Never seen this before...

[letterman7]

So, I get called to one of the local ambulance groups to quote redoing a couple of their vehicles. They are merging, so the graphics will be much more basic - black and gold reflective. Boring, I know. But, I have to strip the existing stuff which I thought was going to be a problem. It was done by a well known local who has the corner on fire departments for his hand done gold work, and this appeared to be no exception - hand spun gold with a black drop shadow and a clear coat. Or is it??

The gold is clearly the real deal, hand spun. The rest, though, is a mystery. What I thought was a brushed clear over the copy turns out to be computer cut clear vinyl, with the gold and the black reversed on the backside:

It's very weird. Under the clear I can see where he touched up some edges with some black paint or ink, but other than that there is no visible edge to either the gold or the black under the clear. I can't figure out how it's done, and I can't dissect one of the letters until I get the job. Anyone have any ideas of how this may have been achieved? It's something I'd like to offer - it's very classy and looks way better than using the SignGold (which this is not).

 

[Tony McD]

Hard to tell isn't it.
Maybe the black is printed on the lam, and left clear where the gold is, and the edges.
The gold went down first, and the printed lam was centered over the lettering.

I think the ridge I'm seeing is the edge of the gold under the black, but can't see
any ridge from the black to the lam.

It's a mystery...let us know what it is, when you peel em' off.

 

[SightLine]

Gerber Edge print?

 

[J Hill Designs]

+1 edge print overlay

 

[Marlene]

the gold that Geber prints is an interior use gold as far as I know and it isn't turned. did they cut clear vinyl and them gold leaf that so it wasn't done directly on the truck?

 

[letterman7]

did they cut clear vinyl and them gold leaf that so it wasn't done directly on the truck?

That's what I'm trying to figure out. Unless it's two layers of really thin lam with the gold and the black between them, I just don't know. My best guess is the clear lam was cut in reverse, the gold was put down and turned, then backed with black. But can you get gold to turn on vinyl? And, if you look closely at the peeled number, the gold isn't turned underneath, just on the surface. Maybe it is two layers of laminate - the gold went down first, turned, then a silk screen layer over that for the black, then the next layer of laminate. Throw the whole thing in a plotter and cut the outline. Very cool, but a lot of work!