When designing for large plate glass applications which experience high sun exposure, be sure to avoid large film areas of dark color next to a light or reflective color. The difference in heat gain and glass expansion under films with extreme grey scale differences will cause glass fatigue and early failure of the glass. It’s best to break up the design and use hue, rather than grey scale, to attain sign element contrast.
Very Hot “On-Site” Applications:
When the surface of a sign face reaches over 100°F (37°C), the tack of the adhesive can become unmanageable, especially if repositioning is going to be required. Before beginning an application on very hot surfaces, use clean water mist to achieve “evaporative cooling” on sign faces. This technique can bring the temperature down 20° to 40° depending on the starting surface temperature relative humidity and the amount of water used.
WARNING:
Do not use this method for surfaces with rivets as water will become trapped under the rivet and eventually cause “tenting” around the rivet.