Making Reflective Property Stickers.....

[AL Ursich]

I am looking for a way to make 1 x 2 inch reflective white stickers printed with red and black logo's and text for a Fire Department.

I tried this a few months ago using Sublimation ink on 3M White Reflective Vinyl. It shriveled up and the glue became less effective. So that idea is out.

I have a CLTT Laser printer. Could I print directly on the Vinyl with the KM 5450 printer? Rather than melt a mess in my printer I thought I would ask first? Could I transfer with the CLTT paper in my heat press?

I have a Epson R1800. Could I print directly on white 3M reflective with dye based ink and overlay a clear vinyl? Anyone doing this?

I have searched a few label websites and they use printer plotters with the clear overlay.

I could manually cut the resulting stickers.

Any ideas?

AL

[Joe Pelonio]

I have done many of those in the past but they were screenprinted. Yes, there are printers like the Gerber Edge and Roland Print/Cut plotter that will also do it. You could sub it out to someone with the that kind of equipment.

Avery Dennison has a new reflective film that will work with solvent, eco-solvent and UV-curable ink jet printers but it's available only in 48" rolls.

The 3m films are compatible with some piezo ink jet printers, you might check with Epson, I think they use the piezo heads on some of theirs, maybe yours.

[AL Ursich]

Screen Printing is out for me mostly due to the water use. I have a dry shop, low impact Zoning.... To do the washout in the house wouldn't be much fun.

The White Reflective Vinyl did print to some degree in the Color Laser printer on Thick 2 setting and the bypass tray. Will scrape off with a finger nail but I shot some with some Frog Spit or juice. I need to get some vinyl overlay too.

Would like to fire up my extra R1800 with regular ink and see how it marks the Vinyl. It's been an adventure.

A Learning curve.....

AL