posted
Make sure to use the actual GerberColor cartridge. I have seen a lot of problems using other brand in terms of how long it lasts. Such as one sign, south facing (extreme amounts of direct sunlight) that only lasted about two and a half years. Same with some vehicle lettering. GerberColor seems to last a lot longer
-------------------- Jeff Green Taylor Signs jeff92@shaw.ca Posts: 113 | From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Registered: Dec 2002
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I've had the exact opposite results. Every time I used a 3rd party foil it bit me in the ass hard.
Felix.
In your environment I would stick to OEM materials and foils to get the true results of Thermal Printing to see how your environment effects them.
Any mix match of printing with this vinyl and that foil will not provide you with accurate results on how thermal as a whole will endure in your sunny environment.
I would get a test print from a wholesaler using Gerber products and see how it tests out.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Same with the company that I am currently working for. Every since we switched to Duracoat process colors, nothing lasts compared to the Gerbercolors. The GerberColors we lasting an easy 50% longer life than the Duracoat brand...
-------------------- Jeff Green Taylor Signs jeff92@shaw.ca Posts: 113 | From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Registered: Dec 2002
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1. I stand by what I said .... there is NO demonstrated superiority. In fact the new Process Pro CMYK foils from Gerber were developed because of the inferior performance from the Super CMYK predecessor.
2. In fairness, since having a rash of Gerber foil failures and opening my mind to third party foils, I also began using Duracoat's UV/Abrasion Guard foil and haven't had a problem since with sunfade .... premature or otherwise. I'm in Florida and Felix is in Puerto Rico. As such where durability is an issue, the appropriate response is either UV overprint or UV overlaminate. Don't leave home without it. You guys in cold country are most likely dealing with a whole different set of issues and as such your experiences are likely to be quite different than mine have been.
-------------------- Fred Weiss Allied Computer Graphics, Inc. 4620 Lake Worth Road Lake Worth, FL 33463 561 649-6300 allcompu@allcompu.com Posts: 427 | From: Lake Worth, Florida | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
You would think at the price they charge for them little machines, they would last a lot longer. A full size pick-up has just as much technology as one of them little buggers.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Don't forget that maintenance plays a big part of longevity too so a customer that doesn't take care of his work isn't going to get as much life out of it.. and that's a factor you can not possibly account for.
I've seen edge prints here in the desert fade/fail within 6 months, but this is an area where a brand new car can have a cracked dashboard because of the heat and intense UV, tires rated for 40,000 miles only last 15,000 here and if you get more than 2 years out of a car battery consider yourself dang lucky.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Felix, a few years ago we made an Edge print about 36" by 48", four color process with lots of reds and yellows. It was installed on the side of a building here in northern California with a full southern exposure. It catches full sun all through the middle of the day.
I dated the sign on the bottom, and from time to time go over and inspect it.
At the end of the first year it still looked like a new sign.
At the end of the second year it looked fine at a normal viewing distance, but a close inspection revealed that the color was starting to fail.
At the end of the third year the sign was starting to look a little beat, tired, but not bad enough to recommend instant replacement.
At four years it is looking pretty shabby.
I predict it will be a basket case at five years.
What is interesting is the way it is failing. The red that is there still appears to be red. It looks like rain is washing off the red and exposing yellow underneath. That is not the technical answer, that's just the way it looks.
Anyway, I believe Gerber's performance promises more than the other foil vendors even though I also used others when I was still in the business. I always defaulted to Gerber for the tough duty jobs. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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A pick up truck will not make me the same amount of return on my investment either.
It is all relevent, Paint doesn't last as long either, when I aksed Frank Manning why one-shot is coming out with all these clear, he stated our UV is worse than it's ever been. Not that the paints won't last as long as before but the UV wull break them down faster than before.
Fred,
I don't dispute you don't see any difference in foils, I have, right off the bat, and with amazing differences......go figure
Isn't it wonderful to have choices?
I would have great concern for the life of an edge print or inkjet print in the Felix's local.
but I would test it, and see.
Using Gerber's warranty with thier matched materials will at least giveyou a guid line to start from. And if something fails, one call can solve most prolems.
Unlike the finger pointing blame game the 3rd party foil companies play, claiming " oh it's not our fault "
[ August 21, 2004, 12:14 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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