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04

Dec 2018

Monomeric, Polymeric & Cast - Self Adhesive Vinyl

Monomeric, Polymeric & Cast - Self Adhesive Vinyl - Self-adhesive-Vinyl-Monomeric-Polymeric-and-Cast-Vinyls-01.webp

Blue Rhine offers a broad range of self-adhesive vinyl that allows businesses to flaunt their signage creativity. The peel-and-stick self-adhesive films are ideal for numerous signage projects and vehicle wrapping. There are mainly 3 types of vinyl and each has unique characteristics and quality that are different from the others.

Monomeric vinyl is the most selling vinyl (highest by quantity) because it is the most cost-effective vinyl and good for printing with eco-solvent inks and UV inks. Monomeric vinyl is mostly used in indoor graphics and short-term outdoor graphics and leaves its impression for 12-18 months, and for a longer duration with lamination. It is used mainly for flat surface applications. The Price: Performance ratio of monomeric vinyl makes it suitable for certain applications like Doors and cupboards and short-term or long-term promotions.

Polymeric indoor-graphics vinyl films are recommended for a wide range of applications on flat and slightly curved substrates and leave the impression for a long time ranging from 18 months to 3 years. The main difference between Monomeric Vinyl and Polymeric Vinyl is that Monomeric Vinyl has a double bond between two carbon atoms, whereas polymeric vinyl has no double bonds in its carbon structure, making it ideal for outdoor applications.

Its excellent printability and handling on most printers make it suitable for vehicle wrapping on cars and truck bodies that are exposed to sunlight throughout the day. Polymeric vinyl lasts longer than monomeric vinyl in outdoor conditions and therefore is more expensive.

Cast vinyl is a high-end Vinyl and has the strongest chemical bond in polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Cast films are considered the industry premium as films are ideal for complex surfaces such as vehicles and contoured surfaces. The cast vinyl takes on a paint-like appearance when applied to a vehicle surface. Laminated cast vinyl signages can expect long durability of up to 3-4 years. Since cast vinyl has the strongest chemical bond in PVC & is usually made in small batches, it’s the most expensive compared to other types of vinyl.

Considering the extreme weather conditions in the Middle East and our experience in this region, the actual durability of the vinyl is almost half of what is recommended by Vinyl manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe. As there is exposure to extreme sunlight in this region, the durability cannot be the same as recommended for projects based in countries like the US and Europe, where weather conditions are different.

In the case of outdoor graphics, especially South facing in the Northern hemisphere or North facing in the Southern hemisphere are more prone to degrading much faster than the recommended time by manufacturers. Moreover, the manufacturers only give warranties on unprinted. Manufacturers also do not guarantee the horizontal application of graphics, as it exposes the vinyl to maximum numbers of hours of sunlight.

We exclusively stock materials from industry leaders such as Aslan, Intercoat, General formulations, Rhine Graphics, Venus and Avery Dennison to supply the best product materials for superb signage and Point of sale (POS) applications. We recommend the use of good-quality inks and printers to ensure maximum durability for outdoor applications and the best print results. Please get in touch if you like to know more about the right product for your upcoming project.

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