Every business wants to know what the next big thing is that will affect their world. For example, you may be reading this article from a magazine, laptop computer, smartphone or even e-reader. Vinyl graphics manufacturers are no different. Sign shops continue to find innovative applications for vinyl, inspiring film manufacturers to look for ways to make these applications clearer, brighter, faster, more reliable and more profitable. But adhesion, durability and printability are the keys to innovation in the vinyl world. Today’s films hold up better in less-than-ideal conditions, paving the way for applications where vinyl had never been considered before. 

 

This BMW is wrapped in ORACAL Series 970RA Wrapping Cast Film with RapidAir Technology in matte black. Matte colors are trending as a vehicle restyling option and vinyl manufacturers are responding. Photo courtesy of VisuCom Signs & Graphics of Orland Park, Ill.

Handling New Applications

Point-of-purchase displays have especially seen an uptick in popularity for film applications because retail companies are having a harder time delivering their messages with today’s media advancements, says Craig Campbell, territory manager for Oracal. Grabbing the customer’s attention just isn’t as easy as it once was. 

 

“Many people are going on websites and using other ways of getting information,” Campbell says. “Since TiVo allows people to now skip commercials, retail companies have had to figure out different ways to get out messages, so they’re using a lot of floor graphics and wrapping things like soda machines and ice machines.”

 

In particular, many retailers are exploring ways to advertise in cold indoor environments, such as the inside of a beer cave, Campbell says. Historically, advertising in a cold environment with film was difficult because the substrate didn’t perform as well as it did in warmer temperatures. Beyond using something similar to a cardboard sign or a small display on top of beer cases, the advertising options were limited. Now, vinyl can be applied in temperatures as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

This is an example of LG’s ultra-tack film, which allows graphics manufacturers to place full color graphics on difficult-to-stick-to surfaces. LG uses a solvent-based acrylic adhesive on its vinyl.

“You have the ability to walk in there and stick a graphic right on the wall without having to take out all of the beer, get the cooler up to temperature —which needs to be at least 45 degrees for vinyl applications—put a graphic on the wall, then move all the beer again and then drop the temperature back again,” Campbell says.

 

These cold-temperatures films are also appealing for sign shops located in the northern U.S., Campbell says. Some sign shops might not have an installation area or have to install a graphic onsite, but the frigid weather isn’t the issue it once was. 

 

Today’s film also better adheres to rough surfaces, says Tim Boxeth of 3M. Textured walls, bricks and concrete can all accept vinyl with a stronger durability than previously available. 

The better adhesion property is especially beneficial for horizontal applications, Boxeth adds, because they are exposed to harsher elements than vinyl adhered vertically. 

 

“A horizontal surface gets so much more heat and UV rays, and dew and moisture remain on the surface,” Boxeth says. “In some parts of the country, dew has high acid content, and if it’s allowed to sit, it can eat into the film and cause discoloration, but the film durability requirements have improved that need.”

 

This application features Contra Vision’s BACKLITE ORS, printed on a Durst Rho UV-cure printer. BACKLITE ORS is designed to give a bold backlit look at night while still allowing plenty of light through during the day.

For those rough surfaces, commercial real estate signage is a suitable application, says Shawn Adams, sales manager of LG. Many commercial real estate agents advertise a large open space, such as a warehouse, on the side of the building. However, the traditional method of advertising includes mounting methods that can cause damage to the building and take longer to install. With vinyl that adheres to this rough surface, though, the building incurs less damage and fewer materials are used. 

 

“In the past, you would print onto adhesive vinyl and mount it to the board,” Adams says. “Then, you would put board on the side of the building, so that puts big holes in the side of the building. By applying adhesive vinyl, it becomes much easier and environmentally friendly.”

 

Window graphics for the Del Monte Shopping Center. Sustainability is a key growth area for vinyl, and LG Hausys offers its L2700 Series, a phthalate-free product.

The restyling market is now using vinyl film to transform vehicles, which can be an opportunity to enter a new market for signage companies. This car hood uses 3M’s 1080 wrap film in brushed and carbon fiber finish.

Additionally, applications that were once seen as more of a marketing stunt are now viable options. Boat wrapping, for example, has become more popular over the years as fishing has continued to gain a larger audience, Campbell says. In the past, boat wraps were mostly on display at trade shows as a gimmick, but as sponsors began looking for new ways to promote their brands, they saw this application as a unique marketing vehicle. Now you can’t watch an episode of Bassmasters without seeing a wrapped boat.

 

Film Technology Future

Like many other signage applications, more sustainable products will become increasingly available and affordable, Adams says. In the past, developing truly sustainable film was difficult for manufacturers, but vinyl manufacturers have now found ways to offer more sustainable options, such as phthalate-free films.

 

“It’s been a really big challenge for our industry to design something sustainable,” Adams says. “Everyone wants a long-term graphic, but they don’t want this graphic to break down.”

 

Boxeth agrees sustainable products will continue to become more prevalent, but he also thinks there will be a greater push for personalization in the vehicle restyling market. With the new films, a car enthusiast can easily transform the look of his or her own car. A simple sheet of vinyl can give a red car a matte-black hood, which is a popular look in the vehicle restyling market. 

 

Though restyling shops service customers who value personalization, they don’t always want to mess with the vinyl application, which can be a crossover opportunity for sign shops, Campbell says. The sign shops already have the relationship with the distributors and the skills to apply the vinyl; all they need is a partnership with a restyling shop.

 

As sign shops continue to explore new vinyl applications, manufacturers will keep pushing the envelope for what is possible, Campbell says. Today’s new film developments are being driven by how sign shops are using the products in the field, and he doesn’t expect that to change. 

 

“I’ve seen a variety of growth in the markets I didn’t think would take off,” Campbell says. “The end user has been the driving factor for what’s done so far, and I expect that to continue in the future.”