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They say (whoever they are) that the three most important principles in real estate are location, location, and location. But when applying graphics to window real estate, the three most important principles are planning, planning, and planning. The three primary factors affecting a successful window installation, and thus require additional planning, are the environment, the material used for the application, and preparing the surface it’s being applied to.
The Goldilocks Effect
While at first blush a window graphics application would seem to be one of the simplest, it has to be well-planned since the environment plays a much larger role. Failure in the field is often due to extremes in heat and cold.
And, though the ambient temperature outside might seem fine and fall within the manufacturer’s recommended application temperature range, the window surface may be much colder or much warmer than recommended. So, if the air temperature is 80, but the glass has been in direct sunlight for hours, the surface itself may be too hot for a successful application.
“When you’re applying the graphics, you should scout the location to see which direction the sun is hitting the surface. If the windows are in direct sunlight during the installation and they’re too hot, you’re asking for failure,” says installation professional Keith Bernard of Road Signs in Sarasota, Fla. “If the windows are facing east, for instance, you have to wait until later in the afternoon to install when the sun is hitting the building from the west, and vice-versa. There’s a lot more planning involved with structured window installs. With a vehicle wrap you can bring it inside, which you obviously can’t do with a window.”
Bernard adds the problem can be magnified by a graphic with a lot of dark-colored graphics as the dark colors absorb the heat of the sun. Still, the sun can be beneficial when it’s cold, bringing the surface temperature within the range needed for a successful, long-lasting installation. If you’d like a device to measure the surface temperature so that you’re absolutely sure you’re installing it within the manufacturer’s recommended temperature range, click here.
The Boy Scout Effect
In humid climates, the difference between the inside air temperature and the outdoor air temperature creates its own variations, as well as unwanted moisture. Thus, preparing the surface properly is crucial to a smooth installation.
In addition to wiping off any excess moisture, you should clean the glass with a non-silicone cleaner. Windex is out of the question, as it leaves behind an invisible residue that will affect adhesion. Bernard uses a foam cleaner that’s silicone-free.
Bernard uses both wet and dry applications techniques, but is careful to choose either technique based on the material being used. Dry applications are recommended for vinyl materials with air channels, such as those used for vehicle wraps to eliminate bubbles, or perforated materials, like SEETHRU-SIGN® STSWBF2 Perforated Vinyl for Window Graphics.
Bernard prefers wet applications for calendered window vinyl, such as FLEXmark® V 400 F White V-327 Low Tack Vinyl for Window Advertising. He uses Rapid Tac II style="color: #000000;">, which is designed to accelerate the adhesive to the glass surface and provides a bubble-free installation.
“We would never use a wet application with window perf or vinyl with air channels since each hole would trap the fluid and affect the installation, but with a typical adhesive-back vinyl you can. If you’re doing spot coverage, then you don’t really need a wet application, but for full coverage a wet application is recommended so that it looks nice from the inside and outside,” says Bernard.
For dry applications, Bernard first tapes the graphic with about an inch overlap to the frame around the window, then pulls the backing off at those points and tacks the graphic to the frame. Then, he starts from the middle and squeegees the material onto the glass. As he gets closer to the edge he releases the vinyl off the frame and tucks it inside. “That way, we’re not stretching the vinyl, and we’re able to get the vinyl right up against the frame or the rubber seal.”
The key is not to stretch the vinyl, since most window applications utilize calendered film, which Bernard recommends over cast vinyl. Cast vinyl would simply be overkill for this type of installation and since it’s more conformable it’s more sensitive to the extreme temperature variations found on glass.
The Code Nazi Effect
Another alternative to an exterior application, particularly when sign codes don’t permit exterior window applications, is to adhere the graphic to the inside of the window.
For window graphics that need to be applied to the inside of a window and viewed from the outside, LexJet offers LexJet FaceMount 70/30 Perforated Film.
The film is see-through on one side and opaque on the other, and can be applied with LexJet FaceMount Window Tape to the inside of the window for perfect point-of-sale one-way window graphics.
For two sided-window graphics, LexJet offers JETbond® UVJ210 for UV-curable printing, and LexJet Two-Way Light Block SUV for solvent and UV-curable ink sets.
For JETbond® UVJ210, the basic printing and installation process is to print the JETbond® UVJ210, reverse print FLEXmark® V 400 H Clear V-327 Low Tack Vinyl for Window Advertising, remove the liner from the JETbond® UVJ210, laminate the reverse-printed clear film to the adhesive side of the JETbond® UVJ210, and dry mount the clear film to the window.
LexJet’s Two-Way Light Block SUV can be easily applied directly to windows wrinkle-free with Neschen Gudy Window mounting adhesive from LexJet for double-sided window applications, or it can be attached with window display hardware. And, since LexJet Two-Way Light Block SUV doesn’t curl, it’s perfect for double-sided hanging graphics.
LexJet Two-Way Light Block SUV is a tear-resistant polyester film that lays flat for quick and easy production and installation. The film provides high color definition on a scratch-resistant surface. No lamination is necessary – print, trim, and ship for all kinds of double-sided graphic displays.
The trick is registering the two sides. This is relatively simple to do with a flatbed UV-curable printer since you can run it in flatbed mode and align it along the rail. It’s a little trickier with solvent, and since each printer rolls, feeds, scrolls, and takes up differently, it takes some experimentation.
The first thing to do is provide an extra inch or so of image bleed on one side and center the image on the roll. Then, flip it over and print the other side. If there’s some offset of the two images it shouldn’t be noticeable thanks to the extra bleed. The experimentation comes into play when you try to figure out where, exactly, the printer starts printing on the roll and feeds through as it prints.
If you have any questions about window installations and the proper materials to use, contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538.