Applications
Signs in parks, town centres, car parks and public buildings face weather, heavy footfall and, too often, vandalism. Replacing them means reprinting, access equipment and labour, so protecting the printed face is usually far cheaper than renewing it. Landor’s liquid coatings are designed to help public-facing graphics stay legible and presentable for longer.
Outdoor graphics are exposed to rain, pollution, UV light and abrasion, all of which degrade a print over time. Public-realm signs add risks of their own: they are touched, leant on, brushed by bags and buggies, and cleaned with whatever product is to hand. Many sit at height or on structures that need equipment to reach, which makes premature replacement expensive.
A clear liquid laminate sits over the ink and takes that day-to-day wear. Landor’s coatings contain UV inhibitors and are formulated for water, chemical and abrasion resistance. You can read more about the outdoor range on the outdoor signs, branding and promotions page.
Landor’s hoarding coatings can be applied to printed ACM panels, PVC, PET and polypropylene sheets, flexible banners, self-adhesive graphics and direct-to-board UV or latex prints, in gloss, satin or matt.
No coating can stop someone tagging a sign, but an anti-graffiti coating can make the difference between cleaning a panel and replacing it. Landor’s anti-graffiti coating is a two-part water-based liquid laminate that can be cleaned with solvent or Landor’s citrus-based, non-petroleum cleaner. It is designed to repel as much as it can, which means it is applied as a single coat; if a tougher base is wanted, a water-based coating is used as a primer first.
The anti-graffiti coating is supplied in gloss. Where a softer look is needed, a matt protective coat can go underneath, which can reduce the shine but does not guarantee a satin or matt result. Landor is clear that it cannot guarantee performance against every pen or marker, so test panels with the likely contaminants and the intended cleaner are worth producing before a wider rollout.
Landor’s guidance for high-traffic graphics is that gloss versions give the best abrasion resistance, satin avoids glare while still giving good abrasion resistance, and matt gives a neutral look but may show some abrasion marks. For signs read at an angle or under street lighting, satin is often a practical compromise. For signs that will be cleaned of graffiti regularly, the anti-graffiti gloss is the starting point.
Where a sign also carries high-touch surfaces, such as push plates or counter graphics in a civic building, Landor’s ColourShield anti-microbial coatings are tested to ISO 22196 and can be considered as part of the wider cleaning regime, not as a replacement for it.
Most sign coatings can be applied by hand before installation, without specialised machinery, so sign makers can add protection as a standard step. For rigid boards in volume, Landor’s UV-curable coating systems are suited to outdoor panels, and the anti-graffiti range includes options for UV-curable production as well as on-site hand application. Landor also offers a coating service and short-term machine rental for projects on demand.
Remember that the coating is one layer of defence. Recessing vulnerable panels, good lighting and siting graphics away from habitual tagging points all help reduce how often a sign needs attention.
No. Landor’s anti-graffiti coating is designed to repel as much as it can, including a second coat, so it is applied once. For a tougher base, apply a water-based Landor coating as a primer first.
The anti-graffiti surface can be cleaned with a range of solvents or with Landor’s citrus-based graffiti remover. Some marks come off with water. Always test the cleaner on a sample and remove graffiti as early as possible.
Not necessarily. Sign coatings can be applied by hand with rollers, pads or spray. For larger volumes of rigid boards, UV-curable coating systems or Landor’s coating service may be more efficient.
Landor’s ColourShield anti-microbial coatings are tested to ISO 22196 and can be applied to printed surfaces in high-touch areas. Normal cleaning practices should still be followed.
Call +44 1252 624411 or email info@liquid-lamination.co.uk for advice, samples and pricing.
