Outdoors, a sign is working against the weather every day it is up. Rain, road grime, bird droppings, cleaning and, above all, sunlight all take their toll on printed colour. Reds and yellows that looked striking at installation can drift and fade, and a sign that looks tired reflects on the business behind it.
Landor Liquid Lamination was developed with this kind of exposure in mind. It adds a protective layer for durability and lightfastness so prints can handle harsher environments, and it is used on signage and branding both indoors and outdoors.
What the coating does outside
- Helps resist fading. Colourjet contains integrated UV inhibitors that help guard against premature fading, which is often the first sign of ageing on outdoor graphics.
- Sheds water and grime. The coating protects against water and chemicals, so the sign can be cleaned without scrubbing at bare ink.
- Resists abrasion. Windblown grit, ladders and cleaning brushes are less likely to scratch through to the print.
Signs this suits
Printers use liquid lamination on fascia panels, hoardings, building wraps, estate and site boards, car park and wayfinding signs, and large-format banners. Because the coating is applied as a liquid, it is useful on large or awkwardly sized work where film lamination can be impractical.
Be realistic about display life
How long an outdoor sign lasts depends on far more than the coating: the substrate, the ink, which way the sign faces, local pollution and how it is maintained all play a part. We do not quote lifespans for this reason. What a coating does is extend display life compared with leaving the print unprotected, and help colours stay closer to the original for longer.
Before you produce
Solvent coatings do not suit every substrate or ink combination, and outdoor media vary widely. Coat a sample of your chosen material, printed on the same printer, and check adhesion and flexibility before committing to a full job. Landor Liquid Lamination is used with latex, UV and eco-solvent prints; see our compatibility page for more on matching coating to output.
For sign shops coating regularly, a liquid lamination machine gives a more even and consistent result than hand application, which matters on panels that will be seen side by side.
Have an outdoor job coming up? Speak to us on 01252 624 411 before you print and we will help you plan a sensible test.