Innovating vinyl pool liners: New technologies create beautiful and functional designs

by brittney_cutler_2 | March 3, 2022 9:04 am

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By David Sones

In today’s design culture, form follows function. This is particularly true when creating vinyl pool liner designs. Not only is the function to provide a durable, watertight material, but the industry also demands the printed patterns and textures function under the stress from sunlight and harsh chemicals.

Additionally, consumers, builders, and landscapers want designs to match the latest in coping and decking treatments, complement the trending architectural colours, and look beautiful both above and below the waterline.

The function of the pattern on the vinyl liner material in the water naturally shapes the form of the design. This has led to the development of innovative new inks, coatings, textures, and patterns to provide beautiful, functional solutions and satisfy both builders and consumers.

Innovative inks

The pool industry often thinks about prints on vinyl as simply colours printed on the vinyl. This is true, of course, but the inks producing these colours are very unique and are used to create depth and dimension. This season’s new inks will even shimmer and shift in the sunlight.

Designers work with the latest technological advancements available to create pool liner prints, including developing the inks to create new colours and unique visual effects. In fact, the pool industry is not always aware of the years of research and development involved in creating these unique designs.

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Several recent advances in ink technology have led to the creation of material with new colours and a new liveliness in the pool liner design. In fact, these colours often determine whether a particular pattern or collection will succeed. The overall colour scheme of a pool liner design is crucial, as it reinforces the mood of the pool and the backyard. Designers always keep in mind the vinyl liner patterns will be appreciated as decor.

 Shimmering inks

One of the newest technological innovations is Aquashimmer, which was created for the pool liner to make the water sparkle in the sunshine. This ink was developed collaboratively with the manufacturing team at the author’s company to ensure a robust printing process. The resultant Aquashimmer ink and coating is a premium formulation with a dazzling effect on high-quality pool liner material. Some would compare the effect to a shimmering pearl.

 Shifting inks

Designers are constantly researching and developing new products and innovations. This practice led to the introduction of a truly new ink innovation which allows further differentiation for pool professionals in the market. In fact, this new ink has the ability to “colour shift,” which means the colour of the liner will change from silver teal to magenta and violet red blue by simply changing one’s viewing angle of the pool.

The development of the colour shift inks required a lengthy process to ensure the quality and durability of this new product. The first step was finding a source and supplier to help create and manufacture the ink to meet the required specifications. Then, the new ink was thoroughly tested. It took more than a year and a half to test and develop the ink with the in-house colour lab. In fact, because of the long development process, this new ink is very robust and provides a higher performance level. Not only does it have a colour-changing ability, but it also has an iridescent sparkle quality.

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The next step was to create a design to show off the colour-shift effect. The resulting Surf Antigua high-definition electric (HDE) pattern has intertwined waves of colour which change from blue to teal to magenta with hints of gold and silver and reflect in the water. Depending on the angle and the light conditions, it amplifies the reflection of the water and sunlight for a gradual effect along the pool.

In addition to the launch of the HDE design, other pool liner fabricators have worked with the author’s company to develop exclusive patterns for themselves using the technology. Builders are now promoting it as a premium product to stand out from their competition in 2022.

Enhanced colour

As with most products, colour trends change each season. Designers must do research to stay current with emerging colour trends and work to apply them to the pool industry in practical ways which will endure for the life of the product.

New advancements in vinyl colour technology led to the development of HDE colour materials. These premium-based films provide an intense, electric, or vivid colour which is stronger and brighter and amplifies the colour intensity of the water in the pool. Intense, deep blue colours are in demand and developing HDE has been key to making them a reality.

The ability to create 3D renderings allows designers to present new concepts to builders and liner fabricators as they would appear in the finished pool, co-ordinating with different pool shapes, decking materials, and coping treatments. This removes guesswork from the development process in visualizing the final product as it would be seen in the pool, which is especially helpful with new design trends.

Design inspiration and trends

Designers spend a considerable amount of time researching colours to use in a vinyl pool liner pattern to mirror the trends in backyard decor. Just because one colour may have been popular one year, it does not mean the same colour should be applied to the following season’s vinyl liner patterns. This is important because colours in products such as apparel are not expected to stand the test of time. However, vinyl liners are generally in the pool for at least five to seven years.

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Designers work hard to create patterns which have a classic appeal and will not look dated after two years. Therefore, the vibrancy and exact hues which made the initial design concept a hit with focus groups must be preserved and enhanced for final impact in the marketplace. This requirement for colour accuracy not only applies to the inks, but also to the base colour of the vinyl itself. Early base films were aqua or baby blue. Today, as printing technologies have advanced, the trend has moved toward a wider range of base film colours to make the pattern appear more vivid.

Fashion trends in upscale backyard furniture can be particularly influential when it comes to determining vinyl pool liner colours and patterning. Outdoor furniture has moved far beyond simple, plastic lawn chairs to luxurious furniture with softer edges and bigger cushions. Outdoor rugs, outdoor curtains, and even outdoor kitchens must all tie into a cohesive outdoor living space, and the designer realizes their patterns must add to the backyard fashion statement. The vinyl liner pattern choice is heavily influenced by the overall colour scheme of the home and the popularity of rock waterfalls and big benches for lounging; therefore, having a pattern which blends easily over benches and steps, while flowing from a waterfall into the pool, makes certain patterns very popular.

Textured treatments and European influences

The marketplace for pool liners is perpetually influenced by landscape architecture and outdoor living trends. As a result, pool builders and designers are always looking for something new to capture market share and differentiate themselves from others. One of the newer innovations which has really taken off is textured vinyl sheeting. This trend toward textured materials comes from a desire for a more realistic and natural-looking product.

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The textured pool liners produced in Europe are 60 mil membranes, which are also gaining in popularity with builders in North America. These are called Aquasense liners, as their realistic feel appeals to the senses of swimmers. These textured products are the result of a five-year effort with the sales and development teams at the author’s company, to create new printing and lamination processes which produce highly realistic effects.

In Europe, pool liner designs more closely imitate the materials used by landscape architects. Consequently, these textures are a perfect imitation (both look and feel) of materials such as slate, granite, and marble. These products allow the pools to blend into the historic settings of the homes, which in many cases are located in high-end, luxury settings. In fact, these textured polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane products meet Class C anti-slip properties, making them ideal for commercial applications such as hotels, athletic clubs, and homeowners associations (HOAs).

As a result, the author’s company has introduced new marble and slate prints. This past year, they introduced a popular embossed green slate liner called Fiji. The green slate colour has a distinct look and is inspired by pools which might be seen in a Bali resort. The end result is a very tropical, deep turquoise-looking water colour being chosen for both residential and hotel pools.

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Designing, manufacturing, and printing

In order for these unique designs to perform in the pool, tight controls in the manufacturing process are required to guarantee durable quality. Every pool liner design must withstand the wear and tear of the swimming pool environment—from water treatment chemicals to extended periods of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The entire manufacturing process mirrors the design process in scope, taking several months to produce a single pattern design. All vinyl must be printed and ready to ship before the building season, which invariably makes deadlines tight. In fact, it is not unusual for a designer to be on call 24-7, in case the manufacturing department needs a colour press or print check of a particular liner design. For this reason, a smart designer works with the highest degree of accuracy possible, with the foresight to minimize these eleventh-hour incidents which could jeopardize deadlines and possibly delay product shipment. To ensure the highest level of quality, the author’s company not only designs the pool liner patterns, but it also manufactures the vinyl film and does all the printing in-house, under one roof.

Looking ahead

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Design is not just how it looks, but also how it works. This balancing act between function (usability) and form (esthetics) is one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of designing vinyl pool liners. Technological advances in inks, printing, and manufacturing are propelling designs to new heights.

Moving into next season, the industry will have more choices in patterns, colours, and textures to meet the surge in demand for all things pool and outdoor living. Not only will pool builders have more options to meet consumer demand, but they will also have high-quality vinyl products to help them stand out from their competitors. Being able to bring these innovations to both residential and commercial pools and provide the industry with unsurpassed designs, technological innovations, and quality vinyl materials is the most rewarding part of being a pool liner designer.

David Sones is the supervisor for industrial design, as well as the lead designer for North American and European industrial design development, at Canadian General-Tower (CGT). Sones has over 21 years of design experience and is proud to be a part of CGT, which has been in business for over 150 years. Sones can be reached at david.sones@cgtower.com[8].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/innovating-vinyl-pool-liners/

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