Jason Blair
New member
Has anyone here had a good experience with high quality aluminum printing companies? i.e. with no defects like chips or bubbles and so on.
Has anyone here had a good experience with high quality aluminum printing companies? i.e. with no defects like chips or bubbles and so on.
Laboratoire Dupon (http://www.centraldupon.com) does that to the perfection, but they are in Paris…Just to clarify, this was not meant as technical discussion or a DIY. Does anyone have feedback and experience with any of the myriad of companies that print on metal--without green hair, having to download cludgy software or disclaimers (chips and bubbles) that some have mentioned?
Just to clarify, this was not meant as technical discussion or a DIY. Does anyone have feedback and experience with any of the myriad of companies that print on metal--without green hair, having to download cludgy software or disclaimers (chips and bubbles) that some have mentioned?
Jason,
For most work there are just three approaches and two I know personally. First coat the aluminum with silver gelatin and then expose the material as a regular print and process accordingly. Or else print on a very good paper with archival pigment ink and have it mounted on aluminum. Each of these systems should give first class results. Other methods might very well be in vogue, but I do not have experience with them.
The third approach is to print directly on special aluminum sheets, with or without white ink as a substrate over the aluminum metal.
UV Flatbed inkjet printed directly to 1/8” Silver DiBond.
DiBond printing is done using a Fuji Accuity Flatbed printer. The inks dry instantly with high intensity UV light. Images can be printed with or without white ink. When printed without white ink the natural look of the silver or gold metal shows through and becomes the “white” of the image. Colors take on a magical metallic luminescence. White ink can even be used in selective areas resulting in captivating effects. DiBond prints have a multi-finish as there is the finish of the brushed metal and the more matte finish of the inks. (Note: the surface of DiBond is not as durable as dye infused aluminum. Source
Asher