"Easy to apply, bubble-free graphics," What Does This Actually Mean?

By Cathy Radoncic

Keeping bubbles out of signage and print applications is key to the success of a project. After all, there is little worse than producing a fantastic, eye-catching piece of printed work only for all this to come undone when unsightly bubbles appear during the installation process.

This can be extremely frustrating for installers, but the good news is that there are many effective solutions, primarily in the form of the media that sign-makers and printers choose to work with.

Drytac offers two types of bubble-free technologies within its wider range: Pattern Coated Adhesive and Air Egress Release Liner Technology. Both of these deliver the same promise to the user – eliminating the issue of bubbles from the application – but each does so in its own way.

Beginning with Dot Pattern Adhesive, this can be found on all products in the Drytac SpotOn range. With these solutions, the bubble-free technology is in the actual adhesive on each film.

The adhesive is coated in a dot pattern rather than a smooth or standard coating of adhesive. This means any air trapped during the installation of graphics can escape via negative space between dot pattern adhesives. As such, this makes the install process easier, eliminating the issue of bubbles.

Turning to the Air Egress Release Liner, this is a feature on a number of popular Drytac products, namely Polar Grip Air, Polar Premium Air, and Polar Smooth 150 Air. Here, the bubble-free technology can be found in the release liner.

How does this technology work? The release liner features micro-channel grooves that when coated with adhesive and married to a face film, leaves the micro-channel groove imprint in the adhesive. This means that any air trapped during installation can escape via the grooves, again allowing for an easier installation experience without having to deal with bubbling.

While these two technologies have clear differences in terms of how they work, they both offer the same benefits to the user – easier installation due to the removal of bubbling issues. This can only be a positive for users as, after all, aren’t easy-to-apply graphics what installers and the end user want?