Materials

• White, yellow, and clear vinyl – static cling or with permanent or removable adhesive. Vinyl is our most economical long-term outdoor material; permanent vinyl typically lasts three to five years outdoors – seven year vinyl is also available at an increased cost. It is generally flexible, and may shrink and stretch to a small degree. Clear vinyl is less flexible, and therefore does not conform to irregular surfaces as well as the colored versions. Vinyl is typical for bumper stickers, vehicle markings, window clings, and warning labels.

• White, clear, and metallized polyester – with permanent adhesive; may be tamper-evident VOID. Polyester is the most durable material, and typically the most expensive. It will not stretch or shrink like vinyl and is chemically resistant. Polyester is more rigid than vinyl, and does not conform well to irregular or highly curved surfaces. Metallized polyesters include chrome, brushed chrome, gold, and brushed gold.

• White and clear polypropylene – with permanent adhesive. Polyprop is a shorter-term and less expensive material used primarily when cost is more important than longevity. It can be used very effectively with screen printing for product labeling.

• Polycarbonate – with permanent adhesive. This clear textured plastic is intended for interior applications. This material is "sub-surface" printed (printed on the back side); the material itself protects the printing from cleaning solutions and daily wear. It is frequently used for product identification nameplates, control panels, ATM machines, computers, and electronics.
• Papers – with permanent adhesive. Paper is not recommended for outdoor applications except shipping labels. A variety of options are available:
  • White gloss: for quality label reproduction – not suited for writing or typing.
  • White matte: for shipping labels, etc. – suited for writing and typing, but some correction ribbons may not work on this material
  • EDP: absorbent, smudgeproof paper used for pin-fed labels and some other writing and typing applications. Colors are not as brilliant when printed on the material
  • Foil (metallic), fluorescent, brown kraft, and special adhesive papers may also be available. Fluorescent papers are printed in black only.

• Flexographic: non-hazardous, water-based inks with lightfast pigments. Flexo labels are not suited for outdoor use, and require a UV coating or over-laminate for protection when used for product packaging.
• Letterpress: solvent-less UV cured inks. These inks will withstand six to twelve months of outdoor exposure, which may be extended with a UV coating. The UV coating also increased resistance to solvents, chemicals, and abrasion.
• Screen Printing: solvent-based or UV cured. The UV cured inks are UV resistant; they will usually retain their color for three to five years or more. Screen printing is generally more expensive than flexo or letterpress because at least three times more ink is laid on the material. The UV inks are high gloss and generally chemical-resistant; additives can be included to make them alcohol-resistant. Screen inks can also be metallized, allowing them to glitter in the sunlight – exact color matches are not possible with metallic inks.

Overlaminating