Thought cheap vinyl was fine until my last batch melted in the sun

I used to buy the $15 off brand vinyl rolls from a craft store near me for my sticker orders. Figured vinyl is vinyl right? Wrong. I printed a batch of funny cat bumper stickers last May and stuck one on my own car to test it. After 2 weeks in the Florida sun the thing curled up like a potato chip and the colors faded bad. My customer sent me a photo of hers peeling off after just 10 days. Switched to a 3M brand vinyl that cost $40 per roll and the difference is night and day. No peeling, no fade, and it sticks to curves way better. Has anyone else run into fake or cheap vinyl that just falls apart or am I just late to this lesson?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia11d ago

That cheap vinyl is a scam. I learned the same way with decals here in Texas.

king.lisa11d ago

My wallet still hasn't forgiven me for that "great deal" on a bulk roll of cheap vinyl I found online last summer. I thought I was being so smart and saved like fifteen bucks. Of course the first decal I made started peeling off my water bottle before I even finished the second one. Lesson learned the hard way, your mileage may definitely vary with that stuff.