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Mystery Print Process?

sublime000

New Member
(i've learned its best to put your question first followed by the giant novel of an explanation afterwards. 0

Granted, I know that there is no picture for you to look at, but just for starters: What print processes are there (if any) that are capable of:

1) Directly printing to a substrate such as aluminum (in full color or 1 color layers)

AND ALSO

2) Print/ Produce a raised grainy/sand texture

(Imagine if your printer had the ability to add colored sand to certain parts of your print with as much accuracy as it does ink....i know it sounds strange, but that what our mystery sample looks/feels like)


We received an order request from a new client whose business we have been working towards earning for quite some time. They wanted to know if we could directly printo onto aluminum sheets that have a brushed silver finish on both sides. They would provide the material. This seemed easy enough over the phone, since we do offer print on a UV printer here in house.

However, when the client brought the sample sheet over to the shop, we had no idea how the print had been done. I can only describe it for now (i left my camera at home today).

It looks like someone first directly printed some miscelaneous shapes and designs (which is what the art consisted of) in brown ink. Then went back and printed (or possibly even placed/painted very meticulously) random splotches of raised black texture all over the brown print. It looks like a sand art picture. (anyone with kids in summer camp probably have some of those hanging on the fridge :) )

The texture has a sandy/grainy feeling. Like that of a roofing shingle if that helps. When i first saw the panel, i thought that maybe the black was a mistake or something b/c to me it looked like someone took some type of heat source, like a torch, and just kept burning until the ink or possibly a film bubbled up and dried to the surface.

i have no clue what the point of the design is, or where the sample was printed at. It isn't what anyone would call attractive. But it is what the customer needs to duplicate.

Naturally, we told the would client that we were not entirely sure how the piece was produced and would feel more comfortable taking a day or two to research it and see it this is something that our machine is capable of. Thankfully, the client was fine with this and left the sample here for us to scratch our heads over.

Being that i'm an loyal fan and reader of this site, there's a good chance that i will be bombarded with replies about not providing enough info... or too much info.... or not having a picture. For this, i'm apologizing in advance. :) Helpful suggestions are most welcome.

 
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Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
The first thing that comes to mind would be screen process printing with the grainy layer being an overprint using a very open mesh screen and with the grit mixed into the ink.
 
that's the first thing that comes to mind for me too without seeing a photo (that it is screenprinted) as there are additives like glassbeads to make it reflective ,etc.
 

G-Artist

New Member
You can get that effect (sand) via screen process printing.

It requires a real open and thick mesh. Something like 25 which only comes (or did) in thick nylon and is a BITCH to stretch and attach to a frame. All I used that mesh count for was a heavy lay down of gold flecked ink but it is suitable for pushing most textures through.

Many years back there was a company that ran the occasional ad in one of the trades featuring texture app. inks plus the various texture additives to achieve the look or feel wanted. Many were metallics but there were others. Be damned if I remember which company it was, sorry about that. I am thinking it may have been Union ink...but that's more of a guess than anything.
 

sublime000

New Member
no glass beads.

there are very intricate patterns and lines all over this design where the brushed aluminum surface is exposed. They're so tiny and exact that it seems like you would need to use a laser to achieve.
(not etched - definetly printed)

upon further investigating, we spotted what looks to be overspray towards the bottom corner edge of the panel. where does leave us, in terms of possible answers ?
 
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is it powdercoated? glass beads is just an example of a textured additive there are others...

you already know this but you need to post a picture we could throw out ideas and guess until the cows come home but a picture would most likely identify this mystery...
 

sjm

New Member
Sounds like a project that fits nicely with a UV cured flatbed printer. Though it must have inline ink layering capabilities for example like a Vutek.
 
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