Tag Archives: Printing

Vinyl Sticker Printing Guide

Posted on by admin
Place Print Lab - Custom Branding - Signage
17 Feb

Vinyl Sticker Printing Guide

Our Vinyl Stickers/Decals are all printed using the highest quality Eco Solvent Ink from Roland, and we print using only the best quality exterior grade vinyl with permanent adhesive.

Vinyl Stickers are great at battling against the elements as they are tough and durable, perfect for many uses. They are versatile for your brand, great for promotional uses, and everyone loves a sticker. You can also laminate your vinyl stickers to make them highly waterproof and increase the life of your stickers even more.

Our custom stickers are made of thick vinyl material, digitally printed in full color with your custom artwork. They can be die cut to any size or shape. We can also add kiss cuts to your stickers, which are light cuts on the surface of the sticker that peel out, creating a sticker sheet.

Vinyl Stickers can last up to 8 years, even in outdoor conditions like rain and sun. They won’t expand or shrink in different weather so the surface won’t crack, nor will the colours fade, making them the perfect product to use on windscreens, windows, on cars or vans.

The difference between paper stickers and vinyl stickers is that vinyl is more durable. You can also use Vinyl stickers as shipping labels or for any inside applications. But that’s just the beginning of the many advantages vinyl stickers have over their paper counterparts.

Depending upon your requirements we can offer different quality levels of printing and we do not charge any set up costs at all, unlike many other printers. 

Decals Or Stickers

All decals are stickers (but not all stickers are a decal). A decal is basically a decorative sticker generally used outdoors, and usually made up from layers of cut vinyl. They are a design that can be transferred from one surface to another and will have three layers: Carrier paper on the back, the decal itself, and paper on the front.

Vinyl Lettering / Signage

Vinyl lettering is a special adhesive vinyl that is cut directly from a piece of colored material and used for signage and window lettering. Unlike clear window decals which are printed to the exact color you need, the material used for vinyl lettering is only available in certain colours. Vinyl lettering again can last for years outside and is perfect for shops, vehicle signage and much more.

Application Guide

  1. Clean the surface. Remove the old vinyl lettering, if present, and then clean the surface with appropriate cleaner.
  2. Make a hinge for the sign you want to apply. Apply masking tape to the top of the sign.
  3. Remove the backing. Pull the adhesive backing upwards.
  4. Apply the sign. …
  5. Remove the tape.

T shirt Printing Guide & Techniques

Posted on by admin
13 Feb
We offer multple different options for printing your Clothing/Apparel here at Place Print Lab. 
 
CAD CUT VINYL

It is most commonly used for printing the numbers, names, and logos onto sports T-shirts and clothing. The process uses different types of vinyl which are cut, usually into a number or name, and then applied to the garment using a heat press. These can be done in very small numbers and runs, so one offs are possible and tend to be cheap.

Heat Transfer Vinyl is a material with a heat-activated adhesive that is designed to work with fabric surfaces (or any surface that can stand the heat) and is available in many differnt colours and finishes. 

Metallic vinyl such as foil will start to fade over time. Also, applying a direct iron on the vinyl will ruin the graphic. Heat transfer vinyl are normally very durable and most of the time, a good quality vinyl will last years and many many washes (as long as washed inside out).

SILK SCREEN PRINTING

Although all our printing processes are effective, screen printing will last longest. Shirts that are printed using vinyl will usually last for a few years. On the other hand, shirts that have been screen printed will last the lifetime of the shirt.

The major difference is that Screen Printing requires a screen to be set up for each colour in the print. There is a charge for each screen set up, which tends to prohibit smaller runs and jobs with many colours. 

Once the setup is finished though, nothing will need to change from shirt to shirt (as long as the design stays the same), making it much quicker to print larger orders.

Cad Cut Vinyl is best suited for small runs (under 24), screen printing is more cost-effective for large runs over 25.

SUBLIMATION PRINTING

Sublimation printing is the application of sublimation inks onto a surface using a heat press to provide the required combination of heat, time and pressure.

Sublimation Printing is best done on 100% polyester for the best results on clothing, but can also be used to print onto many other surfaces for example aluminium.

Sublimation is a dye process, therefore it is designed for printing to white and light colors only. There is no colour limitations with sublimation apart from white cannot be used to print. If you wished to print on dark t-shirts You can use a digital print .

Sublimation Printing will produce long-lasting prints that won’t crack or fade after repeated washing and are soft to the touch. Dye sublimation prints are cured with the heat press during the application of the design.

DIGITAL PRINTING

Digital Printing uses special vinyl to print onto first using solvent inks, so there are no colour limitations and small runs can be done. This is then transferred to the clothing via the same process as Heat Transfer Vinyl. Again this can last very well on clothing if cared for correctly by washing inside out and not ironing the design.

 

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