Coro Plastic vs. Foam Board

[JimmyW]

I see that some props are made out of 'coro plastic' and others are made from 'foam board'. If you have had both types, tell me your Personal Preference and Why?

 

[Christmas Props Aus.]

Full disclosure — I make props commercially, so I've worked with both. Honest take:


Coro is my pick for most props. It's about a third the weight of foam board, handles weather well, costs less, and flexes in wind rather than snapping. Big advantages for anything on a roofline or exposed to gusts. The catch: it needs proper surface prep before painting or printing, or the artwork will flake — that's why you see so many coro props with peeling paint.


Foam board wins on finish — dead flat, no flute lines, takes paint beautifully. But it's heavier, dearer, and more brittle.


Short version: coro for large or elevated props, foam board where it's viewed up close and the finish justifies the cost.

 

[merryoncherry]

Generally agree with CPA.

In the USA it is not easy to get the PVC foam board, all the US vendors are cutting coro, which is much lighter, easier to work with, and performs well overall.

I do have a few PVC stars (imported from Ink Creations and distributed by Your Pixel Store). They're much heavier but they work well and they look great, so I'm glad I bought them.

Overall, you can't lose either way... if you like the prop, you might as well buy it regardless of the material.

 

[JimmyW]

Generally agree with CPA.

In the USA it is not easy to get the PVC foam board, all the US vendors are cutting coro, which is much lighter, easier to work with, and performs well overall.

I do have a few PVC stars (imported from Ink Creations and distributed by Your Pixel Store). They're much heavier but they work well and they look great, so I'm glad I bought them.

Overall, you can't lose either way... if you like the prop, you might as well buy it regardless of the material.

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Appreciate your honest review, and good to know that you have used both types of material and why.

 

[JimmyW]

Full disclosure — I make props commercially, so I've worked with both. Honest take:


Coro is my pick for most props. It's about a third the weight of foam board, handles weather well, costs less, and flexes in wind rather than snapping. Big advantages for anything on a roofline or exposed to gusts. The catch: it needs proper surface prep before painting or printing, or the artwork will flake — that's why you see so many coro props with peeling paint.


Foam board wins on finish — dead flat, no flute lines, takes paint beautifully. But it's heavier, dearer, and more brittle.


Short version: coro for large or elevated props, foam board where it's viewed up close and the finish justifies the cost.

Have you used both types of props in your display, and how do they hold up in the Queensland weather?

 

[Christmas Props Aus.]

I’m actually very disappointed in the lighting community on this subject. Jimmy had a very good question which he asked and nobody as responded except merryoncherry and myself.

 

[djgra79]

I’m actually very disappointed in the lighting community on this subject. Jimmy had a very good question which he asked and nobody as responded except merryoncherry and myself.

I responded to the poll. Its also not even 24hours since the OP. Allow some time for people to actually see it

 

[Skymaster]

Keep in mind that traffic to the site wont pick up for another month or two - usually post-mini's is when it jumps up, peaking in November and then going completely dead by the 2nd week in January :-D

 

[Katekate]

if it was answered, does it really need more answers?

 

[B4IGO]

i also have both.

So far the PVC foam board from Ink Creations has held up great in Sydney over 2 seasons. The prints look fantastic (I have stars and the set of gingerbread people).

Everything said above is spot on.

Yes, its quite a bit heavier and great for ground based props or smaller items (just my opinion). And you do need to handle it with more care - if you drop it I think there's a reasonable chance it will break - I cracked a small star. On the plus side I was able to glue it back together. Another plus is you can drill it easily if you need to add different mounting holes.

Definitely a case of horses for courses - For me I would continue to use coro for large items or anything that's hanging on the wall or up on the roof where I want it to be light enough to handle up on a ladder and I'd be worried about dropping and snapping it. For ground based I would use either depending on who had a design that I liked.