Product Description
ORACAL® 8800 Translucent Premium Cast — 2 Mil Backlit Film for Illuminated Signage
ORACAL 8800 is ORAFOL's premium cast translucent film for illuminated signage. At 2 mil with a satin finish, it holds color evenly in both reflected daylight and transmitted light, and its cast construction lets it conform through the thermoforming process without the color shift, blushing or edge lift you get from pushing a calendered film into a formed face.
This is the film you specify when the face is going to be pan-formed or embossed, when the cabinet has to hold color for the better part of a decade, or when the job carries a fire-rating requirement. It is ASTM E 84-07 Class “A” rated, self-extinguishing per DIN 75200, and approved by ORAFOL for thermoformed illuminated sign faces with published process parameters.
Cast vs. calendered — where 8800 earns the price difference
| ORACAL 8800 (cast) | ORACAL 8500 (calendered) | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Premium cast PVC | Polymer calendered PVC |
| Thickness | 2 mil | 3.1 mil |
| Liner | 4 mil translucent polyester | Kraft paper |
| Thermoforming | Approved, with published process parameters | Not covered by the current data sheet |
| Fire rating | ASTM E 84-07 Class “A” | Not published |
| Zone 1 durability | 10 yrs black/white · 8 yrs colors | 7 yrs colors |
| Best for | Formed faces, long-life cabinets, spec work | Flat faces, interior boxes, cost-sensitive jobs |
Outdoor durability by climate zone
ORAFOL publishes 8800's life expectancy by climate zone, and the numbers matter here: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and the desert Southwest are Climate Zone 3. The 10-year figure you see quoted across the industry is Zone 1, black and white only.
| Zone 1 (temperate) | Zone 2 (humid / warm) | Zone 3 (arid / hot — AZ, NV, NM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black & white | 10 years | 8 years | 6 years |
| Colors | 8 years | 6 years | 4 years |
| Metallic | 5 years | 3 years | 1.5 years |
Interior cabinets and enclosed light boxes are not exposed to that UV load and will outlast these figures comfortably. We publish the Zone 3 column because quoting a customer ten years on a Phoenix exterior cabinet is how you end up refacing it on your own dime.
Technical specifications
| Film | Premium cast PVC, 2 mil (without liner and adhesive) |
|---|---|
| Finish | Satin — even color in incident and transmitted light, reduced reflection |
| Adhesive | Clear, solvent-based, permanent |
| Release liner | 4 mil silicone-coated translucent polyester |
| Compatible substrates | Acrylic, polycarbonate, glass |
| Fire behavior (DIN 75200) | Self-extinguishing, adhered to steel |
| Fire rating | ASTM E 84-07 Class “A” |
| Temperature resistance | -49°F to +176°F adhered to acrylic, no variation |
| Minimum application temperature | 46°F |
| Adhesive power (FINAT TM-1, 24 hrs, avg.) | 4.1 lb/in on glass 3.7 lb/in on acrylic |
| Tensile strength (DIN EN ISO 527) | Min. 21 MPa along and across |
| Elongation at break (DIN EN ISO 527) | Min. 120% along and across |
| Dimensional stability (FINAT TM-14) | Adhered to steel — no shrinkage across; less than 0.004″ in length |
| Chemical resistance | Adhered to glass, 8 hrs in 0.5% household cleaner at room temperature and 149°F — no variation |
| Shelf life | 2 years at 68°F / 50% relative humidity |
| Widths and lengths | 24″ and 48″, in 30′ (10 yd) and 150′ (50 yd) rolls |
| Recommended application tapes | ORATAPE® HT55, MT72, MT80P, MT95 |
| Print compatibility | Thermal transfer (resin ribbons) |
Thermoforming ORACAL 8800
This is where 8800 separates itself, and where most failures happen. ORAFOL publishes specific process parameters — the summary below follows their Practical Information sheet. Run a test face before committing a production run.
Substrate prep and film application
- Clean the substrate per the sheet manufacturer's recommendation. Never clean polycarbonate or acrylic with isopropyl alcohol.
- Apply wet, or apply dry through a roll laminator.
- Wet application must be fully dried before heating, or trapped fluid turns into bubbles in the oven. One layer of film: roughly 2 hours in an oven at 170°F, or 1–2 days on a rack at 70°F or above. Two layers: minimum 4 hours at 170°F, or 3–4 days on a rack.
- Dry-applied through a roll laminator: allow at least 8 hours of acclimation so the adhesive anchors before forming.
Forming parameters
- 380°F or less, 8 minutes maximum exposure. Verify against your own equipment's recommended heat range — ovens vary.
- Sheets thicker than 0.176″ require double heaters.
- Excessive heat unbalances the film components: reduced surface gloss, color degradation, alteration of the acrylic or polycarbonate, and premature failure.
- ORAFOL recommends heat-sensitive temperature tabs to monitor the process. Your oven manufacturer can source them.
- Use male molds for first-surface graphics and female molds for second-surface graphics. Second-surface graphics are always cut in reverse.
- Avoid film contact with the mold surface during heating. If that is unavoidable, contour cut the graphic to the mold to reduce distortion.
Hand cutting and weeding a formed face
- Pattern the flat areas with a pounce wheel and dust. Carbon paper and marking pens leave permanent marks on the film.
- On embossed or debossed letters, cut on the flat areas, or at the beginning and halfway through the return.
- Avoid overcuts at counter forms and returns — every overcut becomes a light leak once the face is lit.
- Weed with short, slight jerks, pulling the vinyl away at 45°. Slight heat from a heat gun makes it easier.
For distortion-cut work, the process matches distortion-screened faces, including registration. On flat thermoformed faces receiving copy only, apply the graphics after forming when possible. ORACAL 8830 and 8860 diffusing films can be used with distortion-cut graphics.
Where it is used
- Illuminated channel letter faces and returns
- Thermoformed and pan-formed illuminated sign faces
- Backlit acrylic, polycarbonate and glass
- Pretensioned flexible faces and illuminated awnings
- Spec and commercial work requiring a Class “A” fire rating
Building the whole illuminated system
8800 is one layer of the assembly. The rest of the ORAFOL illuminated line:
- ORACAL 8870 Blockout Premium Cast — kills light transmission where you need hard-edged copy.
- ORACAL 8830 and 8860 Diffuser Premium Cast — evens out hot spots and LED striping across the face.
- ORACAL 8500 Translucent Cal — the calendered alternative for flat faces and tighter budgets.
- Printable translucent media — when the graphic gets printed rather than cut.
Not everything above is listed online. Call and we will quote it.
Ordering and lead time
Available in 24″ and 48″ widths, in 10-yard and 50-yard rolls. This is a special-order item shipped direct from ORAFOL; standard lead times apply and it does not qualify for the free freight promotion. Need a width between the two, or a partial roll? Our roll slitting service can cut to your face size.
Documentation available on request: technical data sheet, thermoforming instructions, article information, and safety data sheet. Email Sales@kgsupplies.com and we will send the current revision.
WARNING: This product may expose you to chemicals which are known in the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Spec'ing a multi-cabinet program, or forming faces in volume?
Email Sales@kgsupplies.com or call (602) 272-8655. We will help you match film, diffuser and blockout to the cabinet before you buy. Kirin Global Supplies delivers overnight across Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, and ships nationwide via UPS.
