10 mil Solvent Printable Polycarbonate

ABAQA 10 Mil Solvent Printable Polycarbonate is a textured polycarbonate film at 10 mil. Unlike the polycarbonate laminates in the same family, this one is a printing surface. ABAQA states it was developed specifically for solvent, latex and UV-curable printers, and points it at trade show graphics, point-of-purchase displays, backlit displays, floor advertising, name plates and control panels.

What ABAQA 10 Mil Solvent Printable Polycarbonate is used for

• Trade show displays
• ADA signage
• Roll-up displays
• Point-of-purchase graphics

ADA signage is the application that separates this material from an ordinary display film. Polycarbonate is the substrate that regulated wayfinding and control-panel work is normally specified on, and the textured face is part of that — it is a surface built to be seen at close range and touched, not just viewed across a hall.

Ink compatibility

Solvent, latex and UV-curable inks are each rated BEST. Eco-solvent is rated GOOD, which is a step down but still a working chemistry for this film. It is not rated for aqueous printers. No aqueous dye or pigment rating exists on file, so this is a machine-specific purchase — confirm your press is a solvent, latex or UV device before ordering.

Working with it

Lamination is where this film demands discipline. ABAQA is explicit: if the film is laminated, the print must dry for 24 hours first so that the solvents have fully left the print. Insufficient dry time causes colour shift and undermines the bond strength of the laminate adhesive, so the wait is not optional if a laminate is going on. The film is supplied in a single 50-inch roll width on 3-inch cores, so panel layout has to be planned around that one dimension.