For most vinyl sign jobs, you have the choice between cast and calendered vinyl. Here’s a brief overview of what those terms mean and a few hints on which to choose for your specific application.

Cast vinyl is vinyl sheeting formed by spreading molten vinyl on a carrier sheet and then baking it at a high temperature to remove the solvents and fuse the remaining material into a film. Cast film is usually thinner and more expensive than calendered vinyl. It also offers a longer usable lifetime and is also usually shinier and has a richer looking finish. Lifespans for cast vinyl range from 5 to 7 and sometimes even ten years – depending on the brand and color. They are also less likely to shrink.

Calendered vinyl sheeting is squeezed between a series of heated rollers to achieve a small-enough thickness for cutting with a plotter. Calendered film is generally thicker and less expensive than cast vinyl and has a shorter usable life when exposed to light. The average lifespan of Calendered vinyl is 1-3 years but, even the best calendered product tends to fade and shrink faster than cast.

Calendered vinyl is best used for short-term signs mounted on corrugated plastic, such as garage sale signs, temporary banners and the like.

You just can’t get really nice results with calendered vinyl on long-term signage such as vehicles, magnets, banners that will be used more than once and most other signage.

Here at Tightwad Signs we use cast vinyl almost exclusively. Turning out a product we can be proud of is much more important to us than increasing profits at the expense of unhappy customers. Cast vinyl cuts and weeds easier and more cleanly (no jagged edges to letters or artwork) and applies more smoothly, eliminating wrinkling and undue bubbles. With proper handling and careful installation, you can’t go wrong with cast vinyl.