Printing Backlits using 2nd layer of clear

[sfr table hockey]

I know in the past to get better color out of a printed backlit its recomended to print a second layer on clear and lay the backlit media over top of that so in daylight the print looks normal and at night when lit it is not as washed out.

When you try to line up your layers it can be a bit of a pain without a light box and even with one it would still be hard doing a 10 foot or larger print. There is a good chance that the media may stretch a bit and by the time you are done, you are going to be off somewhere.


Has anyone tried the idea below?
I did a small test this way and seems ok.

When printing layer one, clear layer, I used the crop marks and printed the file. I removed the media and layed a second layer, of the backlit media, overtop of that printed clear layer. Put the now (clear print with backlit media laminated on top) back into the printer and do the find crop marks etc. and then printed the file again onto the top layer.

I could see a fraction of print that was just off of what was printed below but I don't know if you could ever just layer them with less offset.

You would be taking away that one step of having to line up the prints after and unless a larger print would shift more I think you would be a lot closer to matching the prints up.

Any thoughts?

 

[adrock]

I do that all the time for smaller backlit prints, works great. I print on the clear, then laminate it with translucent and print again.

I tried to do a 14 ft fascia that way and it was off by an inch or so by the end. Now I just do a double print on translucent for large ones.

 

[Mosh]

Cool idea.