Once upon a time, large advertisers could only purchase backlit display signs called duratrans (short for durable transparency).  This end product was Kodak’s brandname for backlit display prints.   It was a purely photographic process that was costly because of the silver involved, time-consuming to produce due to slow printing and processing methods, and it also required a plexiglass cover for surface protection.

Enter the digital world and more specifically, UV flatbed printing.   With the arrival of UV cured inks, backlit sign printing has taken on a completely new and drastically improved end product profile.  All of its characteristics are significant improvements over the former.

The biggest advantage is the new and improved dual functionality!  When a backlit sign is produced by a UV flatbed printer it can be viewed both by day and by night.   This means this durable print is no longer just a transparency, but it also functions as a rich, vibrant, crisp reflective print.  This means it can be both backlit at night, and will be just as bold and eye-catching a graphic during daylight hours, with lightbox off.

Formerly, a backlit display signs or duratrans prints were printed on a film with a built-in white layer called the diffusion filter.   With UV flatbed printing, a backlit sign is printed with the “4-1-4” method.  First, the image is printed in reverse (or backwards) on the backside of the substrate.  Next a white layer of ink or the diffusion layer is printed on top of the first four.   Finally, for creating density for the properties of a reflective print, another 4 layers of ink are printed on top of the one white layer.   These layers are hardened or cured with the UV light, making a permanent bond to the substrate.  The substrate used for this “day-night” print is either 1/4” plexiglass or Lexan (tradename for polycarbonate).  The lexan substrate makes it more suitable for outdoor conditions.  These are scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and can last  for years.

Today’s UV printed backlit display signs are:

1. Dual functioning as both a transparency and a reflective print (day-night)
2. More vibrant and saturated with digital crispness
3. More durable for both archival and surface characteristics
4. More cost effective on consumables and accessible to smaller business
5. Less impact on our environment

So, what are you waiting for?  Give us a call@ 1800.829.4562