Have you ever noticed the signs and direction boards displayed on highways or at toll booths? Drive your vehicle towards them, and these signboards light up for a brief moment, enabling you to read the content within. And as your car passes by, the sign becomes dark once again.

What causes this phenomenon? How do you order your own night reflective print? Read on to find out more.

These road signs are made up of an extremely specialised material known as reflective vinyl, or HIP — High-Intensity Prismatic Film.

As the name suggests, the unique property of this print product is that it is highly reflective. It throws light back. So the messages or advertisements printed on reflective vinyl are visible at night or in low light conditions. 

Here’s what happens.

The light from a car’s headlamp falls on our print. Now, this material has a special, mirror-like surface. It instantly throws back or reflects the light falling on it. At this point, the content on the sign also becomes visible no matter how dark the surroundings. And as the car passes by, there is no light to reflect. And so, the sign becomes dark once again.

Reflective vinyl prints have pretty strong visibility. In fact, depending upon the grade of material that you use, these signs are at times visible from almost half a kilometre away!

By now you have probably figured out the best use case for this product. We can use reflective vinyl stickers to make our communications visible in low light conditions. More importantly, we can achieve this without having to light up the sign with neon tubes or bulbs.

Let’s take a quick look at the various types of printable reflective vinyls available at Orchid Digitals.

Types of Reflective Stickers Available at Orchid Digitals, Pune

Orchid Digitals provides two primary variants of reflective tapes & prints:

1. Prismatic vinyl is also referred to as Retro Reflective Vinyl or HIP — High Intensity Prismatic Film
2. Glass Beads Reflective Vinyl

Now, we have a pretty detailed discussion on the differences between these two media. But for now, suffice it to say that 

• Prismatic Reflective Vinyl is more expensive than Glass Beads Reflective Media
• It also significantly outperforms glass beaded films in terms of light reflectivity
• Prismatic films have a honeycomb structure on their front face.
• Glass beaded reflective films have a plain and smooth front surface.

Here are the various reflective print solutions available at Orchid Digitals.

All of the variants above are printed using UV / ultraviolet inks making them impervious to the weather. These UV inks are…

• Waterproof
• Scratch-resistant, and
• Sunlight-resistant (will not fade outdoors)

3M™ Retro Reflective Signs

3M™, the world-famous engineering and adhesives company, makes very high-performance retro reflective tape. They are the de facto leaders in this field. Most road-building and construction firms in India insist on the use of 3M™ Diamond Grade Reflective Sign Sheeting because of their extremely high quality and high viability.

This reflective vinyl roll is 2x times brighter than its cheaper counterparts. It helps in reducing road lighting costs and has an industry-leading expected life of 12 years.

3M™ HIP films are premium grade, and their great performance makes every penny spent on them worthwhile. 3M™ ‘Retro-reflective’ tape is another trade name for this media. Apart from 3M™ we also stock reflective vinyls of brands line Avery™, and Oracle/Oralite™.

We use this media to make reflective vinyl prints as a roll-form sticker. Alternatively, the prints can be mounted on a 5mm thick sheet of sunboard or a 3mm thick aluminium composite panel.

Here are the rates of the variants, based on the combination of the material used:

Price of a Hi-resolution UV ink print on original 3M™ brand High-Intensity Prismatic / Retro-reflective Film
Print as a roll form with a sticker back	Print mounted on 5 mm thick sunboard / foamsheet	Print mounted on 3 mm thick ACP sheet
220.00	280.00	300.00
Rates are quoted per square foot (a square of size 12 inches width X 12 inches height)
MOQ / Minimum Order Quantity = 20 square foot / Smallest print size available = 4 feet wide X 5 feet high

Get A Quote

Glass Beaded Radium Reflective Prints

Glass beads reflective sheets do not have visible prisms embedded on their front face. Moreover, they do not reflect lights over very long distances (like the prismatic option listed above). So why do we offer this variant to our clients?

Well, the main reason is the price.

Microscopic glass beads are embedded on the front face of this media. And these beads do the job of reflecting light to the viewer. But since the production process for this variant is very simple, reflective glass beads sheeting retails for a fraction of the cost of prismatic reflective signs.

The other benefit of this media is that it can be cut into a variety of shapes. Prismatic film is way too thick to cut on a plotter. But the same does not apply to glass beaded films. And we can make kiss-cut reflective stickers from the same.

Glass beaded reflective films can be used for non-critical signs or signs meant for indoor locations. A great distance for the reflected light, or a high intensity of the same is not really required here. Stickers and novelty reflective decals are another application.

Finally, we offer this film in two variants as well. In a roll form with a sticker back. Or as a thick, rigid sign made of an ACP/sunboard sheet.

Here are the rates of the variants, based on the combination of the material used:

Price of a Hi-resolution UV ink print on Glass Beads Reflective Film
Print as a roll form with a sticker back	Print mounted on 5 mm thick sunboard / foamsheet	Print mounted on 3 mm thick ACP sheet
100.00	150.00	180.00
Rates are quoted per square foot (a square of size 12 inches width X 12 inches height)
MOQ / Minimum Order Quantity = 20 square foot / Smallest print size available = 4 feet wide X 5 feet high

Get A Quote

Unbranded/Chinese Prismatic Reflective Prints at a Lower Cost

3M™ undoubtedly makes very high-performance products. But the price point for this solution can prove to be a little steep.

For those of our clients looking for a more economical solution, we also stock unbranded Chinese retro reflective films. And while this film is marginally deficient in its performance, it also gets the job done at a significantly lower price.

I recommend this variant for the following scenarios:

1. Where long-distance visibility is not very crucial.
2. Where the safety aspect of the communication is not paramount. For example – direction signs for a mall or construction site, warning Signs, company logo stickers, or vehicle stickers for giving away / merchandising.

Here are the rates of the variants, based on the combination of the material used:

Price of a Hi-resolution UV ink print on unbranded/Chinese High-Intensity Prismatic / Retro-reflective Film
Print as a roll form with a sticker back	Print mounted on 5 mm thick sunboard / foamsheet	Print mounted on 3 mm thick ACP sheet
100.00	150.00	180.00
Rates are quoted per square foot (a square of size 12 inches width X 12 inches height)
MOQ / Minimum Order Quantity = 20 square foot / Smallest print size available = 4 feet wide X 5 feet high

Get A Quote

Real-Life Applications of Reflective Vinyl Prints

Reflective sticker sheets are the ideal choice of material when you consider the following applications:

Road and Highway Signs

Road direction boards and distance markers are prime candidates for reflective vinyl sheets. In fact, the highway authorities at many places mandate the use of this material.

Apart from this, road safety boards like speed breaker signs, slippery surface warnings, sharp turn indicators, exit ramp arrows, Stop, and Go-Slow signs are all made from prismatic reflective vinyl.

Safety Signs inside Commercial/Office Buildings

Every office building or commercial establishment requires safety signs to warn occupants of potentially dangerous situations.

Signs that direct people to safe locations in case of fire, or during an earthquake, like emergency assembly points, must be fabricated from a material that is highly visible. Reflective signs are one choice.

Alternatively, you can also use auto-glow or glow-in-the-dark material for the same.

Fire exit signs, emergency exit signs, danger signs, hazardous material signs, etc., are other use cases for our product.

Reflective Sign Boards For Advertisement And For Guiding Prospective Clients to your Site / Business Location

Builders need direction boards to bring prospective buyers to their construction site. Gas stations and food plazas have to advertise their location on a highway. Toll booths have to display regulatory information to drivers.

Printed reflective signs would be the ideal choice for each of the above use cases.

As Stickers on Vehicles

At Orchid Digitals, Pune, we have also repurposed reflective vinyl rolls for a very unique application. We use these prints to fabricate parking stickers and vehicle permit decals. Their high visibility ensures that a security guard can instantly identify a vehicle as one belonging to his particular cooperative housing society.

Parking stickers regulate entry inside private housing complexes and enhance the security of the premises. Click here to learn more about this product.

Vehicle branding is another application for reflective prints. Company logos cut from this material are used to brand commercial vehicles. We have a separate page devoted to our vehicle branding services here.

Benefits of Reflective Road Signs

Reflective Signs Save Lives

Warning signs are meant to ensure safety. They must instantly grab drivers’ attention. But driving at night (or in low visibility conditions) is challenging to many. So creating a more visible sign can prevent tragic accidents, or even death.

A stop sign, a speed limit sign, a slippery road warning sign, a sharp turning sign, or a direction board made of reflective sheeting will ensure driver safety and reduce the chances of vehicular accidents.

Reflective Signs Save Money Because they do Not Need Electricity to Function

One big benefit of reflective vinyl signs is that, unlike back-lit glow signboards, you do not need electricity or relatively complex lightboxes.

This makes the use of radium reflective prints ideal in situations where there is no easy access to power, or where the recurring costs of electricity and lightbox maintenance is an issue.

Makes Your Message Instantly Visible at Any Time of the Day or Night

Safety signs have to be visible irrespective of whether it is day or night.

During the day, the printable reflective vinyl works like any standard signboard. It uses sunlight to get its message across. But at night, when the light of a car headlight falls on the signboard, its reflective property ensures that the message is still clearly visible.

Multiple Variants & Media Options Available

Here at Orchid Digitals in Pune, we pride ourselves on our ability to meet every conceivable client requirement. We stock high-end reflective sheeting from internationally renowned brands like 3M™, Avery™, & Oralite™. These world-class products will deliver the highest level of performance needed to get the job done.

But for less critical applications in terms of safety, or for projects that need to be closed on a tighter budget, we also offer low-cost reflective sheet variants. Beyond the actual material, our clients also get a say in the final form the print takes. You can opt for prints with an adhesive back for pasting on any substrate. Alternatively, you can choose a complete solution where the sign is mounted on a rigid weather-proof board.

Moreover, we also have ready designs of safety signs for you to select.

Multiple factors go into the making of a good night reflective print. These include the grade of the vinyl used, the inks used for reproducing the image, and the rigid base plate on which the sign is mounted.

But, the most important component by far is the type of media you select for your job. Here is a quick introduction to the two main types of reflective tapes available in the market.

The Difference Between Glass Bead Reflective Vinyl and Prismatic Reflective Films

When you are out shopping for night reflective signs, you need to be mainly aware of the following two types…

1. Glass Beads Film &
2. Prismatic Reflective Films, also known as HIP or High-Intensity Prismatic Films

Glass beaded reflective films have thousands of microscopic, spherical glass balls embedded on the front face (printable side) of the media. Each of these glass balls/beads reflects any light that falls upon them.

Reflective prismatic tapes have tiny man-made prisms embedded on their front face. Look closely at the material’s top surface and you will be able to make out a cell-like, uniform honeycomb structure. This is how prisms are arrayed.

Each of these synthetic prisms works like a mirror. And their one job is to throw back the light that falls on them.

Glass beads shaped like balls/spheres have an inherently curved and uneven surface. Hence, the light that falls on them is reflected back in a lot of different directions. Engineers refer to this as a ‘wider angle’ of reflection wherein the reflected light is dispersed any which way.

Prisms are flat and far more precisely fabricated. They are also uniformly fixed in the same plane. So the light that falls on prismatic sheets is reflected back at the same angle of incidence.

In layman’s terms, prismatic films reflect light far more precisely than a glass beaded reflective print.

Think of glass beaded reflective films as a flood lamp which lights up a wider/larger area with its light. Prismatic reflective films on the other hand are analogous to a spotlight. This narrow cone of light highlights one precise spot, or location very brightly.

This focused beam of light also travels greater distances than a dispersed beam of light, of the same strength.

Listed below are the main differences between prismatic and glass beaded reflective films:

Structure on the Front Face

Prismatic reflective films have a honeycomb or cell-like structure on their front face. And you can visually make out tiny prisms embedded on the surface. These embedded prisms help in increasing the reflectivity of the media. They throw back most of the light that falls on them. At times as much as 60-80%.

But this structure can also disturb fine details in a print like the photo of a model’s face. Hence, prismatic reflective films are generally not recommended for reproducing photographic images.

On the other hand, this variant is great for reproducing traffic signs and road direction boards. These communications mainly contain symbols, numbers, and letters. And such elements are vividly highlighted in prismatic films.

Glass beaded films have microscopic glass balls embedded on the front face. These balls (or beads) do reflect light. But they are invisible to the naked eye. Hence this film is smooth and does not have any structure on the front face.

One can faithfully reproduce photographic images with a lot of detailing on this surface.

Pricing

Glass bead films are easier to manufacture and are relatively inexpensive. Prismatic sheets are a more complex product. This film costs more than its glass beaded counterpart. But, as we shall see in the following point, you get significantly better performance for this extra cost.

Visibility Distance

A glass beaded film’s reflected light is visible over short distances only. Generally 20 – 50 feet. The light from prismatic films is visible from longer distances. At times even from a thousand feet! 3M™ claims visibility of half a kilometre for their Diamond Grade DG3 Reflective Vinyl.

The Angle of Reflection

The reflected light from glass bead films can be seen at wider angles. This means that you can see the reflected light even if you are viewing it from the side.

HIP or prismatic vinyls reflect light in a much tighter focus, somewhat like a laser beam. Here you need to be in front of the print to see the reflected light. Even if you are not directly in front of the print, your viewing angle needs to be closer to the perpendicular at which the original source of light falls on the print.

The above point also explains why reflective signboards on the highways shine up when your car is directly in front of them but dim down as your vehicle passes by.

Shape Cutting on a Plotter

Glass bead reflective films are very thin and can be cut in any shape on a plotter. You can use this film to cut individual letters or kiss-cut stickers. Prismatic vinyls are way too thick. They are also manufactured in multiple layers. And cutting out shapes from a prismatic film on a CAD plotter is not possible.

End Applications

Glass beads reflective vinyl is great for prints that need not be visible over long distances. One example would be safety signs that need to be installed indoors. They are also great for manufacturing kiss-cut reflective stickers.

Prismatic reflective vinyl is ideal for traffic signs and direction boards that need to be visible from long distances.

The Three Main Components Of a Reflective Vinyl Print

A reflective sign has three main components. Let’s look at each of these individually.

1. The Base Film on Which the Prints are Generated

As we have already listed above, Orchid Digitals provides two primary variants of reflective tapes & prints:

1. Prismatic Reflective Vinyl, also called Retro Reflective Vinyl or HIP — High-Intensity Prismatic Vinyl
2. Glass Beaded Reflective Film
   Click here to check the differences between them.

2. The Base Film on Which the Prints are Generated

Using a high-grade reflective media is just half the story.

To make our product truly world-class, we use UV or ultraviolet inks to generate the images on top. In the printing world, UV inks are known for their extreme ruggedness.

And these inks tick all the right boxes.

They are waterproof, fade-resistant, scratch, and even heat resistant. So a reflective signboard made from ultraviolet inks end up becoming a pretty robust product.

We have a pretty detailed post about the various types of inks used by different inkjet printers here. But for now, I would like to state that if you are looking for a print that has to be deployed outdoors, or in extreme weather conditions, a UV printed job is your best bet.

And our large-sized UV inkjet printers can generate signs in any size a client needs — from a 3-inch sticker to a five-foot-wide direction board.

3. Radium Reflective Prints on Rigid Panels

The product listed above comes in a roll form. It has a sticker/adhesive back. This enables you to paste the print on any smooth surface. But for many of our clients, a stand-alone reflective sticker will not work.

They demand the print in the form of a thick and rigid sheet. Such a sheet can easily be bolted on walls or a steel pole on the sides of a road.

To rigidify the print we mounting it on either of the two materials listed below:

1. ACP short for Aluminium Composite Panel
2. Sunboard or foam sheet

ACP | Aluminium Composite Panel

Aluminium composite panels are made of a thick rubber sheet sandwiched between thinner metallic aluminium foils on the top and bottom. The rubber layer in between ensures that the sheet has an almost wood-like rigidity. The aluminium foil on top and bottom gives our sheet a smooth and classy looking metallic finish.

Both these materials i.e. rubber and aluminium are resistant to water. They will not rust when exposed to rain, ice, or extreme weather. Moreover, the metallic exterior does not readily dent or easily scratch.

Their rigid strength, very low weight, and resistance to oxidation, make ACP sheets an ideal material for outdoor deployment.

And so when we need to make road direction signs or traffic boards we mount reflective prints on 3mm thick ACP.

These durable signs can also be easily drilled on the sides of a building, bolted to a frame, or fixed on top of a pole.

Sunboard / Foamsheet

ACP has fantastic strength and material stability. But it is also pretty expensive and a bit of an overkill for prints that have to be installed indoors.

A safety sign is another product that requires reflective sheeting. But unlike road direction boards, these signs are generally installed indoors in commercial spaces like shopping malls, office complexes, hotels, and factory shop floors.

While a smooth and flat sign is necessary for installing on walls, strength is not so much of an important factor in the above use cases. These indoor signs will not be exposed to strong winds, rain, or extreme temperatures.

And so, as a more economical alternative to ACP, we offer reflective vinyl prints mounted on foamsheet.

Foamsheet also known as sunboard is a smooth, rigid sheet of plastic. And it imparts a very flat and finished look to our reflective print. Foam sheet is waterproof and also has very little weight. You can easily paste it on any smooth surface using 2-sided tape. Alternatively, you can also nail it to the wall.

Read more about this material here.

Night Glow Signs | A High Visibility Material for An Alternate Application

In addition to reflective sheets, Orchid Digitals stocks one more high visibility material that stands out at night. We call this product — Auto Glow or Night Glow Prints. These are prints that shine all by themselves in darkness and do not require any external source of light (even the light for a vehicle’s headlamps) to glow.

What is the Difference Between Reflective Prints and Glow-in-the-dark Prints?

A lot of people confuse night reflective prints with night glow prints. But both these media are different. Reflective vinyl throws back some of the light that falls on its surface. On the other hand, glow in the dark prints absorb light during the day, and emit the same at night or when the room goes dark.

One of the best applications for a glow-in-the-dark print is fire safety signs. In times of fire, the electrical power supply in a building the first thing to trip. And occupants need guidance to the nearest exit in the pitch-dark. At such times, a phosphorescent auto glow sign can act as a silent beacon and guide people to safety.

A reflective print can only throw back the light that falls on it. Which is fine for a sign on the road that gets lit up by passing vehicles. But they do not really function in complete darkness.

Night glow signs work a little like a power bank.

They absorb and store light from the sun or ambient sources like a fluorescent time. And when night falls, or if the room goes dark during a power outage, this material glows with its pent up light-energy, to make the sign visible.

We have a pretty detailed product page on glow in the dark prints. Do click here to know more.

What Is the Cost of Reflective Vinyl Prints?

Here are the material specifications and costs of the different variants of reflective sheet signs. All rates are quoted per square foot (an area of 12 inches wide X 12 inches high).

The MOQ or minimum order quantity for this product is 20 square feet or 1 print of size 4 feet X 5 feet.

* Please Note:

• Rates mentioned above attract 18% GST
• The MOQ – Minimum order quantity for this product is 4 feet wide X 5 feet height (since the media is available in rolls having a width of four feet)
• Rates quoted above are per square foot. So for example, if your image is of size 4 feet wide by 5 feet heig, and you need a Glass Beaded Reflective Print in a roll form, the cost for the print job is:

4 feet (width) X 5 feet (height) X ₹ 100 (rate per square foot)

= ₹ 2000.00 (+ 18% GST)

Shipping and Delivery

• Reflective vinyl prints can be delivered anywhere in India in a roll form
• Delivery charges are extra and will be communicated to you once we receive the delivery address.