How is this metal sign made?

[bannertime]

A gallery customer brought this in and would like to redo it. They've been through about three or four people since this sign was made, so they don't know where it came from. It's 1/4" Aluminum attached to a 3/8" spacer which was VHB'd to the wall. Mounting process and material aside, I have no idea what this is.

It appears to be over coated in a smooth satin finish of sorts. In one of the pictures where there is a chip, you can see how thick layer is. I'm at a loss. I said screen printed on the phone, but this doesn't look like any screen printing I've ever seen. I don't know. I really just need to know what this is so I can send it off to get redone.

 

[unclebun]

Is the lettering applied on top of the gray coating or part of the same process?

 

[FireSprint.com]

Is it 6mm ACM (Aluminum Composite)?

Is the core plastic?

 

[Billct2]

could it be porcelen

 

[letterman7]

Looks like dye-sub. You can get prepped dye-sub aluminum from some suppliers, but I've never seen the coating that thick.

 

[unclebun]

The gray coating looks gray all the way through. When you dye sub, the color is usually just in the top, not all the way through a thick coating.

 

[bannertime]

Yeah, the coating and the white letters feel as if it's one layer. It's really hard to see any dept difference between the two colors. I also think there is the clear coat and then a coat of pewder color, and then a primer underneath that.

 

[bannertime]

Is it 6mm ACM (Aluminum Composite)?

Is the core plastic?

It's fairly heavy. I haven't scratched off the sides to verify, but I'm pretty sure it's solid metal. The coating is on all sides including the metal spacer piece on the back.

 

[bannertime]

Is the lettering applied on top of the gray coating or part of the same process?

It appears to be one layer. I'm trying to get permission to dig into the colors.

 

[2B]

With that "chip" I would say powder coating or a like process.
but those are crisp font edges

 

[bannertime]

With that "chip" I would say powder coating or a like process.
but those are crisp font edges

Yeah, that's what gets me. There are no depth ridges, they are super clean. I dug into the white and didn't find any pewder color underneath just the primer. So I don't think it's painted and then the white painted on top.

All the layers combined are ~0.0115. I did find a defect in a letter, if that helps in any way. The letter "l".

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Looks like 0.25in solid aluminum spray painted gray with flatbed printed white lettering. Gemini should be able to do this .

 

[visual800]

I would take a .25 acm spray it gray then possibly have vinyl cut and bury it in satin clear, if I were doing it. flatbed or screenprinting (if thats even an option anymore could also be done on lettering...can you feel the lettering at all?

 

[bannertime]

visual800, Zendavor Signs We're not painters. I haven't touched a can of One Shot in probably 10 years. What happens when you paint the edges of ACM? It'd have to be a uniform finish on all sides.

 

[iprint]

From the pictures it almost looks like some type of phenolic or formica printed on a flatbed.

 

[Dan McGee]

My 2 pennies (which is what it is worth)
That texture appears to be a rolled paint, the defect in the L looks a lot like a positive vinyl mask that didn't seal near the edge.

So my guess is: 1. Vinyl lettering applied to substrate 2.Sprayed then backrolled paint 3. Vinyl letters removed 4. Profit?

 

[Gino]

My vote is some sort of an epoxy process. Stenciled lettering like a screen process, spray painted and then a finish coat or two of a clear of your choice. That "L" is a give away that someone messed up the stencil. either before the paint went down or while pulling it up.

 

[bannertime]

I appreciate all the responses. I think we're going to attempt the sprayed route with a vinyl stencil, then clear coat. Will post an update.

 

[visual800]

visual800, Zendavor Signs We're not painters. I haven't touched a can of One Shot in probably 10 years. What happens when you paint the edges of ACM? It'd have to be a uniform finish on all sides.

I do paint and I havent touched one shot in 20 years because it is crap. One shot belongs in the trash. I spray either latex or Mathews. if your going to spray a stencil lettering you might as well just use vinyl lettering and bury it in the clear

 

[bannertime]

Screen printed porcelanized panel? Ask how old the sign may be. Back in the 70's or 80's it was a cadillac offering to porcelanize letters for incredible life.
https://www.ferro.com/products/prod...namel-screening-decoration-pastes-and-powders

The sign was actually made in 2013-2014. But like I said, they've been through about three or four people in this position, so they don't know where it came from. We've only been working with them for about a year and a half.