The continued growth of e-commerce has changed the business landscape forever. However, physical premises are still important in a number of cases, ensuring customers can interact with products and have a great experience. The right signs are invaluable, attracting customers, helping with wayfinding, and providing low cost, year-round permanent advertising. You need to think about your designs and finishes here. Laminating services are fantastic, able to enhance the graphics while also improving sign performance. You need to be careful though.
The impact
A lot of people see lamination purely as a way to finish signs to protect them from the elements and wear/tear. While that is a big part of what they offer, there is more. The right laminate can have a positive impact on performance. At the same time, the wrong one or a low quality product can be detrimental.
The key thing to keep in mind is the laminate will affect how signs respond to different elements, including heat, UV, moisture, and contaminants. You need to consider this to ensure it won’t end up damaging the sign rather than preserving it. Talk to us about laminating services.
Mismatch
One thing you need to do is ensure you effectively match the laminate and sign materials. A mismatch can lead to problems. For example, if the materials have different levels of thermal expansion, it could cause shrinkage, lifting, edge curling, and other flaws. As a result, it can compromise the stability, increase the rate of ageing, and mean you need to think about rework or replacement sooner than you should.
Effective material matching ensures the sign and laminate behave similarly, providing stability and reducing the chance of issues. This provides significant benefits. Most importantly, it ensures your sign will have a longer lifespan and look fantastic. It can reduce costs too.
Consider the exposure conditions
The real world conditions also have a big impact on sign performance. Therefore, it is crucial to plan for them and ensure you choose suitable laminating services.
Considering the exposure conditions, you need to look at significant things like UV exposure (including the level of direct sunlight and even the angle to the sun), heat, humidity, and air pollution. The demands on the sign can differ greatly here. They will have a massive impact on the materials and the legibility of the sign.
What you need to do is ensure you fully understand the real world conditions for each shop. You can then select a suitable material and a matching laminate to maximise performance.
Exceptional laminating services
Laminate is a great option for a variety of applications, from signs to packaging and even construction materials. However, as you’ve read, it is vital to think about the wider picture. Consider protection as well as performance to get the best results.
If you need some help, you can rely on us. We’re one of the top lamination and foiling experts in the UK. Our knowledge is extensive, including different types of film and foil for various needs. We even have access to specialist exterior films.
So, contact us and let’s discuss laminating services and foiling. We’ll ensure you get the most from every project.