[bigskycreative]

I checked out the forum and didn't see any posts on this topic in the past few years, so I wanted to see if there are any updates on the best way to approach my project.

A customer is purchasing Coleman coolers for members of their wedding party and wants them personalized with vinyl lettering.

What type of Oracal vinyl would be best and what special application will be required to do this properly? I did a test-cut with 631 just because I had it loaded on my cutter and it doesn't want to stick to the surface, which is covered in small bumps.

I have read about heat applications, wet applications, using adhesive sprays on the vinyl, etc. I want the graphics to hold up for at least a couple of years.

I have a feeling that if I can do this right, I will have lots more requests, so I'm asking for any insight and expertise you folks can offer. I live in a rural area with lots of outdoorsy activities. Folks around here haul their coolers everywhere- sporting events, lakes, mountains......

Thanks guys!

 

[Fenrir]

I believe that kind of cooler is made of HDPE (#2) plastic. HDPE is very difficult to adhere things to since the surface tends to stay "oily" with plasticizers for the life of the product. While it is possible to "flame polish" HDPE to evaporate the surface and make it more receptive to vinyl, it's probably not something you want to risk doing to a cooler. This is an issue with almost all plastics other than PVC.

Convex makes a High Tack vinyl, and an even more adhesive product, Pitbull, for "low surface energy" items. I have not used it myself, but it's one of the few out there specifically designed for this kind of thing.

 

[bigskycreative]

Thanks Fenrir! I will look into those types of vinyl if I tackle more of these projects!

I ended up using a spray adhesive and applied it to the back of the vinyl and it seems to be working okay. I have made the customer aware this probably won't be very durable and they are apparently fine with that.

 

[clsgraphics2100]

I tried screen printing coolers once with several types of paint/ink. Nothing worked, Good Luck.

 

[Fenrir]

Here's some information on how to paint HDPE/#2 plastic/high density polyethylene

Canopy, HDPE, P6

Halfway down the page, in the description. I have used this method to epoxy glaze HDPE spheres. So far so good.

 

[clsgraphics2100]

Thanks for the tip. Now I just need another customer that wants Coleman coolers imprinted.