Graphics - teach me please....

[Coffee]

How are they made? I want to get some durable custom stickers made for bikes - how are graphics normally made and using what material?


Someone gave me some awesome graphics (red "H") that I believe were made using a vinyl graphic material on a vinyl cutter.


I would settle for a web site that does custom graphics for bikes that I could search for answers and (hopefully) call them.

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[Motosportz]

Most do. Decalworks does.

 

[Michael Lueders]

Plus one on Decal Works. Custom layers and colors. The vinyl you speak of is best suited for only a few color layers and short run orders (custom work short runs). You need volume. Start with Decal works and go from there.

 

[Coffee]

Plus one on Decal Works. Custom layers and colors. The vinyl you speak of is best suited for only a few color layers and short run orders (custom work short runs). You need volume. Start with Decal works and go from there.

Most do. Decalworks does.

This place?
http://www.makemyownstickers.com/prod.ihtml?pid=172

Which was a link from
http://www.decalmx.com/mxdecals.ihtml



You have both received some stickers I had made, how useful would stickers made of that material be? Useless?

 

[Michael Lueders]

This place?
http://www.makemyownstickers.com/prod.ihtml?pid=172

Which was a link from
http://www.decalmx.com/mxdecals.ihtml



You have both received some stickers I had made, how useful would stickers made of that material be? Useless?

A novelty. Not water proof and won't last with UV exposure.

Oh...and yes on both of the above links...that's your starting point.

 

[Hoder]

You mean like this?
http://www.ridepg.com

 

[Coffee]

Most do. Decalworks does.

Plus one on Decal Works. Custom layers and colors. The vinyl you speak of is best suited for only a few color layers and short run orders (custom work short runs). You need volume. Start with Decal works and go from there.

Could either of you explain how Decal Works products would compare to a standard everyday promotional sticker people put on cars? Some of those last for years.

?

 

[Motosportz]

Could either of you explain how Decal Works products would compare to a standard everyday promotional sticker people put on cars? Some of those last for years.

?

These are much higher quality and will last nearly forever on a car. These are bike graphics like any high quality graphic kit for your bike. Also very expensive. A local sticker place should be able to make some durable outdoor stickers for you for much less.

 

[gandalf]

Speaking of a car, I think a static cling window sticker would be very cool.

 

[Coffee]

Speaking of a car, I think a static cling window sticker would be very cool.

Yes it would.

FYI to everyone - I'm not reading the other graphics thread to tomorrow so I can concentrate on the information when the printing shops are open.

 

[Hwy]

I know this is an old thread but to answer Coffee's question:

Normal graphics for large production runs are screen printed on clear vinyl and back flooded with white ink. Top lamination is added for protection and then a 3M adhesive is added to the backs. Costly for short runs.

Custom and short run graphics are solvent based inks on white or clear vinyl that already has the adhesive (normally 1-2 mils of adhesive) and then laminated for protection. This method when done properly has 3-5 year life span.

Lastly, die cut colored vinyl graphics are layered with colored vinyls and NOT laminated. The draw-back is limited color choices, no printing and no fills or gradients. Long life span but not suited for motor sports.

We produce graphics using the second method with our Roland equipment.

 

[Pete]

Make gripper stickers like this and you wont be able to make enough of them i reckon. Whatever you make it should be so sticky you need to buy new plastics to get the stickers off - peeling stickers are SO frustrating!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3565669856_eb76c9643d_b.jpg

 

[Hwy]

Make gripper stickers like this and you wont be able to make enough of them i reckon. Whatever you make it should be so sticky you need to buy new plastics to get the stickers off - peeling stickers are SO frustrating!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3565669856_eb76c9643d_b.jpg

Nah, graphics are easy to dis-mount with heat - it's the goo left behind that can be the messy proposition!

 

[Dirtdame]

Whatever you make it should be so sticky you need to buy new plastics to get the stickers off - peeling stickers are SO frustrating!

My stock stickers started to fall off my bike in the first 15 minutes of riding it.

 

[dfeckel]

I can't believe they lasted that long...

Both of my Huskies had peeling stickers on the drive home from picking them up!

 

[Riksha]

My stock stickers started to fall off my bike in the first 15 minutes of riding it.

Hopefully your dealer gave you new plastics that were warrantied -side panels, tank shrouds, headlight cowl?

 

[Dirtdame]

Hopefully your dealer gave you new plastics that were warrantied -side panels, tank shrouds, headlight cowl?

Yeah, I was surprised. I would have thought that I would have just gotten new stickers. So now I have some nice spares hanging on the wall in the garage. The stickers only fell off of the white side panels, although later on, a fall here and there and running through brush began to peel back the ones on the tank shrouds. The headlight cowl is still just fine.

 

[Hwy]

My stock stickers started to fall off my bike in the first 15 minutes of riding it.

It's not just Husqvarna OEM graphics that fail quickly. KTM and Yamaha are two that are miserable quality. Kawasaki has the best OEM graphics as does Montesa/HRC (Honda,Spain)

That said, my theory as to why OEM graphics fail is this:
Newly made plastics from the factory still have a release agent on them from the production line. Being that they are Polyurethane and of the "low energy" to boot- little time is most likely spent on prepping the surface for proper adhesion.
Even with the best graphic materials, if the surface is not prepped, clean and free of all contaminates, the graphics will fail in short order.

Only three manufacturing companies exists for this specialty vinyl needed for motorsports - Every graphic company worth their weight will use these and pay a premium for these materials.

 

[WoodsChick]

It's not just Husqvarna OEM graphics that fail quickly. KTM and Yamaha are two that are miserable quality. Kawasaki has the best OEM graphics as does Montesa/HRC (Honda,Spain)
That said, my theory as to why OEM graphics fail is this:
Newly made plastics from the factory still have a release agent on them from the production line. Being that they are Polyurethane and of the "low energy" to boot- little time is most likely spent on prepping the surface for proper adhesion.
Even with the best graphic materials, if the surface is not prepped, clean and free of all contaminates, the graphics will fail in short order.

Only three manufacturing companies exists for this specialty vinyl needed for motorsports - Every graphic company worth their weight will use these and pay a premium for these materials.

The graphics on my brand new `01 Yamaha WR250F were the worst ever! You could stand in the garage and literally watch them deteriorate before your very eyes. The graphics on Eric's `02 WR426 were no better. The stock graphics on our `02 and `03 GasGases are still hanging in there and looking good, the only blemishes being from where we've thrown them off mountains and such. I've been quite impressed with the very thick and durable Spanish stickers



WoodsChick

 

[Coffee]

Ironically the stickers were made well before Christmas 2008 and as far as I can tell they are awesome.

• They stick quite well.
• They don't seem to fade (yet).
• They seem surprisingly durable.

But maybe someone will have another opinion on those things.


They were made at the local shop cause they were willing to do the final design while I sat interacting with the designer. That is the advantage of using local people.