Asphalt graphics

Asphalt graphics: marking on rough outdoor surfaces

An ordinary floor sticker lets go on asphalt. The surface is too rough and too porous, and the adhesive finds too little closed surface to bond to. An asphalt sticker is made for exactly that: a thicker, deformable film that presses into the texture of the road surface and stays there.

We supply asphalt graphics to local authorities, contractors, event organisers, schools and companies, for temporary marking and promotion on the ground.

What they are used for

• Temporary road marking during works, diversions and events.
• Route marking at running, cycling and walking events: distance markers, direction arrows, start and finish zones.
• Promotion on the ground at the entrance to a site, a car park or a festival ground.
• Marking of parking bays, loading zones and cycle crossings.
• Campaign messages in the public realm, for example around road safety at school gates.

For permanent road marking, thermoplastic marking or paint remains the right route. Asphalt graphics are meant for what has to come off again.

How they work

The film is thicker and softer than ordinary sticker film. You lay it on the cleaned surface and press it down, usually with a rubber roller or simply by walking over it. Some versions are heat activated, after which they settle fully into the structure of the asphalt.

The top layer has an anti-slip finish, which on a footpath or a cycle path is not a detail but a requirement.

Preparation decides the result

This is where it goes wrong in practice.

• The surface must be dry and clean. Dust, sand and oil prevent adhesion completely.
• Temperature counts. Below a certain surface temperature the adhesive no longer bonds; applying in winter is generally a bad idea without heating.
• Fresh asphalt still contains oils that evaporate off. After a new layer has been laid, wait long enough before you apply.
• Roll the sticker down properly, along the edges as well. A lifted edge is the point where a tyre pulls it off.

Service life and removal

On a footpath or a cycle path a well-applied asphalt sticker lasts for months. On a carriageway with motor traffic it wears faster, depending on the intensity of the traffic. For a weekend event or a campaign of a few months that is more than enough.

Removal is done by hand, with heat if needed. On old or weathered asphalt a faint shadow can remain. Discuss that in advance when it concerns a sensitive location.

What determines the price?

Asphalt graphics have no fixed unit price. The cost follows from the size and the shape, whether it is contour cut, the quantity and therefore how the print set-up cost is spread, the quality of the film and the expected service life, and whether we install as well.

Give us the quantity, the size and how long it has to last, and you will get a quotation in which those items are listed separately.

Requesting a proposal

Send us your artwork and tell us what surface the marking goes on and how long it has to stay. We will propose the right film and say when application is inadvisable.