In the ever-evolving world of the sign and graphics industry, innovation is the key to staying ahead. Traditional materials like wood, metal, and paper have served us well, but as technology advances and demands grow, it’s time to explore new horizons. Enter performance plastics – a game-changer that offers excellent versatility, durability, and aesthetics, making them the ideal solution for modern signage and graphic applications.
Unleashing Creativity with Unmatched Versatility
Performance plastics, also known as engineered plastics, offer an unprecedented level of versatility that outshines their traditional counterparts. When it comes to creating visually stunning signs and graphics, these materials are a blank canvas limited only by your imagination.
Unlike wood, which requires extensive crafting and finishing, or metal, which can be heavy and challenging to shape, performance plastics offer ease of fabrication and customization. Whether you’re envisioning intricate designs, complex shapes, or vibrant colors, performance plastics allow for precise detailing and effortless execution.
Durability Beyond Compare
One of the most significant advantages of performance plastics lies in their exceptional durability. While traditional materials can succumb to the elements, wear and tear, and the test of time, performance plastics stand long and strong. They are inherently resistant to moisture, UV rays, chemicals, and extreme temperatures, ensuring your signage remains vibrant and intact, even in harsh conditions.
Wood can warp and rot, metal can rust, and paper can easily tear – but performance plastics are engineered to maintain their structural integrity, preserving the quality of your signage for years to come. This unparalleled resilience translates to lower maintenance costs and increased customer satisfaction.
Outdoor Signage & UV Stabilized Signs
Most of us can support the fact that many store fronts and businesses or restaurants have some weathered and beaten-up signs in need of TLC. Mother nature can have harsh effects on any outdoor signage, such as warping and fading, making signage look dull and in need of replacement. Vycom’s TimberLine is included in one of the many top applications for outdoor signage because of its high level of performance and durability against mother nature and the sun’s UV rays while simulated the natural look of a wood product.
The key advantage of using TimberLine for your signage is due to its excellent scratch resistance and weatherability (UV stabilized), along with material characteristics ensuring that it won’t rot, splinter, swell, or absorb moisture. Timberline also has great impact resistance and stiffness. With these qualities, your signage will always look new and refreshed, which is vital for representing your brand and overall messaging in the best manner possible.
When you choose Vycom’s TimberLine for your outdoor signage, you have a variety of colors to choose from including variegated and solid color collections, ranging from lighter whites to dark wood shades all in woodgrain finishes. Thicknesses range from .25”, .5”. and .75”. Lastly, TimberLine HDPE is eco-friendly and recyclable at the end of its serviceable life through Vycom’s Recycling Program.
The outdoor signage doesn’t stop there, as Vycom has one more ideal product for these environments: Playboard Polycarve. This is a multi-colored HDPE material where the outside layer and the inside core are different colors. The product can be routed so the inner core color can be visible. Playboard Polycarve is available in thicknesses starting at ½” up to ¾”.
The top applications where it can be used are playground systems, general signage, and recreational places like amusement parks and resorts. The reasons why Playboard Polycarve is optimal for these areas is due to its weatherability (UV stabilized), excellent scratch resistance, ability to be easily cleaned, doesn’t absorb moisture, and it will not delaminate, rot, or splinter. All these benefits support Playboard Polycarve being an excellent material selection for outdoor signage when it comes to recreational usage.
Lightweight and Easy Installation
Performance plastics, in addition to their durability, can be impressively lightweight. Their excellent strength-to-weight ratio not only simplifies the installation process but also reduces transportation costs and facilitates handling. Unlike heavy metal signage that requires intricate mounting systems, plastic signs can be easily hung or affixed, saving time and effort.
Their lightweight nature also opens new possibilities for unique installations, from hanging signs to 3D structures, without the need for extensive support or reinforcement.
Sustainability and Eco-Friendliness
In an era where sustainability is a global priority, performance plastics shine as an eco-friendly alternative. Traditional materials like wood and metal can contribute to deforestation and resource depletion. Moreover, plastics derived from renewable sources and those that can be recycled add another layer of sustainability to the equation.
Many performance plastics are recyclable and contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of your signage and graphic projects. By choosing these materials, you’re making a positive impact on the environment while delivering top-notch products to your clients.
In addition, the Vycom team understands that in this day in age it is important to be environmentally conscious. To do our part we are constantly seeking out new and better ways to make our products eco-friendlier. Our PVC signboard materials are lead and heavy metal free, which optimizes performance while being environmentally friendly. In addition, our industry-leading PVC and acrylic recycling program keeps work-in-progress scrap and end-of-life signage out of landfills, repurposing those materials into long-lasting performance products.
Aesthetic Appeal and Modern Sophistication
Beyond their functional benefits, performance plastics offer a sleek and modern aesthetic that aligns perfectly with contemporary design sensibilities. Their smooth surfaces, vibrant colors, and ability to mimic the appearance of other materials like wood, glass or metal allow for striking visual effects and prints that captivate audiences.
Whether you’re designing signs for retail spaces, corporate offices, exhibitions, outdoor events, or countless other applications, performance plastics provide a sophisticated touch that resonates with the modern consumer.
Vycom Premium Signboard Solutions for Your Signage and Graphics Applications
Vycom’s Celtec® family of premium signboard solution material, proudly manufactured in the USA, is designed with a unique combination of features which make them ideal for digital and screen printing, signage, exhibits, POP and more.
We continue to provide our premium signboard solutions to the graphics industry including our flagship Celtec® brand of expanded PVC substrates that are UL 94 V-0 rated, certificate #E120155. With one of the broadest range of thicknesses, colors, and textures available in the market, and our ability to customize and run to size, Vycom can provide materials for all types of printing and fabrication needs.
In Conclusion
In the dynamic world of the sign and graphics industry, embracing innovation is non-negotiable. Performance plastics stand as a testament to the advancements in material science, offering unparalleled versatility, durability, and aesthetic appeal that surpass traditional materials like wood, metal, and paper.
With their limitless creative potential, resistance to the elements, ease of installation, sustainability, and modern sophistication, performance plastics have emerged as the superior solution for elevating signage and graphics to new heights. As we continue to push the boundaries of design and functionality, performance plastics are undeniably leading the way into a bold and exciting future for the industry.
Vycom’s digital printing and signage products are designed to replace wood, metal, and other traditional materials to outweigh the negative effects that come from these traditional materials like rotting, splintering, and corrosion.
To learn more about Vycom’s premium signboard solutions, visit our website at: https://www.vycomplastics.com/applications/digital-and-screen-printing-materials/.
