Investing in lovely print and graphics is a good idea for all kinds of businesses. Whether you’re looking to attract customers to walk through the doors, want to make offices nicer for staff, or just want to share some information in a public space, they can make a great impression. However, you also need to think about how to protect them. There are generally two options; laminating services or coatings.
Why is protection important?
It is vital to protect print and graphics if you want to get the most from your investment. It’ll ensure your signs, posters, banners, prints, nameplates, and other materials last longer. Laminates and coatings can protect against moisture, dust, UV, and various other contaminants. So, you can avoid issues like stains, rips and tears, and fading.
Protecting prints and graphics is also important if you want to tackle vandalism. Sadly things like signs and posters are a frequent target for vandals. A coating or laminate can protect the substrate and make it easier to clean up.
Which method to choose?
Deciding whether to choose laminating services or coatings can be tricky. They both offer impressive performance, including enhancing prints and graphics and providing protection. However, the difference in how you apply them and how they work mean they are better for different applications.
Laminating gets a lot of praise because it provides robustness and longevity. You can get a long lifespan for various products by encapsulating the substrate in a laminate. The bond between the film and substrate is impressive too. In addition, the level of protection against environmental factors like moisture and UV is significant.
Typically, laminate is the best choice if you have demanding settings. For example, it is ideal for all kinds of outdoor signage. Industrial safety signs, name plates, and other products also benefit from lamination. Plus, you can use it for things like museum exhibits.
Coating is an interesting alternative. Instead of applying a laminate film, the process involves using a liquid. Typically the formulation will involve an adhesive or bonding agent. Applying the coatings requires processes like brushing, spraying, or even dipping.
The main factor to keep in mind with coatings is they offer a huge amount of flexibility. They are easy to apply to many products, even complex shapes. Generally, they are the best choice for applications where you want to enhance the colour and provide some protection. This includes posters and artwork, retail signs, and architectural graphics.
Talk to us about laminating services
Lamination is a fantastic way to protect and enhance print and graphics. Even better, you can choose laminates to suit different needs. Want a higher level of protection against moisture and other contaminants? Need to ensure products have a higher resistance to rips and tears? There are films for any specifications, including a choice of thicknesses and finishes. You can even get anti-graffiti laminate.
If you’d like to explore laminating services and the options for various applications, we’re here to assist. Contact us and we’ll go through everything with you. At the end of the day, we will make sure you choose a laminate that ticks all of the right boxes.