Sign Maker Advice


It’s that time of year! W


hile most vinyl will happily cope with temperature of anywhere


from -40°C to +80°C this is once they are fitted. The minimum application temperature


for the same vinyl will be closer to 8°C to 10°C. At this temperature the face of the


vinyl becomes harder and more brittle, it also impedes adhesion and makes the adhesive less viscous; hence extra care must be taken when handling the product, trying to lift the film to reposition it may result in the face of the vinyl to shatter like glass.


Temperature Remember the minimum application temperature is both the vinyl and the substrate. I have seen fitters keep the vinyl warm in a vehicle or inside to then apply it to substrate out doors that is way below the minimum application temperature, instantly drawing the heat out of the vinyl into the substrate causing both to now be cold. Vehicles can catch the unwary out, as


it has been outside all night only to be brought in to a nice warm fitting bay, it can take longer than you think for the cold vehicle to acclimatise to the warm workshop. Fitting vinyl to windows during cold


weather can be interesting, for those tempted to use a wet application, remember water freezes, the trapped water under the vinyl can freeze and I have seen it shatter the face of the vinyl film.


Cutting The cold does not just make fitting vinyl more difficult it also makes cutting it on a plotter more difficult. It may be necessary to use a new


blade when cutting, as an older blade may skid over the surface of the vinyl film as it is harder and more brittle. Once we have successfully cut out


vinyl the cold can delay us again when it comes to weeding, again the face of the


| 62 | November/December 2025 Testing the temperature


vinyl is harder and more brittle making it much easier to snap.


Printing Do not think you are safe if you print your vinyl, most printers have an operating temperature of between 20°C and 32°C, but another challenge is again keeping the vinyl acclimatised to that temperature. Imagine this, you order your vinyl


for next day delivery, chances are the vinyl is stored in a large warehouse at minimum temperature, it is then put on a van/ lorry which deliveries it via hubs to your door the next day.


Machinery The vinyl could have been down to very low ambient temperatures overnight. The vinyl arrives and you want to get it


on the machine ASAP. The heat of the machine will most likely shock the vinyl from its cold state, which can result in the vinyl /backing curling or cockling as it goes through the machine resulting in a head strike. The vinyl must be allowed to


acclimatise to the ambient temperature of the print room/ machine. Keeping industrial units warm can


be both a challenge and costly, but so can not keeping them warm! If working under the recommended application temperature on vinyl tech sheets, be aware that you will receive little to no warranty from the vinyl manufacturers. Sometimes you will have to advise customers of this and the consequences of not adhering to the guidance Happy cold weather fitting!


www.signupdate.co.uk


The clocks have just gone back and there is getting a chill in the air. How does that affect us as sign makers? More than you would think, Paul Hughes, owner of Sign Making Tools, explains why the material we use the most, vinyl, really does not like the cold.


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