Effects of UV Rays on Vinyl
One of the problems associated with vinyl banners used outdoors is that it is at the mercy of the Australian sun. We have all lived through an Aussie summer (well those Aussies reading this article have) and we know how harsh it can be.
The effect sun light, UV radiation in particular is that it will eventually fade the life, the colour out of vinyl (or any other fabric) that stays exposed to the sun long enough, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
What we can do however is find ways to put off the inevitable, to slow down the process and extend the useful life of our banners by months and hopefully years.
The burning question (sorry I could not resist the pun) is how do we delay the onset of colour fade on 3 square metres of digitally printed coloured vinyl?
You may be thinking of a sun block like the ones we use to avoid sun burn our bodies. Well if you are, you’re on the right track, though I have to admit, the thought of pink zinc painted all over your banner may slow down the fading but who will be able to read your message anyway?
The answer to this problem is fabric protector. I use a popular off the self product that is designed for auto use, it Amours my vinyl banners and reduces the fade quite considerably.
These fabric protection products are specifically designed to preserve vinyl and plastic surfaces and while reducing the amount of UV light that they let in to do damage, they still allow the underlying surface (in this case your sales message) to shine through.
There are a bucket full of different types of these vinyl fabric products available, some cheaper others are well… not so cheap. Regardless of which brand you decide to use on your new vinyl banner, make sure that the solution you use is water based not solvent based.
If you are not sure if your fabric protector is OK, try using just a little bit of it on the corner of your vinyl banner, I usually experiment around the eyelets just in case there is an issue. If you can see no apparent problem in say half an hour after application, you should be fine to try it on the rest of your banners surface.
Be gentle when applying the fabric protector. I prefer to apply it with a damp cloth, an old T-Shirt is good, spray some solution onto the damp fabric and rub it gently onto your banner.
You may have to do this every now and then depending on your local conditions, thought in the long run you will not only protect and increase the life of your vinyl banner. It will stay looking good far longer and do it’s job better for you for a longer period.
If you have any tips on protecting your vinyl banner, I would be pleased to hear from you.
Cheers
Steve
