.  Measured as a percentage, elongation describes the distance that a tape or film can stretch before it breaks. 

Emulsion Adhesives. Water-based adhesive systems are emulsions. The tiny particles of the adhesive system are suspended in water. Acrylic emulsion adhesives are widely used in Europe, because they're more cost-effective and contain no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). At RTape, the decorative series of Vinylefx® films use an acrylic emulsion adhesive. Rubber-based adhesives that are coated on paper application tapes are also emulsions.

Extrusion.  VinylEfx® films are manufactured using a process called “extrusion”.  In extrusion, the resin and the colorant are mixed in the extruder’s hopper, to evenly disperse the ingredients. This creates color consistency throughout the entire web of the roll. The mixture is then melted in a long cylinder called a barrel. The process of melting the solid ingredients is called “plastification”.   A very large screw inside the barrel of the extruder, forces the molten or plastified material through a flat narrow slotted die. When the Vinylefx™ film is first extruded, its initial thickness is 20 mils.  Afterwards the film is squeezed between the smoothing roller and the embossing roller. In this process, the film is “necked” down to its finished thickness of 2.5 mils.  When the film is hot and malleable, the second surface or underside of the vinyl is micro-embossed or “coined”, creating a textured pattern in the film.

Facestock.  In manufacturing a pressure sensitive construction, the facestock is the base material, such as a paper, film or foil, which is  coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive.   

Fish Eyes. Fish eyes are tiny circular craters in the paint or clear coat that form over a contaminant on the substrate. Although silicone particles are a common cause of this problem, they are not the only culprit. Particles of dust, wax and oil can also can contaminate the surface.  That’s why it is so important that the substrate is perfectly clean before it is painted or clear coated, especially if what is painted is very expensive.  Repainting, to fix a mistake, can be a costly remedy.

Fleet Markings.  Pressure-sensitive graphics applied to commercially-operated fleets of cars, trucks or vans.

Film Thickness or Film Gauge. Measurement of the thickness of a film. Usually expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.  In Europe and other parts of the world, thickness or gauge is measured in microns.

Four Color Process.  Any printing technology, such as screen printing or digital printing that recreates a color image or photograph using the primary colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CYMK).

Gamut or Color Gamut. The range of colors that a computer monitor or printer can reproduce using a color system such as RGB (red, green, blue) or CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black).  Your computer screen displays colors using the primary colors of red, green and blue. 

Gapping. Openings between layers of  a self-wound tape on a  roll. Gaps in a roll of application tape frequently occur in boloney cut rolls, because the pressure of the knife can separate the tape layers. This rarely occurs with “factory cut”  RTape products because our application papers are razor slit on the coater, before the tape is wound onto a roll.   

Gapping, which are openings between layers of a self-wound tape, provide spaces for contaminants to collect.

High Temperature Adhesive.  A pressure sensitive adhesive capable of  adhering to a substrate even when subjected to elevated temperatures.

ICC Profile. An ICC Profile mathematically describes the color producing attributes of the computer hardware, ink or media. With profile information for the input, display and output devices, the color management software can convert RGB information to CMYK output, for the best possible color match, using a particular ink with a particular media, such as our VinylEfx® films.  ICC is an acronym for the International Color Consortium, which is an organization founded in 1993, whose objective is  to  standardize the color management process.  The ICC has defined the format for producing profiles.

To download profiles for RTape products visit the  RTape website  

Inkjet Printer.  A printer that sprays droplets a liquid ink onto a substrate, such as a vinyl film or banner material. In the sign, screen print and digital print industries, there are several different types of wide format inkjet printers used.  See  Piezo Inkjet Printers and Thermal Inkjet Printers.

Laminate.   See Overlaminate.  

Legging.  Legging refers to the appearance of adhesive strings, when self-wound pressure sensitive adhesive is unwound from its roll, pulled from a substrate or when an application tape is torn.

Liner. See Release Liner.

Line Screen.  Term used in screen printing and offset printing, (and occasionally in digital printing), referring to the resolution of the print as a measurement of the lines of printed dots in linear inch.  

Loop Tack Tester.  Test equipment designed to measure the tackiness or “quick stick” of a pressure sensitive adhesive. Loop tack measures the minimal amount of force required  to remove an adhesive-backed product from a substrate.  In performing this test, the pressure sensitive sample, such as an application tape or vinyl film, is folded to form a loop with the adhesive side of the sample to the outside.  The tester then touches the loop of pressure sensitive material against a test panel, such as stainless steel. The sample is then removed from the surface at a fixed rate of speed and the test results are recorded. 

Low Tack Adhesive.  Adhesive system with low tack or peel strength.  Non-aggressive pressure-sensitive adhesives aid in the repositioning of a film during graphics application.  Following application the adhesive bond grows rapidly and becomes more permanent after 24 hours. 

MDO (Medium Density Overlay). A type of plywood  that was developed for the sign market as an exterior grade substrate. An MDO panel is a composite board, which consists of an exterior-grade sheet of plywood, whose layers are glued together with a marine grade adhesive.  The outer plies of an MDO panel utilize B-grade veneer. The inner layers of the sheet consist of C-grade plies of veneer. A light brown fiber overlay covers the outside of the plywood,  giving  MDO plywood an advantage over regular plywood. The dense cellulose fiber facing masks any surface imperfections in the outer laminate of the sheet that will otherwise stick out like the proverbial sore thumb after the sheet is painted.  The smooth, paint-ready overlay covering is treated with a special resin, specifically designed to accept a wide range of paints including exterior grade latex and sign enamels. Popular brands of MDO include Crezon®, Duraply and GPX.


For more information about MDO read:

How to Paint MDO with Butch “Superfrog” Anton

Metallization.  See Vacuum Metallization. 

Metamerism.
 The phenomenon in which two colors will match when viewed under one light source, such as fluorescent lighting, and not match when viewed under different lighting, such as natural daylight.  When color match is critical, it is important for the sign maker or screen printer to ask their client, under what lighting will the graphics be viewed
For more information about metamerism read:

Maintaining Color Quality and Uniformity

 

Monomer.  A monomer is a very simple building block molecule, which can be chemically combined or polymerized to form much larger molecules called polymers. For example, styrene monomer molecules can be joined together to create a single polystyrene molecule. 

Mottling.  A blotchy,  non-uniform loss of gloss on the surface a vinyl film or overlaminate.  Often occurs because a vinyl film will pick up the impression of the release liner on its surface.  The glossy finish of an applied vinyl graphic may be restored by post heating, in which  the facestock is exposed to a heat source, such as a heat gun.

Organosol.  A paint-like mixture coated onto a casting sheet in the manufacturing of a cast vinyl film.  The process begins when very fine particles of  PVC resin are mixed with liquid plasticizers.  The solid particles are suspended in the liquid, but not dissolved.  At this stage, the mixture or dispersion is called a plastisol.  After  solvent is added to the plastisol, the ingredients are dissolved and the mixture is referred to as an organosol.    

Overlaminate. Clear protective film applied to the face of a printed graphic. Provides protection from chemical spillage, weathering and abrasion resistance. RTape’s line of Eclypse overlaminates includes a wide range of film facestocks:  3 mil vinyls and polycarbonates.

Overlaminating. Overlaminating is a finishing operation in which either a  clear heat-activated film or pressure-sensitive film is applied to a print or photograph. Eclypse pressure-sensitive overlaminates are designed to protect and beautify the graphic, by providing abrasion, chemical, and UV resistance and by enhancing the surface finish of the print.

PETG. An acronym for Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, a co-polyester resin. Unlike PET (polyester), which is a thermoset plastic, PETG is a thermoplastic, so it can be remelted, extruded and thermoformed. PETG has many similar performance properties to PET, such as good chemical resistance, excellent clarity, good impact resistance. 

PPI (Pixels Per Inch).  Measures the number of pixels in a linear inch on a computer monitor.  A pixel is the a very tiny rectangle of color on your computer screen.  The term PPI should not be used interchangeably with DPI, which measures the number dots per inch of a digital print.  A typical LCD or Cathode Ray Tube monitor has a resolution in the range of 67 to 130 PPI. 

PSA. Stands for Pressure Sensitive Adhesive.  This is the type of adhesive that is used on application tapes and vinyl films.  A PSA bonds to a substrate when pressure is exerted in the application process. 

Permanent Adhesive.  Films coated with a permanent adhesive  build to high ultimate adhesion and cannot be removed cleanly from a substrate without the deforming or destroying the film. By comparison, films coated with removable adhesives remove cleanly from a substrate with no adhesive residue.  

Peel Adhesion.  Measurement of the force required to remove a pressure sensitive film from a test panel.  Test samples are peeled at determined speed and angle, generally 90º or 180º.

Photo Laser Printers.  A digital photo printer is not the same as digital printing. The difference is that digital printers deposit of ink on the substrate. Digital photo imaging, on the other hand, is a photographic process. What you produce isn’t a print. Instead, it’s an actual continuous tone digital photograph. The photo imagers, such as the Durst Lambda and the Océ LightJet, use a photographic media, which is coated with a light-sensitive layer of  very tiny (microscopic) silver halide crystals.  This media, which is either a paper or film, is wrapped around the drum inside of the imager.  During the exposure process, the media remains stationary while the red, green and blue laser light beams are directed onto it with the help of spinning mirrors that rotate around the drum.  After being exposed to the laser light, the image is captured within these highly sensitive crystals.  Following the exposure to light, media is developed just as any other photographic is. Because digital photo imagers uses the three primary colors (red, green and blue) to create pictures, the colors in a photograph are consistent with the colors in an electronic photo file and the colors that we see on our computer screen. The colors produced are also consistent with the way we see color. Our eyes see RGB not CMYK.  Because digital photo imagers do not convert a digital RGB file to a CMYK photo image, nothing is lost in translation and color reproduction is exceptional.   

Pigment Inks. Pigment inks are suspensions, in which the large pigment molecules float around in either a water or solvent carrier.  Pigmented inks are more UV resistant than dyes. The large size of the  pigment molecules contributes to their durability.   

Piezo Inkjet Printers. Whereas thermal inkjet systems use heat to force the ink from its nozzles, piezo inkjet systems use mechanical pressure to force the ink through the printhead. In piezo units, the ink does not boil. Instead of four phase changes, the ink only undergoes two phase changes, from liquid to a solid.  Consequently, thicker inks and pigmented inks can be used. Pigmented inks, of course, have the edge in outdoor durability over dyes. Today piezo systems dominate the sign industry, because of the demand for durable prints.

Pixel. The tiniest rectangular image on your computer screen.  On  a color monitor, each pixel is comprised of three dots of red, green and blue (RGB)  light to create a single color.

Pixelization.  The digital printing defect that occurs when enlarging an image, resulting in jagged edges and loss of detail.  This problem most often occurs when blowing up a low resolution image.  Here’s why.   Any time you increase the size of the image, you decrease the number of pixels per inch.  So how do you overcome this problem? For large format graphics, use photo files will the highest possible resolution.  

Plasticizer.  A plasticizer is a special additive, which softens a plastic material, such as a vinyl film.  By adding plasticizer to a vinyl, the film becomes more flexible and more durable. The type of plasticizer used determines many of the film’s performance characteristics and its durability.  Monomeric plasticizers are composed of very simple building-block molecules.  Polymeric plasticizer molecules are comprised by connecting these small monomeric molecules together to form large, complex molecular chains. The larger polymeric plasticizers are more stable and provide the film with greater flexibility.  The smaller, lighter weight, and more volatile monomeric molecules can more readily leech out (called plasticizer migration) of a vinyl over time. When this happens, the film often becomes brittle and can crack.  Plasticizer migration can cause other problems.  It can soften a film’s adhesive resulting in adhesion failure.   It can also inhibit ink adhesion.  Plasticizers have  a very distinctive smell, with which you are undoubtedly familiar.  It’s what we know as that “new car smell”.  It’s also the pungent smell of a plastic shower curtain.

Point-Of-Purchase (P-O-P) or Point of Sale (POS). Refers to an advertising promotional piece displayed in an in-store environment, in proximity of where the sales will be made. The objective of most POP materials is to attract attention to the product and  create enough interest in a special promotion that an impulse buy is made.  According to POPAI (Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International), 60% of all retail sales are impulse buys.  VinylEfx® and Eclypse™ patterned overlaminates films are often used for POP displays because of their eye-catching appeal.

Polycarbonate. Polycarbonate (PC) is a very tough and flexible plastic, that can withstand much more abrasion than other plastics, such as vinyl. R Tape extrudes its own polycarbonate film, which is used in the manufacturing of its Eclypse line of polycarbonate films. Polycarbonate overlaminates are often used to protect tradeshow graphics, Point-of-Purchase (POP) displays and other high end indoor graphics. Because polycarbonate tends to yellow and degrade under UV light, it is not generally recommended for outdoor applications.  

Polyester (PET) Film.  Polyester falls into a group of plastics called thermosets.  Once a thermoset plastic is cured, the curing process cannot be reversed.  For example, in making polyester film, the ingredients are melted and extruded onto a chill roll and then stretched in one direction and then in the opposite direction. After the stretching process is finished, film is exposed to high heat, which crystallizes and  “heat sets” the polyester.  In the case of polyester, heat causes the monomer molecules to cross link and polymerize, forming a more complex molecule with a very high melting point. In fact the melting point is so high, that the film will disintegrate before it will ever melt. 

Many other types of plastics, that sign makers and screen printers use, such as vinyl, acrylic, polycarbonate and styrene, fall into another classification of plastics called thermoplastics. While a thermoset plastic cannot be reheated and molded into another shape, a thermoplastic will melt and can be formed into all types of shapes.

The fact that polyester cannot be reformed, gives it some unique characteristics that make it ideal for labels, overlaminates and membrane switches.   Polyesters are very dimensionally stable even when subjected to extreme heat and cold.  Polyester is also a very tough film, exhibiting high impact strength and tensile strength.

Used as an overlaminate, polyester provides excellent abrasion resistance. These films also don’t scratch easily as other films do, such as vinyls.  A couple of other physical properties make it an exceptional facestock for use as an overlaminating film. First and foremost, polyesters are exceptionally clear.  And because polyesters are impervious to chemicals, they provide good protection against moisture, corrosives, solvents and mild acids.  Good chemical resistance also makes polyester an excellent choice to protect safety and informational labels. 

Polymer.  Plastics, such as PVC films, and  acrylic and polycarbonate sheet, are comprised of gigantic molecules, called polymers. These very large polymers are made up of thousands of smaller molecules, called monomers. The chemical reaction that combines monomers into a single macromolecule is called polymerization.  

Polypropylene (PP)Film.  Often used as an overlaminate for roll labels, polypropylene film is more flexible than polyester overlaminates. Characteristics are high tensile strength and good resistance to chemicals, water and acids. For indoor use only. Not durable outdoors.

Polystyrene (PS) Film.  A rigid plastic film, sometimes used as an alternative for rigid or semi-rigid vinyl.  Polystyrene film is available in thickness of 3 mils to 20 mils.

Positionability or Repositionability. Characteristic of a pressure-sensitive film which allows it to be tacked into place and then easily pulled from the substrate without adhesive delamination or deformation of the facestock.

Premask.  In the screen print industry, premask generally refers to a  low to medium tack heavyweight paper masking that covers a  one piece printed vinyl graphic.  This paper “premask” protects the decal during storage, transport and handling.  The stability of the thick premium grade paper also gives the graphic additional body which aided installation of the vinyl film.   See the term Pre-Spacing Tape.

Prespacing Tape.  Used in the screen print industry,  prespacing tape refers to a high tack heavy weight paper tape used to mask die cut graphics.  The higher tack tape was needed to transfer the cut vinyl lettering and emblems and to hold everything in place during installation.  Back in the days before computer cut graphics, vinyl films were steel rule die cut and often saw cut. (Believe it or not, sheets of vinyl graphics were at one time pinned to plywood and cut with a saber saw or band saw.  The rough edges were smoothed with a file.)  The cut graphics were then prespaced by hand onto the prespacing tape.  The individual pieces of release liner were then removed from the cut lettering and replaced with a common liner.   

Pressure-Sensitive Sandwich.  Pressure-sensitive materials are comprised of multiple layers. These multi-layered constructions are called "pressure-sensitive sandwiches."  Like a local deli that offers various sandwiches, the pressure-sensitive sandwich utilizes many different formulations. These constructions can be divided into two broad categories: self-wound and linered. 

A self-wound construction consists of  an adhesive applied to a facestock. Self-wound products include masking tapes, application tapes and surface-protection films.

Linered products have a release liner that protects the adhesive. VinylEfx® films are an example of a linered product.

Primer.  All of RTape’s application tapes are primed.  The primer is a special  coating applied to either a paper or film facestock, before coating the pressure sensitive adhesive to the tape.  Here’s why priming is so important in the manufacturing of our tapes.  Applied to a paper facestock,  the primer seals the surface.  That way the adhesive stays on the top of the face material, where it can do its job,  instead of soaking  to into the paper. The primer also improves the bond or anchorage of the adhesive to the facestock.  That’s why, in wet applications, the adhesive stays on our application tape instead of transferring onto the graphics – making a big mess.  Because the adhesive is anchored to the paper facestock, handling is improved.  If adhesive inadvertently touches adhesive, the tape pulls apart easier with no adhesive delamination. Improved handling also minimizes damaged graphics – saving the time of rework and the cost of material replacement.

Release Coat. A coating applied to the facestock of an application tape or self-wound overlaminate, which allows the tape or film to unwind easily.

Release Liner. The release liner is a siliconized sheet, either paper or plastic, that protects the adhesive of a  pressure-sensitive material. The liner, which is also called the backing, stabilizes the material thorough various conversion operations, such as screen printing, computer cutting and die-cutting. The liner also smoothes the adhesive to provide the clarity needed for overlaminating films.  Just prior to application the release liner is removed to exposed the adhesive.

Release Value.  Release value measures how much force (in grams) is required to peel a piece of pressure sensitive film from its release liner. Release liners with high release values hold the adhesive-coated facestock tightly in place during plotter cutting.  This is a desirable characteristic when cutting small letters or fine detail.  High release values can be problematic  when transferring a vinyl graphic from the liner, which can be problematic for the user. At the other end of the spectrum, low release values indicate poor stability of the film on the liner. In this case, the vinyl can slip on the liner during plotter cutting. Another problem with films with low release values is that they are prone to tunneling on the liner while the film is processed in printing or in computer cutting.

Removable Adhesive.  A special adhesive which allows a pressure sensitive graphic to be removed in one piece after a specified time, without leaving adhesive residue. 

Removability.  Describes the ease or difficultly with which a pressure-sensitive film is removed from a substrate.

Resolution.  A measurement of the number of pixels per inch (PPI),  dots per inch (DPI), or lines per inch (LPI) on a computer screen, digital print or screen printed image, respectively. 

Rubber-based adhesives. Soft, rubber-based adhesives wet out well. Because soft adhesives flow readily, they coat the substrate and provide very high "quick stick" to a surface. Because rubber adhesives wet out better than acrylics, they require less pressure during application to form a bond. A rubber-based system's tack allows adhesion to a wider range of substrates.

The adhesive's tackiness makes it an excellent choice for working with low-energy plastics, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Rubber-based adhesives also exhibit consistent bonding to the adherent (what it’s sticking to), meaning that adhesion values don't  grow greatly over time. That’s why rubber-based adhesives are used when making application tapes and premasks. The adhesive bond doesn't build on the vinyl graphics during long-term storage. Otherwise, you'd have difficulty removing the premask.

However, rubber-based adhesives are susceptible to plasticizer migration. Also, rubber-based adhesives are vulnerable to UV degradation and oxidation. As oxidation and UV weathering progress, rubber polymers start to break down and, eventually, cause adhesive failure. Oxidation also causes rubber-based adhesives to yellow; that's why your application tape yellows when exposed to light. The yellowing caused by slight adhesive degradation usually isn't enough to be an issue.  Typically,  rubber based adhesives have a limited temperature resistance. 

Self-Wound.  Many, but not all,  pressure-sensitive products have a release liner or siliconized sheet that protects the adhesive side of the film.  Without a release liner, a roll of  tape or overlaminate sticks to its preceding layer. Application tape is an example of a product that is wound onto itself.   

Shear. Shear is the internal strength of an adhesive or foam carrier. A shear test measures parallel forces generated within an adhesive or a foam tape. For example, a shear test calculates the force acting upon a tape holding the weight of a heavy sign against a wall. In testing the shear of a vinyl adhesive, a tape bearing a 500-1,000-gram weight is applied on top of the vinyl. If the adhesive doesn't hold the facestock to the substrate for the specified time, the technician must determine whether it's a cohesive or an adhesive failure.

Shim line. One way to create the embossed texture on the second surface of Vinylefx® vinyl is to use  a flat metal stamping die called a shim. This shim, which has a pattern  etched into its surface, is  wrapped around a cylinder. The point, at which the two ends of the flat plate meet, often creates an impression in the film called a “shim line”.  This is not a defect, rather an inherent byproduct of the manufacturing process. Take this line into consideration, in designing your graphics.  

Silvering.  Silvering refers to tiny, silvery or hazy spots that appear over a print. Silvering is caused when the adhesive does not "wet out" sufficiently. Here are some remedies for this problem:

1.         Try increasing the laminator  pressure to 60 psi. This will increase the  adhesive’s cold flow.

2.         Slow  down the laminator operating speed to 2 ft. to 3 ft./min.

3.         If you have a heated roller, increase the temperature setting up to 110°F.  The increased heat will help wet out the adhesive and accelerate initial bond.

4.         Use a “sled” under the print to help increase pressure, especially when applying thick polycarbonate overlaminates.

5.         Wait 24 hours for the adhesive to wet out.

6.         With the backside of your thumbnail burnish  any silvered areas to aid adhesive wet out.

Solvent. A chemical which can solvate or dissolve another material. For vehicle surface preparation, solvents, such as xylene, are use to clean tar, grease and soot from the substrate.  Solvents are also used in vehicle graphics removal to clean up adhesive residue.   

Solvent Adhesives.  In making this type of adhesive, its components are dissolved in a solvent, which evenly dispenses the mixture to form a solution. Solvent-based systems have been the mainstay of the pressure-sensitive industry for decades. RTape’s durable series of VinylEfx® films is coated with a solvent adhesive.

Solvent Inks.  While all inks contain some solvents, solvent inks use a high concentration of solvents as their carrier.  Solvents are used to dissolve the resin of the ink, so it can coat the colorant, improving the durability of the printed image. Solvents evaporate very quickly, which improves drying time. Solvent inks also adhere well to  vinyls, because the ink dissolves or solvates the surface of the film so the ink can chemically bite into it. 

Squeegee.  Although a squeegee is little more than a thin,  piece of plastic, it is an installer's most important tool. Squeegees are made from a variety of materials and in a number  of shapes and sizes. The 4” squeegees are most popular, but they also available in 6” and 12” sizes.

Distributors sell a wide range of squeegees. These include the following  types:  a gold-colored nylon-reinforced squeegee for general vinyl application to smooth and riveted surfaces; a softer, more flexible  plastic squeegee for applications to corrugations; and a Teflon® squeegee and a thick felt squeegee for vehicle wraps.  

Surface Energy.   Surface energy measures the mechanical attraction of the substrate to a fluid, such as an adhesive. The higher the number, the greater the attraction. High-surface-energy materials have microscopic pores with higher and more pronounced peaks and valleys.  These peaks and valleys provide the adhesive with  more surface area for it to grab onto or adhere to. Low energy materials, on the other hand, have a smoother surface and less surface area for  an adhesive to bond to. Troublesome low-energy substrates include polyethylene and polypropylene.

Tack.  The term tack describes an adhesive’s stickiness or aggressiveness.  There are a couple of tests conducted to measure tack. The first test is a loop tack test. During this trial, the two ends of a sample strip are placed in the jaws of the test equipment to form a material loop with the sticky side exposed. The test machine touches the loop of material against a stainless-steel plate and measures the amount of force required to pull the two apart.  A second test used to measure tack is the rolling-ball test. A ball is rolled down the groove in a metal piece -- shaped somewhat like a playground slide -- onto a test sample at the end of the metal slide. A technician then measures how far the ball rolls on the sample pieces. The ball rolls farther on a harder adhesive than on one that's soft and tacky.

Tackifier.  An adhesive additive that makes the sticky stuff stickier.

Tamper-Proof Adhesive.  Highly aggressive adhesives, which make the removal of an applied graphic in one piece, impossible.  By ensuring  the destruction of the decal,  emblems coated with tamper-proof adhesives prevent  the transfer of a graphic from one substrate to another for the fraudulent purposes.  Ultra destructible decals are also useful in the manufacturing of safety decals and warning emblems.

Tensile Strength.  Tensile strength measures the perpendicular forces imposed on an adhesive bond. Imagine grabbing two sides of a sign and pulling it away from the building at a 90º angle. In this example, the stress is distributed equally over the entire area held by the adhesive or foam tape.

Thermal Inkjet Printers.  When thermal inkjet systems first came out, they were often referred to  as  “bubble jet”  systems, which was the Canon brand name for the print technology that they pioneered. With this type of printer, the ink is channeled into a chamber. The inkjet printhead contains a heat resistor, which turns on and off to control the droplets of ink.  When the resistor is “on”, it  super-heats the dye-based ink to temperatures as high as 750 degrees F or 400 degrees C.

In microseconds, the liquid ink boils and forms a bubble of gaseous ink.  As the nozzle opens, the heated ink explodes through the printhead onto the substrate.  As the water-based ink dries, it bonds to the surface. In thermal inkjet technology, the ink undergoes a number of physical changes from a liquid to a gas, back to a liquid again and then finally, after the ink dries, it becomes a solid.

Thermal Transfer Printers. Thermal transfer printers, such as the Gerber Edge™, are sometimes compared to typewriters.  Both use colored ribbons. And both transfer color onto a substrate.  The similarity ends there.  As the name implies, thermal transfer printers use heat in the printing process. Thermal  printheads contain multiple resistors or  heating elements, each of which rapidly turns on and off to control the printing process. Thermal transfer systems use a cartridge with a printing ribbon. One side of the polyester ribbon is lightly coated with colored wax or resin. During the printing process, the resistors heat up and melt the coated side of the ribbon. As the printhead presses  on the uncoated side of the ribbon, it transfers the melted drops of resin to the print substrate.   

Thermoforming. Manufacturing process that involves preheating a plastic sheet, and then forming it with a vacuum against a mold. This process is frequently used in the manufacturing of signfaces for backlit signage.

Thermoplastics. Thermoplastics are solid plastics that become malleable with heat. PVC, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic are thermoplastics commonly used in the sign industry. Thermoplastics can be reheated and thermoformed.

Thermosets. Thermosets are plastics that begin as liquids, which solidify when heated. Unlike a thermoplastic, once a thermoset cures, it can't be reheated and reformed. Typical thermosets include polyester, epoxy and polyurethane. 

Transfer Tape, also called  Transfer Adhesive.  An adhesive which is coated onto a release liner.  Think of it as glue on a roll.  The transfer adhesive or transfer tape is laminated or applied to a surface, such as a screen printed polycarbonate control panel.  When the end user is ready to apply the film, he removes the liner and applies the part (with the transfer adhesive on it) to the application surface.

Tunneling.  A air channel that forms between a printed  graphic and its overlaminate or a pressure-sensitive film and its release liner.  The most common cause of tunneling in overlaminates is improper handling, i.e. rolling the graphic the wrong way. Laminated graphics are usually rolled with the print to the outside.  Tunnels also occur when the raw materials or system components are not compatible. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding rolling  & handling.  Never roll prints with polyester (PET) or  polypropylene (PP) overlaminates.

Ultimate Adhesion.  The amount of force required to pull apart a pressure-sensitive tape or film from the application substrate after a mature bond has formed.

UV-Curable Inks.  Used in screen printing and digital printing, UV-curable inks cure differently than either solvent or water-based inks.  Instead of a water or solvent carrier evaporating to cure the ink, UV inks harden nearly instantly  when expose to intense UV light (I use the qualifier “nearly”, because there is a post cure period in which the ink continues to cure).  Here’s how the curing process works. The UV light initiates a chemical reaction in which the ingredients polymerize or bind together. Pretty amazing stuff! And because there’s not solvent evaporation, there are no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to pollute the atmosphere.

Flatbed  inkjet systems, which use UV-curable inks, can print on a wide range of flexible and rigid substrates, including pressure-sensitive vinyl, rigid vinyl, expanded PVC,  polycarbonate, acrylic, polystyrene,  polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, corrugated board, cardstock, metal and glass.  

VOC.  An acronym for Volatile Organic Compound.  These are petroleum based chemicals that evaporate very quickly and contribute to air pollution. The term “volatile” refers to the fast rate of evaporation.  Organic refers to any chemical compound that includes carbon in its molecular structure.  Organic materials, such as xylene and toluene, evaporate readily and are major contributors to air pollution and cause a variety of health ailments, such as breathing problems and cancer.  Sign makers and printers beware: Most of the paints and  screen printing and digital inks and paints contain VOCs.  Even UV inks have VOCs that can evaporate until the ink is exposed to UV light and cured to a solid state. 

Vacuum Metalization.  Process of coating  a ultra thin metallic coating on a film, such as RTape’s VinylEfx® vinyl. How thin is “ultra-thin”? The aluminum layer on VinylEfx® films is about one to three millionths of an inch thin. This metalizing process occurs in a vacuum chamber, which is why the term is called “vacuum” metallization. In this chamber aluminum is superheated to about 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. At this super-high temperature, the aluminum vaporizes. As the vapor comes in contact with the embossed surface of the VinylEfx®  film, it condenses on the textured second surface of the film, forming a thin layer of metal. 

Vinyl.  Developed in 1927, vinyl is a tough, flexible plastic film. The compounds uses in the manufacturing of vinyl films generally consist of a PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride)  resin, pigments, plasticizer, and an assortment of other additives, such as heat stabilizers,  and fillers. Plasticizers are also added to make the film flexible.  Films that consist of little or no plasticizer, such as RTape’s VinylEfx® films, are called rigid vinyls.  

Most vinyls are classified as either cast or calendered films (see the definitions for both type of films). VinylEfx®  films fall into neither category.  Instead, these R Tape films are  extruded rigid vinyls.  In conducting a burn test to identify this plastic, vinyl produces a  yellow-green flame. When removed from the flame, vinyl will self-extinguish.

Viscosity.  Viscosity measures of the resistance between one layer of fluid as it flows against another layer. To measure the viscosity of a liquid, scientists use an instrument called a viscometer. The viscometer records its results in units of measure called centipoise.   Thin fluids are referred to as having a low viscosity. For example, a thin fluid such as water has a viscosity of 1 centipoise at room temperature.  A high viscosity fluid, such as  molasses, has a viscosity of about 5000 centipoise.  

Weed.  The process of removing the unneeded matrix or background material from a computer cut or die cut vinyl graphic.

Wet Application Method.  Use of a water-based mixture sprayed on a substrate to aid the application of vinyl graphics. For more information about wet applications, read:

Step-By-Step Wet Application Method

“Wet Out”. Pressure-sensitive adhesives bond by mechanically interlocking with the substrate. The ability of the adhesive to uniformly flow into the substrate's microscopic surface pores is referred to as "wet out". The degree to which an adhesive wet outs depends in part on the surface energy of the substrate. 

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Vinyl Application Videos

Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click to Link

Wet Applications. Dry applications are typically recommended for most vinyl applications. For those exceptions to the rule, this instructional video explains the right way to perform a wet application. Click to Link

Application of Window Graphics. Installing vinyl graphics on glass can be challenging, because the adhesive aggressively grabs onto this high energy surface. Repositioning graphics on window is generally difficult, if not impossible. This instructional video explains how to dry apply window graphics right the first time. It also describes the necessary steps required for surface preparation. Click to Link

Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films.  Because frosted window films are highly textured, transferring cut vinyl graphics can be problematic. This video provides direction in selection of the right application tape and how to apply these films quickly, easily and without problems. Click to Link

3-Step Surface Prep. This instructional video describes how to properly clean the surface of a vehicle before applying pressure sensitive vinyl graphics to a trailer or doing a full wrap of a car or van. This three step surface prep involves detergent washing, solvent cleaning and a final wipe down with IPA. Click to Link

Vinyl Application Over Rivets. Applying vinyl graphics on vehicle surfaces with rivets is challenging for most sign makers. Vinyl failures to these surfaces are all too common. This video demonstrates some tips and procedures, used by professional decal installers, which will make these demanding applications easier and more trouble-free.  Click to Link

Vinyl Application to Corrugations. Learn how to apply vinyl graphics to corrugations in a relaxed state. Forcing films into the valleys of corrugations puts too much mechanical stress on the film. Sooner or later, the vinyl will lift or tent in valleys. Click to Link

Applying Air Egress Vinyls. Vinyl films with air egress release liners have almost eliminated bubbles and wrinkles from applied graphics. Air egress release liners with their highly textured surface structure are problematic. Not much will stick to these liners other than the vinyl film. At RTape our best premask solution for air egress liners is a special Conform® tape called 4761RLA. Click to Link

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

© 2016 Jim Hingst