Digital Printing: Installation on Painted Walls (#33)

I. Wall Preparation and Painting

A. Wall must be smooth, clean and completely dry before painting.

1. Painting over wet or damp drywall compound will retard paint drying and cause inconsistent graphic adhesion.
2. Painting over dusty drywall will impair primer bond to wall surface.
3. Minimum drying time of drywall compound must be 24 hours. If several passes of drywall compound have been applied the drying time may be extended.

B. Paint

Not all latex paints will be compatible with pressure sensitive adhesive (especially Zero/Low VOC paints) and vinyl film should be tested in an inconspicuous area to assure that an adequate bond develops over 24 hours. See Tip 39 for details. No installation should take place until media and paint are deemed compatible. Freshly painted walls must dry for the time specified by each paint manufacturer and/or for a minimum of 1 week. Primer should be allowed to dry for a minimum of 3 days.

For exterior applications, the following primers and paints commonly available are recommended for DPF 6700, DPF 8000™ Ultra Tack, DPF 8200X High Tack, and DPF 8200 High Tack.

EXTERIOR APPLICATION

Recommended	Primer
	· KILZ® Premium
	· ZINSSER® Bulls Eye 1-2-3® Water-Base Primer
	· Glidden Professional GRIPPER® Interior/Exterior Primer Sealer
	· Ronan Prime-All
	· BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Interior/Exterior Multi-Surface Primer & Sealer
	Paint
	· BEHR PRO™ e600 Exterior Satin White
Not Recommended	Primer
	· KILZ COMPLETE®
	· ZINSSER® Cover-Stain® Oil-Base Primer
	Paint
	· Sherwin Williams A-100® Exterior Latex Flat A6-100 Series
	· BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Exterior Flat No. 4050
	· Sherwin Williams A-100® Exterior Acrylic Latex Satin A82-100 Series

 

For interior applications, the following primers and paints commonly available are recommended for DPF 4200 Canvas/Matte and DPF 4300.

INTERIOR APPLICATION

Recommended	Primer
	· KILZ® Original
	· KILZ® Premium
	· ZINSSER® Bulls Eye 1-2-3® Water-Base Primer
	· Glidden Professional GRIPPER® Interior/Exterior Primer Sealer
	· Ronan Prime-All
	· BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Interior/Exterior Multi-Surface Primer & Sealer
	Paint
	· BEHR PRO™ e600 Exterior Satin White
	· BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Iterior Paint and Primer in One; Zero VOC
	· Sherwin Williams ProMar® 200 (B20 W 1251) Interior; Zero VOC*
	· Taubsman Easy Coat; Low Sheen; Very Low VOC
	· British Paints Clean & Protect; Low Sheen; Low VOC
	· Dulux Trade Diamond Matt; 7 g/l VOC; Low VOC
	· Crown Trade Clean Extreme; 30 gl; VOC MAX
Not Recommended	Primer
	· KILZ COMPLETE®
	· ZINSSER® Cover-Stain® Oil-Base Primer
	Paint
	· Benjamin Moore Regal® Premium Interior 100% Acrylic Eggshell Finish
	· Sherwin Wiliams ProMar® 200 Latex Semi-Gloss B31-2600 Series; Zero VOC
	· Sherwin Williams A-100® Exterior Acrylic Latex Satin A82-100 Series
	· BEHR PREMIUM PLUS® Exterior Flat No. 4050
	· Sherwin Williams A-100® Exterior Acrylic Latex Satin A82-100 Series

* Mildly textured surfaces for DPF 4300 only.

Note: There is significant negative impact on compatibility when color matching is done to white base paint. In some cases, one can expect to lose more than 50% of the original bond. Paints which fall into the low bond designation may easily lift away or have significant edge release from the painted wall if the graphic is over 20 square feet (1.9 m2).

 

II. Installation

A. A final cleaning pass prior to painting with a 50% mix of water and IPA will insure that the paint is dust free and ready for graphic installation. Once the cleaning mix has dried (for about 20 minutes) the application may commence.

B. Graphics are to be applied with plastic squeegee or soft rubber roller, being careful to minimize stretch while maximizing pressure.

1. Use overlapping squeegee strokes beginning at the center of the sheet and extending completely over the edge to ensure the margins are well attached.
2. Margins are frequent sites of failure due to poor initial attachment.
3. For paneled graphics, an overlap of at least 1/4* inch is recommended to accommodate for any shrinkage that may occur. Butt seaming paneled graphics is not recommended.

* For DPF 8000 an overlap of at 1 1/2" to 2" is recommended

 

III. Application tape removal

A. Where application paper is used, wait as long as practical to remove application paper as it will give the adhesion bond of the graphic time to build to a sufficient level to remain tightly affixed to the primer while the application tape is being tugged away.

B. Beginning at one vertical edge, remove as much of the tape as will come away easily.

1. If application tape is very tightly bonded to the graphic, a light spray with tap water will significantly reduce the bond and allow the application tape to come away easily.
2. If a spray bottle isn’t handy, a water-saturated rag will accomplish the same effect.
3. After spraying or wiping the application tape with water, remove it within 2 minutes.

 

For more information, please see our Installation Guide for Interior Wall Films.

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