Need Help Digital Print Replicating Frosting

[CW92]

Hi, I am trying to replicate some window graphics installed some time ago (not by us and the client doesn't have a record) The window graphics are one piece of optically clear, floor to ceiling with a printed band in the middle. The band is made up of shape of what looks like different pieces of window frosting. However, it's all one piece and has been digitally printed.

Would anyone know how to achieve this?

We originally printed several swatches of greys (black from 5% to 100%, and pantone swatches like the cool and warm greys with a mix of others thrown in) onto optically clear and took it down there to match, but the method did not match what was on there. Our current idea is to try printing a white layer with grey on top.

 

[Sign.ed]

What printer are y'all running? Printing white is a pretty neat feature.


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[Mainframe]

Maybe it was a Photoshop file with noise added to the design.

 

[Chasez]

A photo of the original is where we would need to start figuring out how it was done.

Chaz

 

[ChrisN]

Definitely try just white ink. I just made a plaque with a 10% white fill, and it gave a very nice frosted effect. It's not sparkly like frosted/dusted crystal vinyl, but it looks cool. I did this with our UV printer, which has white ink that is much more opaque than our solvent printer; so depending on what print process you use, you might need to go higher density to get the same effect.

 

[CW92]

What printer are y'all running? Printing white is a pretty neat feature.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We have to outsource our white printing as unfortunately we can't do it in house, but it is a great feature!

 

[CW92]

Definitely try just white ink. I just made a plaque with a 10% white fill, and it gave a very nice frosted effect. It's not sparkly like frosted/dusted crystal vinyl, but it looks cool. I did this with our UV printer, which has white ink that is much more opaque than our solvent printer; so depending on what print process you use, you might need to go higher density to get the same effect.

It's definitely the frosted effect we're after, and doesn't need to be sparkly either so I am thinking of getting samples of white with grey on top of an optically clear at different opacities to try and match it. We outsource the white printing and I think they do use a UV printer to do it, so turning down the opacity there may be the key?