Mark notes
Substrate Check
A practical floor note on checking board, vinyl and laminate before cutting, weeding or dispatch.
Not every wall, board or pane takes the same vinyl. Substrate Check runs through painted surfaces, ACM, glass, perspex and other common shopfitting materials before print, lamination or installation is approved.
Substrate Check belongs with the workshop and the site file. It focuses on how painted board, ACM, glass, perspex and laminated panels behave before print or cut vinyl is approved in Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape.
Surface checks before cutting starts
- Board type and face finish confirmed
- Surface condition noted on the job card
- Job code tied to the correct material
- Installer, buyer or store contact named
Read them together when a job mixes ACM trays, painted drywall, perspex panels, or glass, so the specified vinyl matches both the surface and the way the sign will be used.
How Substrate Check shapes ABS, ACM, and vinyl shop sign jobs
Substrate Check is the step before cutting, weeding, laminating, or dispatch. Confirm the board, vinyl, and laminate match the approved job so the finished pieces suit the surface and use.
Start with the exact face receiving the graphic. Powder-coated metal, raw ACM, cured paint, old laminate and acrylic glazing all need different prep and different adhesive expectations, especially where heat, dust and strong sun are part of the trading environment in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Record whether the sign will sit indoors, behind glass, or on an exposed shopfront.
The first photo should show condition, not only branding position. Scratches, silicone residue, edge lift, solvent marks and paint flaking often explain later adhesion problems long before the vinyl comes off the liner. Keep a short substrate note with the job card so the cutter, laminator and installer are working from the same information.
What the check must confirm
A proper Substrate Check should identify the board or panel, the surface condition and the intended graphic system. That means noting whether the job needs print vinyl with laminate, cut colour, direct mount lettering, or a replacement panel because the existing face is not suitable. Clear naming prevents the wrong stock from being cut for glass when the site actually has perspex or painted Masonite.
Check it against the related Mark notes entries and any matching shopfront material note before quantities are signed off. Recheck sizes, substrate notes and laminate choice before dispatch, and send updates through the contact form if the site material changes after approval.
- Vinyl matched to the actual surface
- Condition recorded before any material is cut
Site conditions that affect adhesion
South African site work adds variables that a sample swatch cannot show on its own. Inland dust, coastal salt, heat on west-facing glazing, aged paint on older shopfronts and mixed panels from previous refits all change whether a vinyl spec will hold or fail. Note any existing graphics, filler repairs or exposed edges before the job reaches print.
Temperature and storage matter as much as the face material. Cold boards taken from a courier run, wet cleaning residue on glass, or acrylic sheets stored without protection can affect bonding, silvering and edge finish during installation. Sample viewing is useful when it includes the real substrate or a close match from the same fit-out pack.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
Workshop notes for board and vinyl
A practical floor note on checking board, vinyl and laminate before cutting, weeding or dispatch.
File Substrate Check with the job card before production starts. It should sit with the material list, artwork approval and any install note so the team can trace which board, vinyl and laminate were approved for that specific shop sign set.