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Pressure sensitive film lamination is normally used for printed substrates
that heat cannot be used either due to the substrate or inks. For example,
styrene, vinyl, acrylic, PVC, digital printed inks, silk screen printing
inks etc.
Pressure sensitive film adheres to the substrate by pressure instead of
heat.
TYPES OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE FILMS: floor graphic films, vinyl,
polyester, dry erase, foils, holographic, barrier films, pre-mask, outdoor films, etc.
Finishes can be neutral, dull, gloss, colored, textured, reflective etc.
Most pressure sensitive films come 54 - 60 in width. We can slit in line
to whatever meets the sheet size were given. When determining sheet size,
it is best to utilize the web width to eliminate as much waste as
possible.
We can do up to 60 wide and 120 in length with pressure sensitive film.
Pressure sensitive films can be done one side or both sides. We need at
least 1/2 on all 4 outside edges for gripper/guide space (more space is
even better on larger sheets). The film will go past the image area but
not hang off the edge so that there is nothing to impede good registration
when final trimming.
It is much more difficult to do an edge seal with pressure sensitive film,
but it can be done. It will depend on the thickness of the substrate and
the film used.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Large granular powder leaves pits in soft vinyl. Even if the powder
is wiped off, the pits remain. Depending on the type of film and how large
the pits are, the adhesive may not fill in all the pits, leaving a small
air hole.
Also, if the ink is not completely dry when the powder is applied, the
powder will dry in the ink and there is no way to remove it. This provides
an uneven surface that you can see once film is laminated over it.
UNEVEN SUBSTRATES It is important to use a substrate that does
not vary in thickness to get good lamination results. For example large
sheets of PVC sometimes dip in spots and are not consistently the same
thickness across the sheet. Because it is a very dense substrate, adding
pressure does not always solve the problem. It can result in areas that
the film does not touch on the substrate, leaving air in the sections that
dip.
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