How Are These Made?

[grafixemporium]

A friend/customer is interested in mass producing some custom overlay decals for laptops. He sent me the ones they have. Best I can tell, it's a thin polycarbonate material with a metallic silver print, die cut or router cut and finished with some type of clear lam or coating.

I can sort of make something similar in house, obviously... but there are a few aspects I don't think we can do.

The holes for the status indicator lights are actually only cut through the poly material. The clear lam/overlay is not cut. This acts as a barrier for debris/liquid getting inside the laptop casing.

The "tough" decal is even more over my head. The lettering is raised. You can see in the pic I started cutting away at it to try and dissect it.

Any insight or ideas on how they are made and where I can get something similar made in the US?

Thanks!

Andrew
GFX Wraps

 

[Ragnabrok]

looks like lexan film, screen printed on the back, and stamped or vacuum formed for the tough logo, then a double sided adhesive laminated to the back.

I know people that make gauge clusters for tractors by reverse printing on lexan film with a solvent printer, it works fairly well even though it's not technically solvent printable material.

 

[ams]

Looks like Direct Color Systems to me.

 

[rjssigns]

Might be silver vinyl with black screen print with 5mil textured laminate. Toughbook part could be cut vinyl layered on top of silver then covered with the same textured laminate. You would probably need to lightly heat then press to get the lam to form around the letters.

 

[LarryB]

Those are overlays. Call Shadowgraph which is in Missouri City and not too far. Ask for Derek (281) 208-1280

 

[artofacks1]

We got some material we tested on our edge fx that can do that. I will see if I can find the sample we made to share.