For over 35 years, the SignWarehouse, Endura brand has provided exceptional value. Endura means brand name quality at the SignWarehouse price. Our new EnduraMASK MHT 130 Application Tape carries on that tradition by providing exceptional performance and versatility at an affordable price.
MHT 130 is the first EnduraMASK transfer tape tested and approved for use on both ORACAL 651 and 631. It excels at removing and transferring vinyl films with both permanent and removable adhesives. Whether you're transferring vinyl graphics for license plates or interior wall décor, EnduraMASK MHT 130 will help you get the job done right. And it does so without charging a premium price for its premium performance. What makes EnduraMASK MHT 130 such an outstanding value?
Overview
EnduraMASK MHT 130 application tape is made from special impregnated paper with low tensile elongation and high wet strength. It has a medium-high tack rubber adhesive with a relatively high coat weight. It features easy unwinding without random tearing and can be easily applied with no wrinkles. It's universally applicable for small and medium sized graphics with a wide variety of vinyls including cast and calendared, matte and glossy, standard and specialty films.
The ORACAL Challenge
Because we sell lots of ORACAL Vinyl, we have traditionally favored high tack tapes. ORACAL 651 has a unique face film that is both thinner and denser than most calendared vinyls. The thin, dense face film tends to be stiffer than most. This makes it exceptionally easy to weed because the vinyl stays tight to the liner until you remove it. The flip side of this benefit is that, when the weeding is done and it's time to transfer your graphic to the substrate, the transfer tape has to work harder to release the letters from the liner. EnduraMASK MHT 130 has a high enough tack level and adhesive coat weight to achieve easy transfer of vinyls like 651 from the liner to the substrate. You still may have to use the ORACAL Flip tip. Remove the letters by turning the masked graphic over and pulling the liner upward. But, if you cut your vinyl correctly (more on that later), you should have no problem using MHT 130 with 651, or any other ORACAL glossy vinyl.
The Wall Graphics Challenge
Wall graphics require a different vinyl and tape formula. For interior décor, most customers want a vinyl that can be removed without damaging painted wall surfaces. This requires a vinyl with a lower tack adhesive. EnduraMATTE and ORACAL 631 are ideal for this application. Many painted interior walls have 'knockdown' surface textures designed to hide flaws. Some are flattened, some aren't. But they're all challenging because, when you apply a masked vinyl graphic to such a wall, there's less contact area between the wall and the vinyl and than there is between the vinyl and the transfer tape. A high tack tape won't release the vinyl and allow it to bond to the tenuous wall surface. EnduraMASK MHT 130 transfers both ORACAL 631 and EnduraMATTE to textured wall surfaces.
Application Tips: Liner Scoring
No matter how well you match up your tape and vinyl, if you cut the vinyl too deeply, it will be difficult for the transfer tape to work properly. Your plotter blade should cut all the way through the face film, and adhesive layer and just barely score the release liner. If you cut too deeply into the liner, it will tend to stick to the back of your vinyl graphics and may even delaminate when you try to use the tape to transfer the letters. If you can feel the outline of the letters through the back of the liner, you've cut it too deeply. Reduce the cutting force and adjust the blade so that it's not protruding as far from the blade holder.
Walls & Squeegees: When applying vinyl graphics to textured walls, you may need to pull back the tape just enough to expose a corner of the vinyl, and use your squeegee to press the vinyl to the wall surface as you remove the tape (FIG 2). This is more likely to be necessary if you're applying the vinyl to a knockdown texture that hasn't been flattened, especially if you're using ORACAL 631. EnduraMATTE has a slightly higher-tack adhesive than 631, so EnduraMATTE users can apply wall graphic more easily, even on textured wall surfaces.
Walls & App Fluid: If you need some extra help transferring the vinyl, try squeegeeing the masked graphic to the wall and wetting the tape with a modest amount of water or Application Fluid. Rub it in and wait about five minutes. The fluid will permeate the paper and moisten the tape's adhesive, which makes it easier to release its bond with the vinyl. Don't use so much fluid that it soaks through the tape to the wall and gets under the vinyl. That will weaken the vinyl's adhesive and have the opposite effect.
The SignWarehouse Price
EnduraMASK MHT 130 is a good quality paper tape, with a medium-high tack adhesive that hits the sweet spot. It's aggressive enough to achieve liner release with glossy, permanent adhesive vinyls like ORACAL 641, 651, 751 etc. But it's forgiving enough to transfer matte removable vinyls, like 631 and EnduraMATTE, even on textured wall surfaces. Since it's an EnduraMASK product, you get all this versatility at an astounding price. In fact, EnduraMASK MHT 130 is our most affordable application tape. Prices start at just $22.56 for 6" x 100 yard rolls. It's available in 6", 8", 12", 16", and 24" widths. Start here and stock up.
