THE USE OF LACRYL 400 SPRAY AND LACRYL 800 SCREEN PAINT ON FLEXIBLE VINYL MATERIALS FOR BACK-LIT SIGNS OR AWNINGS

What is flexible vinyl? Flexible vinyl is composed of fabric, usually nylon, encapsulated in a heavy vinyl film. The vinyl film contains various levels of white pigment to control translucency. Flexible vinyl can also be obtained in various gauges (thicknesses).

Vinyl resin, in itself, is very hard and brittle. To produce a flexible film, it is necessary to incorporate plasticizers. The type and quantity used will determine how flexible the film is. Various stabilizers are also necessary to produce a quality product.

There are two basic flexible vinyl materials available today:
   1.  Flexible vinyl without a barrier coat
   2.  Flexible vinyl with a barrier coat

The purpose of the barrier coat is to prevent the plasticizers from migrating out of the film and causing:
   1.  The film to become brittle with age.
   2.  Softening of any decorative coatings that are used. The resulting tackiness may cause dirt pick-up.

LACRYL 400 and LACRYL 800 paints should be used on flexible vinyl as you would use it on any plastic surface. Application and use of SIGN STRIP would be the same. If the SIGN STRIP lifts from the edges, reseal cut lines by wiping with a 1:1 blend of isopropanol and water. No special precautions must be observed with respect to decoration. When the decoration of the flexible vinyl is completed, you must put a clear coat of LACRYL 499-F Vinyl Seal Coat over the entire flexible area. LACRYL 499-F is supplied ready-to-spray and is applied with a good thin box coat. LACRYL 499-F Vinyl Seal Coat is recommended for flexible vinyl with or without a barrier coat.

LACRYL 499-F Vinyl Seal Coat is designed to do the following:
   1.  It seals off the LACRYL against effects of vinyl plasticizers (tackiness) which can lead to dirt pick-up.
   2.  Since LACRYL colors vary in gloss, Lacryl 499-F evens out the gloss levels.

NOTE:  Heavy coats of LACRYL on vinyl should be avoided. If very dark or opaque colors are required, do not attempt to achieve these colors with transulcent paints, which will result in a very heavy paint build up on the vinyl. What may be necessary is a custom color match.

Contact Spraylat Corporation for assistance in producing colors that cannot be achieved with the normal number of coats of LACRYL.

For hot and humid climates, add 10% of LACRYL 223 Anti-Blush additive. This will slow down the drying process and will eliminate the blushing that occurs.

Lacryl has been used successfully for years on flexible vinyls designed for the sign industry. However, since vinyl sign face compostitions vary with each manufacturer, Spraylat cannot be sure that there will be no performance problem arising from ingredients in the vinyl which can affect the Lacryl.