Originally Posted by: MidWestern Clipper I've used a lot the weatherproof polyester, and the laminated vinyl.
Let me tell you the truth about them.
The weatherproof polyester is incredible durable against water. I have a few in my shower for testing, and amazing for that.
BUT they scratch so easily. Stupid easily they scratch. It's absolutely maddening.
The laminated vinyl is the exact opposite. They sometimes withstand getting wet really well, and other times if water looks at them they get ruined.
But they are incredibly tough otherwise. You cannot scratch them unless you apply enough force to physically damage the sticker.
I've seen them recommend using "sealant spray" to either scratch proof the weatherproof, or to weatherproof the laminated vinyl, but using chemicals like that is not an option for me both health and temperature wise.
I'm sorry to hear about the issue you're experiencing. Our weatherproof polyester material has tested very well across a wide variety of printer models as it relates to scratching and abrasion when using the most optimal printer settings. I responded to your post in another thread, but I wanted to follow up here as well. You mentioned in the other thread that you're using an HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw. Does your printer model have a paper type setting similar to HP Matte Photo 200g? I haven't had an opportunity to use the HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw, but I have used the M452dn model which should be very similar functionally. When using the M452dn, I've had a ton of success using the HP Matte Photo 200g paper type setting with our weatherproof polyester material. It provides excellent color duplication and strong durability to abrasion. Performance can differ based on the design you're printing, as well as your end-use application, but I've always been very pleased with the results using that setting.
The user guide for your printer model can be found at the link below. Advanced trouble shooting techniques can be found on pages 105 through 122:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c06322617The EconoMode setting found on HP printers can result in loose toner that's easy to scratch away, especially when using specialty material types. If it's currently enabled, I'd definitely try disabling it. Reducing the print density could potentially help as well, since too much toner output can result in a weaker bond between the toner and the surface of the sheet.
I was able to locate your account in our system, and it seems that you've used our weatherproof polyester and white gloss laser materials in the past, but not the weatherproof vinyl. I do see that you recently placed an order for the weatherproof vinyl material that is currently in transit to you. The white gloss laser material is a glossy paper-based material. It's not weatherproof and not intended for direct contact with moisture. The weatherproof vinyl material is probably the most durable material option we offer for laser printing. It's commonly used for chemical drum labeling and carries BS5609 Section 2 compliance for long term maritime shipping applications.
I hope this helps. Please just let us know if you need any additional information.