Surface Tension

"Installation” is a broad topic, and “installers” can include a wide variety of businesses that service a wide variety of markets and specific applications. According to the SGIA’s 2015 Specialty Graphics Industry Survey Benchmarking Report on Graphics Installers, top growing installation areas were:

• walls (using pressure-sensitive adhesives)
• full vehicle wraps
• walls (interior or exterior, using films for rough surfaces)
• glass/windows
• buildings (interior/exterior).

As you walk the show floor, you will likely discover — perhaps even right under your feet — that there are now media available for every conceivable surface. In addition to walls, floors and windows, companies like Jessup Adhesive Coated Films (Booth 2574) have materials that can be applied to asphalt, concrete, cement and other rough surfaces.

Naturally, the primary concern (aside from print quality) for graphics that are to be applied on surfaces that people will walk on — be they indoor or outdoor — is slip resistance. This is especially of concern in locations where the graphic is likely to get wet. As result, overlaminates need to be applied to floor or other walkable surface graphics. Mactac (Booth 3249), for example, offers a National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI)-certified overlaminate for floor graphics. Speaking of water, in addition to making a floor or sidewalk graphic more slippery, water can also cause a graphic to fail. So compatible overlaminates are a must.

Carpeting is another up-and-coming surface for graphics. Getting the graphic to adhere properly, as well as survive being trod on for any length of time, and be slip-resistant are important considerations.

Choosing the right material that not only is compatible with the printing technology that is being used (solvent/eco-solvent vs. latex, e.g.) but also the specific surface (both in terms of the surface material itself but the texture; brick, stucco, cement and other less than optimally smooth surfaces are being looked at for decoration) are important specs to be determined at the outset of a project.

Any installer will tell you that surface preparation — regardless of the surface — is essential to getting a final graphic that meets the needs of the customer and will last for its intended life. Surfaces that are not clean, dry or are greasy/oily will not allow a graphic to adhere correctly.

Temperature is another concern, especially when installing outdoor graphics. Window graphic films often cannot be installed below a certain temperature — such as 40°F — otherwise further temperature changes can cause the graphic to fail. Sometimes, cold-weather installation can’t be helped, so there are films that can be installed at colder temperatures.

While it is not desirable to have a graphic come loose during its intended life, at some point it may need to be removed. As a result, removability needs to be considered when choosing a material. Will the graphic come off the floor, wall or window relatively easily? If you’ve ever had to remove wallpaper, you know what a challenge removing a graphic can be.

3M Commercial Graphics (Booth 2709), Avery Dennison (Booth 2301), Catalina Graphic Films (Booth 2931), Drytac (Booth 3325), Lintec of America (Booth 1022), Orafol (Booth 233) and more offer a wide variety of films for virtually any surface.

The best way to ensure that a particular material will work best on an unfamiliar target surface is to experiment to ensure that the finished graphic meets all the criteria for print quality as well as safety.