Print film + overlaminate: which laminate goes on which film

Ink sits on top of a print film. Solvent, eco-solvent, latex and UV inks all fade under sun and scuff under hands, brushes and pressure washers. The overlaminate is a clear self-adhesive film applied over the print: it takes the UV and the abrasion, sets the finish — gloss, satin, matt, textured — and stiffens the graphic so it applies flatter with fewer bubbles.

• UV and weather — the laminate ages instead of the ink.
• Abrasion and cleaning — counters, floors, vehicle sides that get washed.
• Finish — one print film, four looks: gloss, satin, matt, rough texture.
• Application — a laminated graphic is stiffer and easier to squeegee; on thin print films it is the laminate that makes the panel workable.

Cold lamination uses a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the laminate film: a laminator with rubber rollers presses it onto the print at room temperature. No heat, so no shrink of the PVC print film and no risk to heat-sensitive inks. Every overlaminate in the MAXDECAL range is a cold-lamination film — the “cold lamination” in ECL120 / ECM120 and the LABEL series says so in the name.

Hot (thermal) lamination uses a heat-activated adhesive and a heated roller. It is the office-and-photo world: paper, card, ID cards. Heat on a PVC print film distorts it, so thermal laminates are not the right product for vinyl graphics.

A cold laminator is a roll laminator with a pressure setting; a hand squeegee on a flat table works for small panels. Either way the print must be fully dry first — see the steps below.

Thickness is stiffness. A 350 µm laminate on a curved bumper fights the curve; a 60 µm laminate on a workshop floor wears through. Pick the laminate for the surface, then pick the finish.

Pair inside one series where you can: the print film and its laminate share the adhesive family, the roll width and the durability figure, so the finished graphic behaves as one film.

• XTREMERace print system

  MXPG100 / MXPH100 / MXPX120 / MXPC100 + any XTREME laminate

  Four printable faces — white gloss, holographic, xirallic, silver chrome — on 1.27 m × 50 m, high-grip removable adhesive. Six 60 µm laminates for curves and colour tints, five 350 µm laminates for wear and texture. Used on MotoGP and Sodi karting bodywork.

  Series page
• APMVehicle graphics

  APV80 / APV80M + VPF100 / VPF100M

  Polymeric white print film, gloss or matt, plus the 80 µm Vinyl Protection Film in the same finish. Both on 1.05 / 1.27 / 1.55 m × 50 m, so the laminate always covers the print roll.

  Series page
• APMHeavy wear

  AHG90 high-grip white + VPF500 / VPF500M

  The 90 µm high-tack white print film for difficult substrates, under the 480 µm gloss or textured matt protection film. For panels that get scrubbed.

  Series page
• Dry GlueLabels & stickers

  LMP85 / LXB85 / LXG85 / TMP85 + ECL120 / ECM120

  The Multipurpose Dry Glue print films — white, black-adhesive blockout, grey-adhesive greyout, clear — with the 60 µm Eco Cold Lamination in gloss or matt. One adhesive system on print film and laminate: no ooze at the cut edge, made to be die-cut together.

  Series page
• APMEffect prints

  APH80 / APC80 / AGS80 / APG80 + VPF100

  Holographic, chrome and galaxy print films are gloss effects — a gloss laminate keeps the effect visible; a matt laminate mutes chrome and holographic to a soft sheen. Add LGL-127M for a glitter matt finish over white.

  Series page
• LABELPhoto & label

  HTLM high-tack matt · MTLG medium-tack gloss

  Cold lamination films for label and photo protection, slit from 5 cm to 1.55 m — narrow rolls for label lines, full width for print rolls.

  Series page

1. 01Same series first

   Print film and laminate from one series share adhesive, width and rating. Cross-series pairs work but you own the test.

2. 02Laminate width ≥ print width

   APM print films come in 1.05 / 1.27 / 1.55 m; VPF100 and ECL / ECM come in the same three. XTREME is 1.27 m on both sides. Never trim the print to fit the laminate.

3. 03Thickness follows the surface

   Curves and recesses → 60 µm. Fleet sides and flat panels → 80 µm. Floors, counters, machinery, race bodywork → 350–480 µm.

4. 04Finish follows the job

   Gloss for colour depth and effect films; matt for glare-free reading and photography; textured for grip and hiding surface defects.

5. 05Rating = the lower of the two

   A long-life print under a short-life laminate is a short-life graphic. Check both products on their series page.

6. 06Same roll length helps

   APM print and laminate both run 50 m; XTREME 350 laminates run 30 m against 50 m print rolls — plan the ratio when ordering.

1. Print, then let the ink outgas

   Solvent and eco-solvent inks keep releasing solvent after printing. Laminating too early traps it and causes silvering and lift. Follow your ink maker’s drying time — commonly around a day for solvent inks — before the laminate goes on.

2. Laminate cold, with even pressure

   Roll laminator with the print face up, laminate liner peeled progressively, pressure set for the laminate thickness. Room temperature; no heat.

3. Let it rest

   Give the laminated sheet time before cutting so the two adhesives settle and the panel lies flat.

4. Cut and weed as one film

   Contour-cut through laminate and print together. Dry Glue pairs are made for this: the adhesive does not ooze at the cut edge.

5. Apply

   Clean, cured, compatible surface. Squeegee from the centre out. Post-heat recesses on vehicle work as the film maker specifies.