The Benefits of Avery Dennison Reflective Films

Reflective Films are drawing attention everywhere... and that's what they are designed to do.  Reflective films are manufactured using glass beads or prismatic technology that reflect the light back to the light source to give visibility in low light situations. This is perfect for safety, brand logo  attraction and wayfinding. There are a variety of grades of reflective films that range from Decorative Beaded Reflective to a High Visibility Prismatic.

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Reflective Benefits

Visual Impact: According to the ATA, traditional fleet graphics offer 10 million impressions annually, compared to 14 million when reflective films are used. 

Safety: Per the NHTSA, the use of reflective materials reduced side and rear impacts into trailers, in dark conditions (including "dark-not-lighted,“ “dark-lighted," "dawn" and "dusk") by 29 percent. In "dark-not-lighted" conditions, the tape reduced side and rear impact crashes by 41 percent. Reflective material is especially effective in reducing injury crashes. In dark conditions, it reduced side and rear impacts that resulted in fatalities or injuries to drivers of any vehicle by 44 percent.

What the Avery Dennison Reflective Film Portfolio Has to Offer

V2000: V2000 Beaded Retroreflective offers exceptional value for architectural, transportation and general signage applications.The film also meets ASTM D4956 Type 1. (V2000 PDS)

V4000: V4000 Premium Beaded Reflective is a conformable, enclosed lens, retro-reflective sheeting which meets or exceeds the requirements of Federal specification ASTM D4956-13. V4000 offers exceptional value for architectural, transportation and general signage applications requiring conformability and extended durability. (V4000 PDS)

V8000: V8000 Series High Visibility, Prismatic Reflective Film is engineered to improve the day and nighttime visibility of emergency response, utility and construction fleets. Highly reflective vehicle markings can improve detection and recognition, giving drivers more time to react safely and avoid a collision. V8000 meets the color and minimum luminance requirements for ASTM D4965 and NFPA 1901. This series of film is about 8 times brighter than beaded films. (V8000 PDS, V8000 Instruction Bulletin, V8000 Product Video)

V5720 Series Conspicuity Tape: V5720 series is a metalized prismatic, retroreflective film designed to provide an extra high level of visibility for tractor trailers and other vehicles. This product complies with DOT-C2.  (Conspicuity Tape PDS)

Tips and Tricks

Printing: V4000 and V8000 white films are digitally printable across UV, solvent, eco-solvent and latex printers with great visual performance. Be aware that reflective films cannot be profiled in solvent and latex printing equipment due to the light reflecting back into the spectrophotometer. We recommend using a profile for Gloss Cast material such as MPI 1105 as a base starting point. It may be necessary to make a few adjustments to the presets to attain the perfect visual result. After printing on the material, we do recommend using a DOL1360Z or DL6460 series laminate to ensure ink durability and protection. (ICC Profiles)

Cutting: When running the reflective films through a plotter, it will be necessary to ensure you have a fresh 45°-60° blade. A 60° blade is recommended for Prismatic sheeting. It is important to keep a clean, sharp blade, because dull blades or incorrectly angled blades can cause fraying and/or tearing, as well as less-than-smooth edge cuts. Also note that reflective films will contour cut well down to 2 inches. (Plotter Cutting Tips Bulletin)

Installation: Avery Dennison reflective films now come with an option of EZRS™. “EZ” is the Easy Apply, bubble free air egress technology, and “RS” is the Repositionable/Slidable Adhesive Technology. The films are more resistant to bruising than the competition, and solid construction reflective films for vehicle applications do not require edge sealing. See Justin Pate’s video for installation tips regarding V4000.

Reflective films will increase brand awareness, both day and night visibility and most importantly, safety. It is worth the time and energy to learn how to print, cut and install reflective films, bringing the WOW factor to your customers.   

Avery Dennison has support information available along with samples of reflective to help you showcase the options to your customer. Please reach out to your local Avery Dennison Sales or Technical Support person for more information or if you have further questions.