Time and a Place Another material supplier in this sector is Drytac, which, like Soyang Europe, offers a range of laminating solutions, suitable for various applications. Among these are the Interlam Pro laminates, which include options for gloss and matte, as well as Interlam Pro Emerytex with a matte pebble textured finish. In addition, Drytac offers solutions within its Weathershield collection of high-performance, polymeric PVC overlaminating film. Again, all these are offered in gloss, matte, and Emerytex versions to support customers across various applications. However, as noted by Dennis Leblanc, senior product and business development manager at Drytac, there is a time and place for laminates, as well as occasions and applications when they might not be needed. “The most common use for lamination is to protect your output from the elements – such as UV degradation – and enhance outdoor durability. You can also use laminates to finish a job with gloss, lustre, or matte textures or to add an extra property to the graphic such as an anti-graffiti coating or slip resistance,” Leblanc says. “Laminates can also be used to add body and thickness to your output. This can be particularly useful when printing onto thinner materials; the extra layer will stop the graphic stretching and simplify the installation process.” Breaking this down into situations where lamination may be required, Leblanc highlights one example in UV protection. Here, he says lamination is a must for long-term applications if they are to stand the test of time, as these projects will be exposed to the elements and will need support if they are going to survive. If the focus is on protecting the ink layer of a graphic, Leblanc says consider laminating all long-term work – both indoors and outdoors – as well as pieces that will be situated in high traffic locations such as corridors and hallways. When considering lamination for finishing effects, Leblanc advises this is only necessary on some occasions as most print media is available in different finishes. He adds that newer print hardware even allows for gloss and matte output from the get-go via ink setup. In terms of short-term revolving graphics, Leblanc says outside of adding additional functionality to the graphic, in most shortterm applications you can eliminate the need for laminating by choosing a thicker print media with an easy install or removable adhesive solution. “These materials will do the job and avoid added cost and labour of lamination, providing savings for you and your clients,” Leblanc says, continuing: “Today’s print media offerings have addressed this with 4mil materials and dot adhesives for easy installation and 6mil removable solutions that won’t stretch as you work with them. “To that point, there are now textured solutions readily available that can provide scuff, scratch, and slip resistance on their own.” The message here is simple: lamination is much more than a way of protecting printed work. It opens up a world of opportunities for sign-makers and wide-format printers, allowing them to offer their own customers new options for finishing that adds value to printed pieces and opens up additional revenue streams on top of their established offering. LAMINATION EQUIPMENT | ROB FLETCHER Matching the type of material to the print is of huge importance Lamination in print is available in three primary options: gloss, matte, and soft-touch Factoid ▲ Soyang Europe recently rolled out its new SoSitck range of solutions 88 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 260 - August / September 2025
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