When it comes to self-adhesive vinyls, there are many options to choose from, but do you know which material is right for every graphics project? Color choice and finish often steal the spotlight when specifying materials, but choosing the right vinyl will have a much greater impact on installation, durability, and overall performance.
Cast Vinyl and monomeric vinyl are two of the most popular self-adhesive vinyls on the market today. Though they may look alike once installed, these materials were engineered for completely different applications. Knowing the strengths and ideal usages for each vinyl will allow sign makers, print providers, distributors, and end users to save money by only purchasing the material that’s needed for specific projects.
Why Vinyl Construction Matters
When comparing self-adhesive vinyl options, it’s important to understand that not all vinyl films are constructed equally.
The manufacturing process plays a huge role in how the material installs and performs over time. Flexibility, dimensional stability, outdoor durability, and conformability can all be affected by how the vinyl is produced.
These are a few reasons why most professionals select vinyl material based on the application — not price.
What Is Cast Vinyl?
Cast vinyl is made by pouring liquid vinyl onto a casting sheet and allowing it to cure. Since the vinyl isn’t stretched through rollers during production, very little stress is created within the material.
The final product is an extremely thin film with outstanding flexibility and dimensional stability.
Thanks to its superior conformability, cast vinyl conforms well to irregular surfaces like deep channels, rivets, compound curves, motorcycle fairings, vehicle mirrors, and more.
Cast vinyl also offers some of the best outdoor durability on the market, making it ideal for permanent vehicle wraps, fleet graphics, architectural applications, and high-end outdoor signage.
What Is Monomeric Vinyl?
Monomeric vinyl, on the other hand, is made through a calendering process that pushes heated vinyl through several sets of rollers to form the finished sheet.
Because of how monomeric vinyl is made, it’s less expensive while still offering great printability and durable performance for flat surfaces and minimal curves.
This vinyl is commonly used for short- to medium-term promotional graphics, retail graphics, exhibition graphics, temporary signage, window graphics, and indoor graphics projects where high conformability isn’t necessary.
Monomeric vinyl has become one of the most popular vinyl options thanks to its low cost.
Cast Vinyl vs. Monomeric Vinyl
Cast vinyl and monomeric vinyl are similar in that they are both self-adhesive vinyl sheets, but they have very different properties when it comes to real world-applications.
-
Flexibility
Out of the two, cast vinyl is more flexible. This makes it the best choice for projects with complex curves and channels.
Monomeric vinyl has some flex to it, but isn’t as ideal for conforming to surfaces with tight corners and angles.
-
Durability
Cast vinyl offers the highest level of durability and is best suited for long-term outdoor applications.
Monomeric vinyl will still provide good performance, but has a shorter lifespan than cast vinyl.
-
Dimensional Stability
Cast vinyl has less stress throughout the material, so it’s much less likely to shrink or deform as time goes on.
Monomeric vinyl will typically have more shrinkage, especially when subjected to prolonged outdoor conditions.
-
Cost
Monomeric vinyl is typically cheaper than cast vinyl.
Cast vinyl is a premium vinyl and its material cost reflects that.
Application
Graphics where cast vinyl is often used:
* Full vehicle wraps
* Motorcycle wraps
* Fleet graphics
* Outdoor wayfinding
* Marine graphics
* Interior and exterior architectural applications
* Complex curved surfaces
Graphics where monomeric vinyl is often used:
* Retail graphics
* Short-term window graphics
* Exhibition graphics
* Indoor wayfinding and signage
* Advertising panels
* POS graphics
* Short- to medium-term promotional campaigns
Which Material Should You Choose?
Due to its extreme flexibility and durable make-up, many consumers think that cast vinyl is always the better choice. But just because you can use cast vinyl for certain projects, doesn’t mean you always should.
Using cast vinyl for every job will drive up your material costs without providing any real value. Imagine using cast vinyl for a short-run indoor advertisement. Sure, you’ll get amazing installability and lifetime, but your customers aren’t gaining anything from those features.
On the flip side, using monomeric vinyl for full vehicle wraps can save you money but may not hold up over time. If you encounter enough sunlight and weather, your graphics will begin to shrink or shrink unevenly.
So how do you know which vinyl to use? Let’s say you’re installing a large outdoor sign. In most cases, you’ll want to use cast vinyl because it will provide the customer with a lifetime of durability and flexibility.
However, what if your customer is asking for a cheaper material? Since you know your materials, you can recommend monomeric vinyl and clearly communicate how that decision will affect the products lifetime.
Material Knowledge = More Sales
The more you know about your materials, the more you can sell. As printing technology continues to improve, customers are expecting higher-quality graphics with longer lifespans.
At the same time, consumers are starting to become more budget-conscious and expect their suppliers to offer project options that fit their budget.
As a result, sign makers and distributors are starting to expand their vinyl inventories to include both cast vinyl and monomeric vinyl. When comparing vinyls, they’ll recommend cast vinyl for complex installs or when customers need that extra durability.
If cost is the customer’s primary concern, they’ll recommend monomeric vinyl and make it clear why that material was chosen.
Both cast vinyl and monomeric vinyl have their place in the graphics industry. By knowing when to use each material, you’ll improve installability, keep customers happy, and make more sales.