All about the film oracle

Oracal film is widely used in the field of interior design, advertising and other activities involving the use of self-adhesive elements. The palette of its colors varies from monochrome black and white to a full range of shades of bright colors, stickers on glass and mirror films are produced, printing on the surface of text or images is allowed.

Oracal film is a self-adhesive vinyl or PVC-based material used for indoor or outdoor finishing work. Its structure is two-layer, with a paper backing. The front part is white or colored, the back of the base is covered with an adhesive. Oracal is considered to be a plotter film - quite dense to be cut with special machines. It comes in rolls.

All products are divided according to their characteristics and purpose. There are options for applications, full pasting, aggressive environment, metallized and fluorescent. With the help of plotter cutting, a wide range of advertising products, auto-tuning elements, and interior decor are successfully produced from this material.

Oracal films are marked with the letter name of the trade mark and numbers indicating the series to which the product belongs. The dimensions of the roll material depend on its width. Usually it is 1 m or 1.26 m, the length of rolls is always the same - 50 m, in sheets it is sold at parameters 0.7 × 1 m.Oracal film density varies depending on the series, its substrate has an indicator of 137 g / m2 , made of siliconized paper. Thickness - from 50 to 75 microns, thin versions are more often used for surfaces with a large coverage area.

PVC films for plotter cutting may have certain designations.

• Oracal 641. The most popular and affordable film, the economy version, has up to 60 color variations. It can have a matte and glossy surface, varying degrees of transparency. Especially popular when decorating mirrors and furniture.

• Oracal 620. Universal film for applications, suitable for silk-screen printing, flexography, offset and screen printing. Recommended for indoor use, for outdoor use, the service life is no more than 3 years.

• Oracal 640. Application material for general purposes, has standard characteristics, suitable for advertising, interior decoration. There are transparent and colored options.

• Oracal 551. The film for advertising and information purposes, which contains polymer plasticizers and UV stabilizers, is resistant to environmental influences. It is a thin (0.070 mm) material used to cover the sides of vehicles ranging from cruise ships to taxis.

• Oracal 6510. Specialized film with a fluorescent semi-gloss coating.It is produced in 6 color variations, it is used in advertising, design, registration of official vehicles and auto-tuning, for applying identification marks for the dark time of the day. Glows under UV light. Suitable for plotter cutting, has a thickness of 0.110 mm.

• Oracal 8300. The film for creating stained-glass windows has a transparent painted surface that is resistant to ultraviolet radiation. In the collection of 30 bright pure colors, intermediate shades are obtained by combining them. The material is designed for long-term continuous operation, suitable for the design of advertising structures, shop windows, false stained-glass windows.

• Oracal 8500. Material with translucent (light scattering) properties. Suitable for plotter cutting, provides uniform coloring in any light and viewing angle, has a matte finish without glare.

• Oracal 352. Metallized polyester film with top varnish layer. It is sold in rolls 1 × 50 m, using polyacrylate type glue, which ensures permanent adhesion. Thickness - from 0.023 to 0.050 mm.

• Oracal 451. Special film for creating applications on the banner. Easy to cut with a plotter, firmly adheres to banner fabrics. The products are focused on medium and short-term use, suitable for printing by thermal transfer method. The series is focused on wet application, polyacrylate adhesive provides permanent adhesion, thickness - 0.080 mm.

• Oratape. Mounting type, available in rolls, can be with or without backing. Transparent material with polyacrylate adhesive, suitable for dry and wet application, reusable.

The scope of application of oracal films is very extensive. Simple advertising and information materials are made from economical options: stickers on glass and mirror surfaces, on doors and walls. Interior films are used to decorate walls and furnishings. They lend themselves well to cutting with a plotter, they are attached with magnets to any metal surface. A sliding wardrobe with an oracle applique takes on a designer look. In addition, with the help of a film, interior doors, screens, partitions are often decorated. Oracal is well suited for printing images using offset or screen printing, silk-screen printing, flexography.

The film is used in advertising - when applied to vehicles, including buses and trolleybuses. Matte and glossy options are selected based on the requirements for use. Light-scattering films are used to create special advertising structures, ensure their visibility in any lighting. Self-adhesive metallized polyester film for plotter cutting works well for printing or as an appliqué backing. With its help, stickers, cut symbols and other elements used for decoration or are of an informational nature (plates, labels) are made.

The fluorescent oracle is used mainly where the visibility of the applied image is required in any light. It is used to make identification marks for specialized vehicles and equipment. Stained glass products are suitable for decorating windows and glass structures.

Thanks to the transparent structure, light transmission is not lost. This decor allows you to achieve an original interior design, is well suited for commercial objects, and is easy to apply. Oracal mounting film is used for stickers, helps to transfer them to the surface of glass, car body, display structure.

All kinds of oracal self-adhesive films can be divided into categories. The main division is carried out according to the type of coverage. Gloss is used in the manufacture of vinyl decorative elements, matte options can be used in auto tuning and other areas. By the presence of pigment, transparent and colored films are distinguished. Both options are suitable for printing a variety of images and text on their surfaces.

Special varieties are focused on a narrower application. For example, reflective or light-scattering films are successfully used in the advertising industry in the manufacture of light boxes, signage, display cases with minimal energy consumption. Fluorescent applications are clearly visible on the sides of vehicles, in the beams of headlights - they look brighter under artificial lighting.

Films of this type are products of increased strength, resistant to stretching. The range of thicknesses is higher here - from 30 to 110 microns, glossiness reaches 80-100 units. The equipment for the production of film is small, the mixture is prepared in portions, which determines wider possibilities for the manufacture of decorative products with an original texture.

During casting, the PVC mixture is fed directly onto the surface of a special paper that sets the texture. This film can be embossed, textured, matte and glossy. Oracal of this type is well compatible with uneven surfaces, is not afraid of temperature extremes. In some cases (for destructible control labels, warranty seals), easily destructible materials are made, but usually their tensile strength is quite high.

This category includes all economy grade films made from vinyl chloride resins. They have a thickness of 55–70 microns, shrink when operating temperatures change, and cannot withstand significant stretching. During production, the molten base mass passes between calender rolls, stretched, embossed, cooled and wound into rolls. Already at the entrance to a special machine, the width and thickness of the future material are set.

In terms of glossiness, the range of calendered films is 8–60 units. Oracal of this type is not suitable for pasting complex curved surfaces. But it is as easy to use and cheap as possible in comparison with cast analogs.

The color palette of the oracle largely depends on the method of its production. The most popular version - Oracal 641 - has 60 color variations: from transparent to black matte or glossy. Among monochrome options, white or gray colors are also popular. Metallized films have been placed in a separate category; there are finishes for gold, silver, bronze.

Among the cast types, you can find an oracle with an original surface texture: wood, stone, and other materials. Self-adhesive films of pure bright colors are popular: blue, red, yellow, green. Calm shades - beige, peach, pastel pink - are used in the design of furniture facades.

Oracal film is a registered trademark owned by Orafol Europe GmbH. It is the only official manufacturer authorized to sell products with this name. However, the name itself managed to spread among designers and became a household name. Today, almost any PVC film with an adhesive backing can be unofficially designated this way.

In addition to Orafol, large brands include the following companies:

• Japanese 3M;
• Chinese Promo Film;
• Italian Ritrama;
• Dutch Avery Dennison.

On sale, all of these films can be presented as vinyl. It should be noted that European manufacturers always focus on the quality and reliability of their products.The average service life of Oracal branded film reaches 3 years with the most intensive use.

Asian brands later started production but quickly caught up with their competitors. Today, even eminent designers use Chinese vinyl products, paying tribute to its variety and design. Orafol, which owns the Oracal brand, is an internationally recognized company headquartered in Berlin. The company traces its history back to 1808, its modern name has been since 1990. During the XX century, the company was called Hannalin GK, later - VEB Spezialfarben Oranienburg. Since 1991, it has been privately owned; in 2005, a representative office was opened in the United States.

For a long time the company specialized in the production of paints for the printing industry. As a leading manufacturer of film materials for design and advertising, it began to position itself after 2011, after the acquisition of the American Reflexite Corporation, which produced ORALITe, Reflexite. Since 2012, ORACAL A.S has become part of the Orafol group of companies. Today, this division is based in Turkey.

The use of the oracle film implies the observance of a certain sequence of actions. To create appliqués, a plotter is used - a special tool that allows precise cutting. Self-adhesive rolls are used in bulk, often with an image already printed on it. Plotter cutting is used only to obtain curly parts.

You can glue the film on the following surfaces:

• glass;
• metal;
• wood;
• concrete and brick;
• plastic;
• building boards and plywood.

Before pasting, any base must be carefully prepared. It is cleaned of dust, dirt, roughness, it is recommended to clean it, remove greasy deposits with solvents or alcohol solutions.

To carry out the work, you will need a sprayer with clean water, a scraper or squeegee, a stationery knife for cutting. Let's consider the order of actions.

• The prepared and cleaned surface is moistened.
• The film is peeled off from the substrate.
• You need to mount the coating from the center to the edges. The squeegee smoothes out wrinkles and creases. You need to work with the tool carefully, avoiding strong pressure.
• Having completely flattened the sheet on the surface, the film is inspected for the presence of air bubbles. If they are found, punctures are performed with a sharp needle.
• With a wet method of application, the oracle can be corrected, glued. Average drying speed at room temperature is 3 days. If there is a forced ventilation system in the room, check the tightness after 1-2 days. If you find areas extending from the surface, you will have to re-iron the film with a squeegee.

With the dry method, the vinyl covering is gradually released from the backing. Bonding starts from 1 corner, you need to move gradually, freeing no more than 1–4 cm of the oracle at once. The film should be kept slightly taut, pressing it to the surface. This method is good for appliqués, but does not allow you to change the position of the stickers if they have already adhered to the coating.

For information on how to properly glue the oracle film, see the next video.