- 5 Mil
- Cast Vinyl
- Engineer Grade
- 7 year outdoor life minimum life expectancy
- Temperature Resistance: -58 degrees F to 203 degrees F
9 shades of reflective vinyl are currently offered. We can however potentially print a custom color upon request.
To identify- the color in the options list is titled as Reflective within the color name.
Example:
Color name: "Reflective Red" reflects.
Color name: "Red" does not reflect.
There are a couple different types of reflective vinyl.
Road signs commonly use a material called Prismatic Reflective. There are prism shapes inside the material that create the reflection. If you get up close to a speed limit sign, you'll see a prism pattern within it.
Retroreflective Vinyl is what we use, which looks almost identical to a regular vinyl, but it has tiny glass beads in the material that reflect the light.
The material looks normal in most lighting situations.
It does not illuminate by itself and does not glow in the dark. A light source is required at just the right angle to reflect light back to your eyes. This means there is a chance to see reflection even during the daytime, although the effect is usually minimal and just offers a slight color change.
The vinyl comes to life when it's darker out. Headlights or street lighting at the right angle can provide the effect. If you want to see the effect immediately, just take a picture of the material with your camera flash on.
All colors reflect their own color back, except black. The color of black is the absense of light, so it Reflective Black will reflect white. Depending how much light is hitting the material, it can change from black to charcoal, to silver and white. If you want a pure black look, go with the Gloss Black or Matte/Flat black. Reflective Black will often change shades because it is continuously trying to reflect.
The color we call 'Reflective Light Silver' is known to everyone else as Reflective White. We call it light silver though because it's not a pure white. Remember those glass beads we mentioned above? They give the material a slightly silver look. When compared to white, this looks silver. When compared to silver, it looks white. Either way we can't win in trying to really explain the color so we just try to meet in the middle with calling it light silver.
Application:
The adhesive on the material has a very high tack. This means you get just one chance to set it. It is not repositionable and will adhere right way.
It is however a thicker vinyl than most, so can be easier to handle.
Reflective vinyl must always be applied dry and to an entirely clean surface. We recommend cleaning with liquid dish soap and water. Don't use alcohol or window cleaner.
Wet application is not recommended by any vinyl manufacturer (be it 3M, Oracal, Avery, etc...). Those little glass beads can retain the water and can actual discolor and cause "rust" looking spots.
Now that you know a bit more about what the material is and isn't, give it a try. It's super fun to look at and a sure way to GET NOTICED!
Check out some of these photos below, which we're sure at least one of them will "WOW" you! (coming soon)