Need info on printing decals

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deep six
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Need info on printing decals

Post by deep six »

Hi all

Hoping someone can help me out on this.

I need to print some decals, quite a few actually. around 200 different ones roughly. I run a small business specialising in reproduction motorcycle parts, quite a large percentage of my sales are in Decals.

I've been looking at making my own decals for some years now, A couple of ways I have investigated is by thermal print on a Gerber machine, or by screen printing. The Gerber machine option is just way out of my price range. A while back a friend suggested the best (and cheapest) way is to screen print. This is how they were made from the factory so what better way.

About a year ago I purchased a small screen print outfit but after looking at the amount of work involved I put the outfit back in its box and into storage. Must admit I'm not one for doing more work than is required and the machine print option seemed to be the way to go.

However I am revisiting the screen printing idea and hope to start printing out some decals soon.

I will be printing on to adhesive vinyl and so I have a couple of questions:

What sort of ink do I need to arrive at a decal with solvent resistant properties, I'm guessing some sort of solvent based ink!!

How do I go about cleaning the screens once I've finished a run given that I will possibly be using a solvent based ink.

Is the ink at hazourdous and do I need some sort of forced ventilation system.

Can I get some sort of colour chart to match ink colours to what I need.

Do inks have a shelf life and need to be used in a certain amount of time.

Can I apply a clear coat over the finished decal to give it extra longivity.

OK, thats about all I can think of for now, please understand I am a complete novice and appreciate all feedback.
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d fleming
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Re: Need info on printing decals

Post by d fleming »

Nazdar.com. They can answer all your questions about ink, ventilation, application, etc. All their products are top notch. However here goes:

What sort of ink do I need to arrive at a decal with solvent resistant properties, I'm guessing some sort of solvent based ink!!
You guessed right, nazdar 9700 or some of the gloss vinyl series might do.

How do I go about cleaning the screens once I've finished a run given that I will possibly be using a solvent based ink.
Rags and solvent based wash, clean screens and all tools.

Is the ink at hazourdous and do I need some sort of forced ventilation system.
Most are to some degree. Ventilation is always a great idea.

Can I get some sort of colour chart to match ink colours to what I need.
Absolutely.


Do inks have a shelf life and need to be used in a certain amount of time.
yes.

Can I apply a clear coat over the finished decal to give it extra longivity.
yes.
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