Does UV coating = UV protection

[bhm8hwcm]

Hi might be a dumb question but I am wondering if UV coating something means it will have UV protection therefore eliminating fading. Or is it that the inks themselves must be UV inks to not fade?

I have a client looking for short run stickers printed on a vinyl and does not want them to fade. I wanted to see if they could be digitally printed and then UV coated with the UV offering some scratch resistance and fade protection.

thanks

 

[Cornishpastythighs]

Its the inks that have to be fade resistant I believe. UV coating offers higher gloss and better protection.

 

[Happyprinter]

Absolutely NOT! UV coating offers a little UV protection but we have learned thru trial and error and several job redo's, that it is very minimal and allows the sticker to fade very fast. We produced a bumper sticker several years ago and UV coated them only to have them returned about a month later due to fading. We now use our Epson GS 6000 and laminate any label that will be outside. So far, no problems.

 

[George T]

coating does not equal ink

coating does not equal ink

UV coating does NOT= UV protection! It's a common mistake to that it does, and to be honest the name kind of implies it. The only way to get your sticker to not fade is to use UV inks. Check out this page: Custom Cut Stickers It's a good example of how the stickers should look with the UV ink and the prices of a few different sites that do that kind of work.

 

[chevalier]

Others have already pointed out UV Coating refers to the way the coating cures not what it does/does not filter or reflect. Lightfastness varies upon the pigment used in the ink, toner, etc.