The basis of any printing workshop is printing technology. Labeling equipment is the most popular and demanded equipment in the enterprise. Consider what types of machines are used in the manufacture of self-adhesive pictures.
What are stickers for?
Stickers on a glue basis have a very wide range of applications: from small barcodes on goods in stores to branding of various modes of transport. The vinyl base has good adhesion to any kind of surface: glass, wood, plastic, metal. Due to the high level of abrasion, excellent moisture resistance and color retention, adhesive-based patterns can be used not only inside buildings, but also on the street.
Production technology
Vinyl stickers are classified according to the manufacturing principles:
- Full-color - applying a color image to a self-adhesive PVC film. As a result, you can get high-quality stickers of photographic quality.
- Application - the manufacture of individual elements of the assigned form from a color film. When performing such work, a plotter is required for the production of stickers - a special machine that performs thin and precise cuts on vinyl in accordance with the layout.
- Contour cutting is a symbiosis of two technological processes. The machine for the production of labels performs the process of full-color printing on a roll of film, followed by cutting along the contour of the image. The shape of the finished product can be absolutely arbitrary. Such labels are most convenient to use.
Manufacturing equipment
The simplest label making machine is the electronic scale in the supermarket, which weighs the goods while printing the price tag. This type of technique is called boilerplate because it is designed to print only one type of sticker.
At a professional printing company, an order for a large number of stickers containing several colors in their image is executed on offset printing machines. This is the most common type of technology, characterized by high print quality and high speed.
With a small print run, it makes sense to use screen printing equipment for the production of stickers. In this case, the transfer of text or image to the main material occurs from a printed grid (special form). Paint, squeezed through microscopic cells, remains on paper in the form of a given pattern. This printing method is called silkscreen printing. High-quality printing of stickers is guaranteed when using no more than three colors.
For the manufacture of the minimum number of self-adhesive stickers, you can use simple office equipment. The label printer can be inkjet or laser. As a basis, Orakal or Xerox type adhesive paper with a matte or glossy surface is used. The color palette is represented by a wide variety of shades, so you can produce laser black and white printing.
When using labels made with a printer, you should take into account the specifics of printing technology. Inkjet printer inks are water-based, so the products printed on it are suitable for indoor use only.To protect against external influences and increase the service life, the front side of the labels can be covered with a thin layer of laminated film.
Vinyl Car Stickers
Decorating cars with color film is becoming an increasingly popular service. The low cost of manufacturing and applying vinyl drawings also speaks in favor of the chosen method. Airbrushing or immersion printing is much more expensive. In addition, obsolete or damaged self-adhesive film is easy to replace with a new one.
Given the specifics of the operating conditions, compliance with certain requirements for the selected material and manufacturing method is required. For applying stickers on the paintwork surface of a car body, a special transparent or white vinyl film is used. The surface of the material (matte or glossy) is almost not exposed to aggressive environmental conditions. With a careful attitude to the car body, stickers can withstand up to five years.
Equipment for the production of car stickers consists of a large-format printer and a cutting plotter. The layout of the image is created using graphic programs with subsequent transfer to a printing device. To improve image quality and increase the duration of the operation period, print at high resolution (at least 720 dpi).
The use of plotter cutting is optimal in the manufacture of large-sized adhesive fragments. For example, in this way they make colored letters for applying textual information.
The process of applying a film to a car
In order for the sticker to get maximum adhesion to the surface of the body, the machine, first of all, should be thoroughly washed and dried. Before gluing, the working surface must be degreased. Apply the film gradually, carefully separating the paper backing. It is convenient to smooth the surface with a spatula made of rubber or soft plastic.
In order for the self-adhesive drawings to retain their original appearance for as long as possible, it is advisable to additionally apply a transparent protective film. A car with stickers is not recommended to be cleaned with automatic car washes; it is much better to wash it manually.
