Blueprint Concepts on the differences between Cast and Calendered Vinyl:

Calendered Vinyl –

Calendered vinyl films are made prom PVC, pigments, plasticiser and additives.

Calendered vinyl films are manufactured by producing a molten mass of vinyl in an extruder, then pulling the molten PVC through polished heated rollers and stretching to proper thickness and finally applying a gloss or matt finish. Typical thickness is from 3mm to 10mm.

Advantages of Calendered Films:

  • Short to medium life
  • Thicker and more resistant to abrasion
  • Easy to handle
  • Lower cost
  • 2 options- monomeric (3months – 1 yr) and polymeric (2-5yrs)

Disadvantages of Calendered Films

  • Short to medium life
  • Limited outdoor exposure
  • Not conformable – flat and simple surfaces possible
  • Cannot colour match with huge investment
  • Less permeable
  • Less stable (shrinkage)

Cast Vinyl –

Cast vinyls are manufactured using casting paper, PVC resin, automotive grade lead free pigments, polymeric plasticiser, heat stabilisers which resist process heat, UV heat and mold growth, premium grade UV inhabitors, additives and solvent.

Advantages of Cast Films

  • Dimensionally stable – nil shrinkage
  • Durable
  • Thin
  • Permeable
  • Conformable
  • Heat resistant
  • Maintains colour better
  • Colour matching – smaller batches lower cost
  • Long term durability
  • Outdoor exposure
  • Conforming to irregular surfaces
  • 7-10 years life

Disadvantages of Cast Films

  • Difficult to handle
  • Higher costs