Metal Prints?? Photographers etc.

[splizaat]

Hey Guys!
The more and more time goes on, and the more and more I travel - the more i notice these metal prints that a LOT of photographers are moving towards. Some sort of printing similar to dye-sub and then it's pressed and infused into the metal with a super high gloss finish.

www.magnachrome.com is making them.

Do any of the vendors or members here do this kind of printing? What kind of printer/ printer model are needed? what kind of substrate for paper and metal?

 

[ams]

Never seen one, but wonder if it's done with water imaging, where you put ink in water and dip the substrate in and it transfers the image.

 

[splizaat]

They come out BEAUTIFUL. These are in just about every art gallery at this point, and every major photographer seems to be using them (clark little is one for sure).

I thought they printed directly to the metal but I watched a video today from magna chrome and they're printed just like dye-sub to a transfer, then transferred on a heat press.

I still can't figure out what printed/ink/paper transfer they use and what I need to know about the metal itself.


[video=youtube;AqQT0aRaCj4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqQT0aRaCj4[/video]

 

[knucklehead]

http://www.signs101.com/forums/show...e-comfortable-running-this-through-a-Pro-9600

 

[Atomic DNA]

We make them all the time for our resellers. Just finished a set of 16 x 24's.

It really is difficult to capture how these actually look. We use the bare metal background with the shiny finish and is the Chromaluxe brand, though.

 

[Atomic DNA]

As printers are concerned, any type with a dye sub set up. We use Mutoh and a couple of Epsons but pretty much any type of printer will work, as long as they have piezo print heads.

The paper is a high-release paper, generally a 105 gsm. We experimentd with a couple today on 65 gsm and we experienced a little bleed but that is more profile related than anything.

A large format heat press is needed as well if you want to do any prints in a larger size than the traditional 16 x 20 footprint.

 

[jdejesus]

I am a photographer

Metal prints have been out for a while. All of the major print labs market and sell them in ornate patters, with lots of different types of overcoats. Check out bay photo.com. They lost their prices without having an account. If you are looking for other hot items photogs are looking for, look into acrylic prints. I feel acrylic is still up and rising for the photo industry.

 

[splizaat]

Yea it seems they are sending them to apaintbooth and putting layers and layers of clear coat over it once it's been transferred. Is this the case?

 

[Atomic DNA]

No, it's more of a curtain coating process or application. These companies are fairly secretive to their coating processes.