PAINTING

Vical acrylic may be painted by spraying, by screening, or by brushing. Each paint manufacturer makes grades of paint matched to each type of application.

COLOR COAT

The color coat should be at least one mil thick for best durability. When painted Vical acrylic sheets are thermoformed at high forming temperatures, some colors may tend to bleed. This can be overcome by forming at temperatures no higher than 340°F.

TOP COAT

It is often advantageous to apply a clear top coat over the color coat to protect the paint from mild abrasion during cleaning and handling. However, the top coat does not add to the life of the paint system.

Second surface painted sign faces may be top coated with a fine mist coat of white mixed with 30 percent clear. This will improve the diffusion and inner reflectance of the sign lighting, and will help wash out pinholes and protect the decoration.

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