Most are familiar with traditional vinyl prints but sometimes you may want something a little different. For a little more sophisticated look, etched glass looks amazing but can be very pricey. There is a vinyl that actually mimics the look of acid etched or sand blasted glass. It is much more cost effective than traditional etchings and much easier to update or change your design look over time.
Our client not only knew they wanted an acid etched look, but also knew the type of vinyl that they wanted. Their choice was the high performance 3M 77255E Dusted Crystal Vinyl. This cast vinyl is used for window and mirror graphics. The windows they wanted us to use the vinyl on were all interior windows-one for their conference room and one for the Presidents office door. Since no laminate is required when using this type of vinyl, the material can be quite thin and difficult to manipulate. This particular brand is about 2 mil thick so it definitely was considered thin. This brand also had a low gloss effect. This allowed for low glare which is particularly important when working with glass or mirrors. Its synthetic liner helps the material to lay flat. It is recommended to use this vinyl with flat applications only and not for use on any curves.
The client did not want anything printed only the etched look. They chose their logo in a larger size for the board room and for the presidents office, they wanted her name name along with the logo in a smaller size. We cut out the design on our Graphtec Plotter and carefully removed the negative pieces from the graphic. We then used clear transfer tape to install. We cleaned and prepped the window and applied a very light mist of rapid tack (sometimes referred to in the industry as splash) to the glass before adhering the graphic. We gently squeegeed out the liquid and heated with a heat gun any remaining areas that seemed still slightly wet to diminish the chance of bubbles forming. Since the glass applications were interior we did not need to worry about direct sun. You should always remove any premask or application tape from the graphic immediately after application. Premask tape left on the graphic after application can quickly and permanently adhere to the graphic when exposed to sunlight.
There are so many products hitting the market every year that help us to offer better sign solutions. There is almost nothing that can’t be printed these days! When you want to try something different than what you currently have, we probably have a product just for you! Stop in anytime to discuss what your thoughts are regarding any new or replacement signs and we will be happy to create a plan. We are located at 1810 First Oaks Street Suite 160 in Richmond. We look forward to meeting with you soon!
