When manufacturing a sign plate for the outdoors, there are many factors one has to take into consideration before beginning the making process. The first, and probably most important one, is "How long will it last?". Inevitably, UV light plays a major part in the degradation of external signage, and if not considered carefully will prove to be it's undoing. Natural sunlight ages and fades inks and materials mercilessly, and if not given the aforethought it deserves, will undo all of the good work that went into making the job look so special in the early days.
With the wide range of print techniques available from Evans Graphics, you might think it a simple task of choosing the easiest method which will produce the best looking result. Unfortunately this is not the case! Unless we consider all of the failings and shortcomings of any given process, then we could very easily end with egg on our faces as the signs deteriorate literally before our client's very eyes. We always take the time to ask sufficient questions as to what is expected, and to where the sign is ultimately to be erected or affixed. Armed with these answers, we can then look at which of our many processes will actually be usable in the manufacturing chain.
In this case, the answer came from a combination of techniques and differing materials. After careful research and evaluation, we recommended a combination of materials that we felt gave the optimum chance of longevity, considering what was required to be produced. With the ever emerging digital substrates, it was highly tempting to "go digital" but the big question still remained about lifespan, and we just had to settle back to conventional screen printing. We did however, combine this with the latest in sign making materials in order to ensure that the sign boards we made were up to the job in question. We chose a 3.0mm Dibond™ composite sheet faced with a seven year life Hi-Cal™ white vinyl. The inks used were also extended life formulation and to top it all off, we used a UV Guard Lustre Laminate which helps to prevent degradation for years.
Our chosen combination should give us a decent five years duration before derimental effects start to play a part in their appearance, whereas with digital production techniques, we would not have been happy offering more than a 3 year assurance that the signs would still be looking as good as when we made them.
The resultant job was a combination of screen printing, lamination, CNC milling & drilling and lots of patience! Laminating printed materials onto 3.0mm Dibond™ is not easy at the best of times, especially when it needs to be laminated square on to the sheet edge, but using skills we have mastered, we were able to complete a successful making job without too much fuss. Part of a 200 quantity batch, these unique sign plates will be spread all around the UK in prominent "Approved Workshop" locations. |
