With the quality and variety of graphic films and sign supplies available today, customers are finding many ways to use these films to promote their products, services and of course their corporate signage and branding.

An example of creative thinking was an idea to customize vinyl vehicle signage by adding airbrushed highlights and blends. It was expected that this signage would give the vehicle a unique appearance and so stand out as an advertising medium. The goal was to produce a sign that increased the value of the advertising with minimal cost outlay.

Although the initial result was excellent, over time major problem was encountered. The paint used for the airbrushed highlights affected the vinyl applied to the vehicle to such an extent that the whole vehicle had to be stripped and the vinyl reapplied.

Within 12 months of application, the vinyl became brittle, cracked and eventually began to lift off

The major areas of sign writing were looked at including the process that the sign writer went through, the surface preparation and the type and quality of the products used.

The sign writer was highly skilled and had completed his work very well. The surface had been carefully prepared based on the factors known at the time. Similarly vinyl strips had been cut and inserted into the recesses, instead of the usual practise of heat stretching the vinyl into the curves.

The problem however was particularly evident in the recessed areas of the vehicle, in this case a van.

The problem was eventually found to be a combination of the type of paint used to airbrush the highlights onto the vinyl, and the clear protective coating used to give the van a gloss finish.

The high gloss finish had affected the chemical structure of the vinyl so that it lost its soft, pliable finish and became brittle, causing the vinyl to lift and crack. This is not an uncommon issue. There are many products on the market that affect vinyl in this way, including paint from aerosol cans.

It is a common belief that applying a clear finish will increase the life of a vinyl or painted sign. However, this is not the case as the clear finish will usually deteriorate much more quickly than the vinyl or paint underneath. The sign will therefore age prematurely and in this case crack.

The key issue was the type of paint used to airbrush highlights on the vinyl sign and then the type of product used to achieve the gloss finish. Choosing the right products was therefore critical to the success of this work. Having a product designed for purpose such as air brushing on vinyl and then a gloss finish product suitable for both vinyl and air brush paint would have produced a much better result.

In this case, it was recommended that TautFlex Air be used for the airbrush highlights on vinyl, followed by TautFlex UV Clear to achieve a gloss finish. Not only would this product protect the underlying signage, but if the gloss finish ages more quickly than the vinyl or paint underneath, the signage can simply be cleaned down before applying another coat of TautFlex UV Clear.

The message therefore is planning is the most important factor when creating signage. The affect of all the products that are to be used and how they will interact with each other requires attention to detail. Using the wrong products not only was expensive with the work being redone, but also had a visual impact on the advertising and marketing message.