It is safe to say that most people may not know the ingredients or processes for these custom vinyl films. They do, however, know that a short-term film should not be used for a vehicle wrap and that a cast film is overkill for a POP display that will only be used for a short term. This article will explain the differences between cast and calendered films.

What Makes Custom Vinyl

Let’s begin with a few of the basics on custom vinyl films. In order to make vinyl films, you have to use the same basic raw materials. We begin with polyvinylchloride (PVC) polymer, which is simply basic plastic, and is, by nature, relatively rigid. These ingredients include: plasticizer to make the film flexible, pigment to make the desired color, and additives to help achieve specific properties such as UV absorbers to improve resistance to UV radiation, heat stabilizers, fillers and processing aids.

Casting generally results in better quality films. The grade of plasticizer that is castoff to make the film flexible also greatly affects the grade of the film. Generally for pressure-sensitive adhesive films, you have to make a choice between polymeric and monomeric plasticizers. We won’t go into detail on the plasticizers in this article, but for simplicity’s sake consider polymeric to be the higher grade and monomeric to be the economy grade plasticizer. The combination of these factors greatly determines the durability of vinyl films.

Cast Films

Cast films are premium products with excellent durability and conformability characteristics. The term “cast” refers to the manufacturing process of this type of custom vinyl. Making a cast vinyl film is a lot like baking a cake. The vinyl begins with a “recipe” calling for a list of ingredients known as the formulation. These materials are put in a mixing churn in order while mixing at specific speed and for a set amount of time. This is to ensure a complete and consistent mixture. This liquid mixture, known as organosol, is then cast onto a moving web and a series of ovens handles it. This allows for the evaporation of solvents, which leaves a solid “film”. The film is then in large-diameter rolls for subsequent adhesive coating. The casting sheet determines the texture of the film.

Because the vinyl is cast on the sheet, this material offers dimensional stability. This process also allows the film to be very thin (most cast films are 2 mil), which helps with the conformability of the product. Material manufacturers recommend the use of cast films on substrates such as fleets, vehicles, recreational vehicles or boats where the customer wants a “paint-like” finish that will last a long time.

If you are needing custom printing contact CO Print Press 720-734-9994 print@coprintpress.com