subject: Fading Of Color Printing [print this page] What You Did Not Know to Ask What You Did Not Know to Ask
First we must set a baseline for the discussion about the fading of color printing. Fading of color is a dilemma common to all industries. The plain truth is all color fades. Products such as carpeting, cars, decals, signs, banners, and a host of other products printed or pigmented with color fade.
The question we need to ask, How quickly does a products color fade? This answer to this inquiry depends on the method of how a product is tinted.
The product that is pigmented implies the products color is imbedded into the substrate. The pigmented product such as carpeting fades very slowly, but the product still fades. The product that is painted such as automobiles also fades gradually, but still fades.
The products that are printed such as decals, banners, signs, and other products exposed to sunlight. The process of printing these products utilizes two methods of printing, digital and screen-printing. The other methods of printing such as, flexography, offset will not be considered. These techniques are exclusively for indoor use.
I will highlight one product line, the plastic security sign. The plastic security sign is printed using the screen-printing method of printing. This technique is extremely fading resistance, but as noted before everything fades.
The question again, How quickly does a products color fade? The answer to this query depends on a few factors. The security lawn sign printed correctly will never fade to white. The printed colors will lighten over time, red may morph to an orange, dark blue may lighten.
The factor that lengthens or shortens the fading effect of a security sign is placement. The sign that is mounted facing north will not have significant color modification for five or more years. The security sign that is placed on the southern exposure will see color transformations in shorter durations. The east and west placements also have varying times of color degradation.
Little known fact
Screen-printing companies test the veracity of their inks, by placing the security sign on a test board facing south. Every month a sign is left on the test board is equivalent to four months of sun exposure.
To conclude plastic security signs will not fade to white. Color changes will occur differently due to sign placement. So the question, How long will my plastic security sign last? The answer is a general between 3-10 years.
