PRELIMINARY
Quick-Sign Gold SOLVENT/LATEX PRINTABLE gold material is compatible with solvent-based inks, including EcoSol Max, EcoSol, Full (High) Solvent and Lyson inks, and for use with most solvent ink and latex printers.
Always make a test print and cut first before proceeding with the job.
OPACITY
The solvent/latex ink jet process is essentially a four color process and because of material’s reflectivity, certain criteria must be taken into account. The printing process depends on the translucent qualities of the inks in order to achieve the endless array of color variations. Inks, other than black, will be translucent over the material and will allow beautiful effects to be achieved. Deep, beautiful “candy-color” effects are achievable. Just keep in mind that the opaque color effect will not happen with material compared to using white media due to the way the translucent inks work with the color underneath. Translucent inks need the white color media to enrich the ink color to make it vibrant and solid covering.
3RD PARTY CUTTING
When using the material in separate printer and cutter situations, you should be sure your equipment is capable of manual registration practices. Many cutters have optic sensors that locate printed registration marks, and use these registration marks to properly align printed media for contour cutting. Often these optic sensors have a difficult time locating the registration marks. These stand-alone cutters can usually be taken out of automatic mode and will accommodate manual registration mark location. A list of most major cutters is located at the end of this instruction sheet with contact information to help you.
Some customers have tried printing the registration marks on standard white and then placed these registration marks over the ones on the gold. These must be placed in exact position to get a perfectly registered cut. Applying application tape around insures a nice print and cut piece of work. This procedure keeps the reflectivity from interfering with the optic sensors.
STORAGE & HANDLING
This material should be stored in its original packaging, including the protective plastic sleeve. Avoid handling the printable surface of the material as the residual oils in your skin can contaminate the surface causing poor printing quality and ink adhesion.
PRINT PROFILES
When assigning a printer profile for the material, choose an INTERMEDIATE GLOSS WHITE media profile. Extensive testing has shown that this generic profile will produce the desired translucent “candy-color” effects while still allowing for opaque blacks.
When possible, always make a small test print on the material to check for color accuracy as the gold can affect your color palette. For example, printing a light, pale red can result in an orange hue, as red and gold (yellow) create orange on the color wheel. The same would apply to light blues resulting in a pale aqua tone.
CUTTING
Always make a test cut prior to proceeding with cutting the entire job. A 45 degree blade is recommended to help eliminate drag on the material as it is being cut. Make sure the blade is new or sharp. Do a test cut on a Helvetica Medium “A” or “N” to check for sharpness.
LAMINATION
Laminating your print is a very important part of the job. Our material warranty is for 10 yeas but the printing inks need protection against abrasion and UV. The sketch on reverse side shows how to achieve an overlap that will act as an edge-seal to protect the edges.
Recommended laminates: 3M 8519, OraCal 290 and Gerber’s G5. Other laminates may be fine but test first. Note that some laminates are 5 year products and some 9 year products–Choose wisely for your expected durability requirements. Do not use calendered laminates with Quick-Sign Gold Products. Use the best high performance clear laminate possible. Check with our tech advisor for tested laminates best for your project.
