Frequently Asked Questions about
CONVEX Vinyl applications and uses:

Q: Why doesn’t anything stick to gas tanks?

Vinyl will only stick to plastic gas tanks for a short time. Initially, it will stick, but the plastic is porous and under pressure. Petroleum will penetrate the plastic; the vapors are usually under pressure and are forced through the sides of the tank into the adhesive. That will cause the adhesive to release. The appearance is called “blistering.” You can push it back down or clear-coat an area on the tank before putting gas in it.

Another option is to buy an aluminum tank if one is available and you really want graphics on it.

Q: What are those tiny bubbles that seem to appear under the laminate?

The industry term is called “silvering.” When the liner is pulled off the pressure-sensitive adhesive, it creates minor points where the adhesive releases. In between those points, the air gets trapped. As the adhesive sets, it smooths out, and the air bubbles dissipate. If you have the option of heating the laminate (we suggest 100˚F), it will aid in softening the adhesive and reducing the appearance of air bubbles. One thing to remember is that the faster you laminate, the more air will be trapped. Either way, with vinyl, the silvering will go away over time. It will typically take one to 8 hours to fully dissipate, depending on the ambient temperature and the softness of the adhesive. With CONVEX and Pro-Shield laminates, it’s usually gone within 4 hours from when you laminate.

Q: Why can’t I find a profile for CONVEX vinyl?

We used to make custom profiles for materials when we sold ink jets, but we found that all ink jets print differently from one brand to another, from one resolution to another, and from one media to another.

To make a profile, the first step is to set an ink limit (how much ink you can deposit on the media). Once the ink limit is determined, a grey scale must be recreated (linearization). Once the linearization is fed back into the software, color swatches are printed and scanned to create the ICC profile. To get it right, each RIP, resolution, speed, and number of passes you will use should be profiled for each material.

Most people we speak with will download a generic profile, tweak an existing one, and possibly over-saturate a print. If you over-saturate the color, it may not fully out-gas by the time you laminate it with a thick laminate. See the next question, “What can cause the laminate to release from my inkjet print.”

Due to our experience, we suggest investing in a profile-making solution; your RIP vendor may have recommendations.

Q: What can cause a laminate to release from my ink jet print?

If a laminate releases from a print, typically, it’s because the print is still out-gassing. If the adhesive is still on the laminate, the weak point is between the ink and the adhesive. If the bond becomes one with the ink and stays on the print while the film releases from it, the ink has caused the adhesive to become weak enough to come off the laminate film.

This doesn’t happen with dry processes such as thermal transfer printing. We have had plenty of ink jet users tell us they have to over-saturate to hit the colors they want because they can’t make their own profiles. Over-saturating causes long out-gassing times. And today’s inks, particularly solvents, are designed to penetrate deep into the vinyl. If you want to know why we don’t supply profiles, please see the question before this one.