Spraying chip labels - before or after application?

[nolanfan34]

Got my labels from Jason today. Good god, they are pretty sweet.

I've read a bunch of threads about people who have sprayed their labels with some sort of protectant. But what's the consensis on when to do it? Spray the sheets of labels before applying? Or spray them afterward, on the chips?

Love to hear comments from people who have done either, to hear if it really matters...

[SamIAm]

I definitely vote for before. It'll be a pain in the butt to do it after, and I don't think you want protectant on your chips, just the labels.
-Sam

[lighterjobs]

what kind of protectant is it? i'm getting my labels in by the end of the week and i want to be able to put them on that day.

[Cassius]

I sprayed mine (nexgens) after, I found it actually improves the feel, they feel really rough right after, but after a couple times through the hands or a couple shuffles, they feel much less obvious and better than the slick feel of the original - I'm sure most of it will come off through use though.

[Fins]

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what kind of protectant is it? i'm getting my labels in by the end of the week and i want to be able to put them on that day.

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Krylon protective spray (http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=krylon%20matte).

Mfr's Krylon Matte Link (http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=8&produ ctid=1816&content=product_details) - might call Call 1-800-4KRYLON for local dealers.

From Lynbark..."We like Krylon's Preserve It. The Preserve It is tough to find locally and should run less than $5 for a can that will handle several thousand labels. There are several matte fixatives that work great on computer printed paper. Use one coat with a a slow, side to side sweeping motion about 1 foot from paper. Go off the edge of the paper each time to avoid staying in 1 spot for too long. We simply use a stapler to hit each sheet a couple times and then spray them (don't do it indoors or in a small garage without some ventilation).
It takes about 15 minutes to do a set of 1000 and should be allowed to dry for about a day after application. It will give your chips a "chemical" odor for a while. You may want to allow them to air for several hours before applying and stacking.

The glossy spray adds a very bright, sheen that may actually be distracting from the design when held at an angle in bright light. You also have to be much more careful as the glossy will run and cause "drips" if oversprayed. You should use lighter coats with the glossy (simply move a little quicker side to side), and maybe add an extra coat. The glossy will make the labels a bit thicker than the matte spray and takes a little more patience to apply. Glossy vs matte is ultimately a personal preference as to which looks better with your chips, and possibly your design you've chosen.

The matte spray adds a nice rough texture along with much better resistance to moisture and scratches than simply going with a plain paper."

- Fins

[lighterjobs]

right now i have the 11.5 "suited" chips that most people have, so they don't go down in the middle like the nexgens do. so will the thickness that the protectant adds make the chips teeter back and forth at all? will the labels fade if i don't use this protectant?

[SamIAm]

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so they don't go down in the middle like the nexgens do

[/ QUOTE ]This makes labels sound like a bad idea. The fact that the Nexgens don't actually rest on the label seems important. If you're stacking chips label-on-label, I think they'll fall and I think the labels will wear badly. But I have no experience with this.

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and should be allowed to dry for about a day after application.

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This definitely isn't necessary. The can says wait 15 minutes to move and 3 hours to handle. I found them perfectly dry after a couple hours on a warm day, so I put the labels on then. They can dry that last hour in my chip case. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
-Sam