design of the product,” she explained.
“Now, with wallpaper, you have to
buy a set custom texture or color. But
with these overlaminate products
you have more creativity and more
control, and can work alongside interior
designers. I see it growing more
commercially, in restaurants and any
type of business. But it could grow in
residential use as well.”
New overlaminates are often introduced
as a second wave of innovation,
after the latest base materials
have already been introduced to the
market, said Adam Larson, global
portfolio manager, Premium Films
with 3M Commercial Solutions.
“With innovations in the ink world
leading to formulations that add an
extra bit of strain on overlaminates,
manufacturers have the opportunity
to optimize these products and provide
similar technological advancements,”
he said.
“Instant turnaround” printing processes
can limit an overlaminate’s ability
to adhere properly to the ink when
set on a base fi lm as soon as possible
aft er printing.
New inks designed to be more
scratch resistant add another factor
in what overlaminate manufacturers
must consider when designing new
products. However, new technologies
and processes open opportunities
for 3M to leverage its knowledge in
adhesive technology, and continue
to lead in overlaminate innovation,
Larson said.
Finishing off a freshly laminated graphic.
New products
New products are helping make overlaminates
a more intriguing opportunity
than ever before for PSPs. Arlon Graphics
recently introduced its Series 3270
overlaminate, a 2-mil. clear glossy PVC
fi lm, developed in conjunction with the
company’s SLX Cast Wrap Film with
FLITE technology, Bui said. “It was fi rst
designed for our fl eet market, to make
application much easier for installers,”
she reported. “It provides the right
amount of body to allow installers to
drape the fi lm over and install to the
vehicle. It also provides gloss that’s
consistent throughout the roll, enhancing
the print and providing an overall
better visual representation of the
printed graphics.”
Today, there is greater use of non-PVC
fi lm, a more environmentally friendly
solution that doesn’t have chlorine or
solvent and is more compliant with
international regulations. Common
non-PVC options include acrylic and or
polyurethane-based fi lms.
Said Bui: “Both acrylic fi lms and
polyurethane fi lms are more expensive
than PVC fi lms. I like to correlate it to
organic foods sold in supermarkets.”
But non-PVC fi lms can actually extend
the lifetime of printed products by up to
fi ve years, depending on the thickness of
the fi lm, and can provide abrasion and
scratch resistance. Arlon off ers its Series
3350, a 2-mil. anti-graffi ti laminate.
Th is PVDF fi lm can be used in pointof
purchase displays, backlit signs, and
additional display graphics.
Arlon’s Series 3310 is a 1.5-mil. polyurethane
overlaminate used for digital
print products applied to vehicles,
displays for multi-purpose commercial
use, and anything requiring abrasion
resistance, Bui reported.
Joseph C. Barnard, product manager,
digital print media with Avery
Dennison Graphics Solutions, also sees
alternative overlaminates’ emergence
as a key trend to watch. “Overlaminates
for pressure-sensitive PVC fi lms have
traditionally been clear,” he said. “Th ere
are a number of factors such as sustainability,
responsible sourcing, extended
durability, and other performance characteristics
that are driving alternative
overlaminate fi lms like urethanes. Al-
Sticker City used Avery Dennison’s Conform Chrome Blue with DOL 6040
Sparkle for this bold and beautiful wrap.
Art City Wraps used Avery Dennison’s Conform Chrome Silver with Green
Colored Overlaminate.
20 Wide-Format & Signage August 2017 PrintingNewscom