Our A to Z of Wide Format – M is for Media

Applications, Bleed, RIP Software…. We get asked lots of questions about the world of Wide Format on a daily basis. At Signmaster we are here to help and our lovely team of experts have pulled together a handy A to Z guide answering the most frequently asked questions.

Introducing the Signmaster A to Z of Wide Format

This is a series of helpful blogs, guides and articles that we hope you will find useful. We will post a new blog every fortnight and we’d love to know what you think so please comment or drop us an email. We’d love to hear from you!

This week it’s all about M is for Media

So, you have invested thousands of pounds in your shiny new Roland or Mimaki Wide Format Printer. That was the easy choice, now the hard part is choosing your media. There is so much choice out there for you in the market but we have broken it down for you.

The main choices are:

Monomeric, Polymeric, Gloss, Matt, Satin, Clear Back, Grey back, but the list goes on and on…

The chances are you will have a requirement for all of the above as different applications will require different types of media.

However. the most popular media related question we get asked is: Which do I use, Monomeric or Polymeric vinyl? Let’s have a look at the main features and benefits of each.

Monomeric

Monomeric vinyl is an entry level vinyl which will normally last between 1-4 years. It’s a very popular choice for sign makers largely down to its price point.

Why would you use Monomeric vinyl?

• Attractive price point
• Ideal for flat applications
• Medium term life span
• Indoor applications
• Short term outdoor applications

Why wouldn’t you use Monomeric Vinyl?

• It suffers from shrinkage which could cause complaints from your customers
• Not great on uneven surfaces or curves
• Some very cheap imported products available that can be inconsistent in performance

Polymeric

Polymeric Vinyl is a great all-round vinyl and can be used for most applications. The life span is normally 5-7 years.

Why would you use Polymeric vinyl?

• Much longer life span than Monomeric
• You can apply this for most outdoor applications
• Can even apply around slight curves
• Less shrinkage therefore less complaints and increased customer satisfaction

Why wouldn’t you use Polymeric?

• It is more expensive than Monomeric
• If you only have a short-term indoor application

There are so many other media types such as PVC banner, garment decoration films, poster papers laminates, canvas material, window frosts, wallpapers all of which are available through Signmaster Systems.

At Signmaster Systems we are dedicated in testing all media before we sell it. We have a rigorous testing programme and we test all media across all the different technologies such as Solvent, Eco Solvent, UV and Latex.

We aim to give our customers complete peace of mind and you can rest assured that we would not sell any material unless we are prepared to use it ourselves.

For advice on what media would be best for your application please give us a call on 01948 662669.