Everything you need to know about our products and services
What is the difference between Permanent and Removable Adhesive?
Not much. The adhesive on a ‘removable’ film is very strong. The longer you leave a removable film on a window or wall, the more permanent it will eventually become. Most removable films will remove cleanly off a non-porous surface up to about a year before it will leave adhesive residue. If you only have a removable film and you have a permanent application, don’t worry – it will stick just fine. Permanent adhesive films are not engineered to remove cleanly at all. If you apply a permanent adhesive film to a non-porous surface, it will leave adhesive on the surface if you manage to pull it off.
What are Monomeric vs Polymeric and why is this important?
Monomeric films will usually perform outdoors for around 3 years before any signs of degradation (yellowing and cracking). Polymeric films can perform up to 7 years outdoors without degradation. If you have a long-term application on a primarily flat surface, a polymeric film will perform the same as a cast film but save you hundreds of dollars per roll. If you have easy and shorter term applications, monomeric films are great and will save around a hundred dollars per roll.
Why use a laminate over my printed image?
Laminates protect and enhance an image. The protection will help the image last longer from UV fade, chemicals, and scratching. The enhancement comes from adding a finish to a print – glossy, luster, and matte are the most popular finishes. A glossy laminate will make the image “POP” with explosive color. A Matte finish will allow the viewer to focus on the image and see little to no reflection. A luster finish is right down the middle.
Can you mix polymeric and monomeric films and laminates?
This is not recommended. They will expand and contract at different rates causing long term issues.
How much longer will my image last if laminated?
If the laminate offers UV inhibitors, the rule of thumb is the life of the print will double in terms of UV fade. Despite many films offering 7 year performance outdoors, you’ll likely see the inks begin to fade around year 5 or 6.
If a UV printed image better than a solvent or latex?
No. They all have different qualities. UV ink, until the invention of UV Gel by Canon, has largely been inflexible making it ideal for solid substrates. Solvent, latex, and UV Gel inks are great for flexible applications like vehicle wraps and odd surfaces.
Where do Hasco ship from?
Hasco’s main warehouse is at our headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. We also have warehouses in Grand Rapids, Chicago, Richmond, and Toronto.
What time does an order need to be submitted in order to ship same-day?
It varies a bit. Coming from our Cleveland warehouse, our daily FedEx Ground pickup time is around 3:30 EST. If the order is large enough for a pallet, we’d need the order before 1:00 EST in order to call in trucks. Our Chicago and Grand Rapids warehouses are available for same-day pickup and delivery but they require 3-4 hours to prepare the rolls for pickup and/or delivery.
Can I get payment terms?
Yes – with credit approval we can arrange to invoice your company with Net 30 Day terms.
Can I pay for consumables with a credit card?
Yes – but only at the time of order. We do not allow people to take 30 day terms and then pay with a credit card. If this is important to you, we will add the credit card processing fee to the order amount.
Can I pay for equipment with a credit card?
Yes – but we charge 1.5% processing fee for credit card purchases on equipment.
Who owns Hasco Graphics, Inc.?
Hasco is owned by Mark Snelling and Ken Ferrigno. If you want to talk with them about any issue, feel free to call and simply ask for either.
Does Hasco have any in-house technicians for printer repair?
Yes – We install, train, and maintain the vast majority of the equipment we sell. Some manufacturers do this part on their own, but we service most of what we sell.
What is the difference between UV vs Solvent vs latex vs UVgel?
UV Characteristics: Usually used on flat surfaces. Traditional UV technology has very little stretch making it a poor choice for vehicle wraps. Traditional UV inks are great for direct-to-board printing and on unique substrates like golf balls, water bottles, cell phone cases, etc.
UV Gel: This new technology from Canon gives UV pricing (low cost), fast jetting (speed), but still has the flexibility for vehicle wraps. It does not require any post-curing before laminating. UV Gel is also remarkably scratch and chemical resistant.
Latex: Latex is very conformable and stretchy making it ideal for vehicle wraps. The drawback to latex is it requires a lot of heat to dry and cure the ink which can play havoc with certain media types.
EcoSolvent: Wildly popular. Flexible. Eco Solvent inks are the chameleons of the ink world as they will take on the glossy or matte finish of the print media being used. Some people have concerns about ‘outgassing’ after printing but before laminating where it is common practice to wait several hours before laminating. Many people think this is a ‘wives tale’ and others swear by it.
Why buy from Hasco vs a large national reseller?
Hasco is more of a ‘boutique’ distributor. We are smaller but have much more experience and hands-on knowledge. We are well versed on printer technology, ink behavior, and are trusted sources to help pick the correct print media for the job. Unlike the national plastics distributors, we truly know the medias we sell and what the can and cannot be used for.
What is an Air-Egress release liner?
This is a patterned release liner which creates nearly invisible channels in the adhesive allowing for air to be pushed through the channel so the installed graphic is “bubble-free”. Installers love it. It costs more, but can be installed in about half the time. Do not wet-apply air-egress liners.
How long will my print last outdoors?
If you are going to put your graphics outdoors, the ‘best practices’ are to laminate the print. Without lamination, most inks in our industry will perform for 2-3 years before the inks begin to fade. With a laminate using UV inhibitors, you will ‘double the life of the print’ allowing it to perform without fade for 4-6 years. With that said, monomeric laminates (cheaper) will perform in the sun for about 3 years before they begin to fade. Polymeric and cast laminates will perform for 7 years without degradation, but the inks will usually start to fade around year five on average.
Where are most of your products made?
The majority of the films we sell are made in North America – mostly in Toronto.
What is FreshWater Films?
These films are Hasco’s brand of adhesive vinyl and laminates. They are coated in Toronto for us by Drytac.
Do you offer local delivery?
Yes – in NE Ohio, Grand Rapids, and Chicagoland we offer local delivery and pickup.
How do you primarily ship consumables?
FedEx Ground
Who do I call for help selecting a film or piece of equipment?
Call any of us and we’ll get you the information you are looking for – quickly.
