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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
Dye Sublimated Panels...
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Broadwave



Joined: Feb 16, 2007
Posts: 347
Location: Manchester UK
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:36 am    Post subject: Dye Sublimated Panels... Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi all,

I've been promising to explain about this process for ages... so here goes.

My "Broadwave" project, www.solarmaxx.co.uk , uses dye sub printed front panels. I picked up all the hardware I needed from ebay fairly cheaply, but what you need is the following:

1 x heatpress capable of heating up to 200 deg (most of them do), the one I got from ebay has a maximum printing area of 15 x 15 inches and cost me £120.00 ($240.00).

1 x Dye Sub capable printer (Epson D88) and Continuous Dye Sub ink feeder tank. You can generally pick up a D88 quite cheaply now, I got mine new from a surplus supplier for £30.00 ($60.00). The Continuous ink tank is four colour, filled with Dye Sub ink... again from ebay... have a browse, there's sure to be a kit available but it can be on the expensive side... anywhere up to £300.00 new. I got lucky and got mine for £170.00 (ebay again!!)

X amount of Dye Sub release paper.

X amount of Polyester coated aluminium. I get mine from www.megauk.com. It's 0.5mm aluminium with a white polyester coating, which allows me to print any colour. Printing onto their Brushed Alu panels also works well... you get an incredible shimmer to the finish!!

The design for the panels was done using Corel Draw running on Windoze, on Parallels Desktop for Mac (I don't have any other design software... I can't afford CS3!!)

Once the design is done, you need to print out (in reverse) onto Dye Sub "release" paper - Heat the press upto 190 deg and place the artwork face up onto the platter, and position the aluminium face down onto the artwork (remember to remove the protective plastic film first... The first time I used this process I melted the film and made a bit of a mess!!).

Close the press and heat for 60 seconds, once this is done, lift the press and CAREFULLY slide the artwork and panel to the edge of the press and peel the paper away while lifting the panel... It's handy to wear some heatproof gloves - seriously, I mean it! Try not to drop the panel back onto the artwork, as the dye sub process can continue white the panel is hot and I can guarantee that you'll mess the panel up, as ghosting of the image can and will occur.

That's basically it... Although as the panel is only 0.5mm thick, I always mount it onto a 2mm blank panel to give it plenty of extra strength.

I don't know what else I can add to this info, but I'll try to answer any remaining questions you have.

BTW... There is a downside (yup, I can hear you all groan), the finished panel is very, very glossy - some of you may like the finish, but I can't stand having fingerprints all over my panels. I'm looking into various ways of dulling it down, but without success (so far) as you tend to loose a bit of contrast.

Cheers,

Andy.
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blue hell
Site Admin


Joined: Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 24079
Location: The Netherlands, Enschede
Audio files: 278
G2 patch files: 320

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Ok, movement done Very Happy
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Jan
also .. could someone please turn down the thermostat a bit.
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3vcos



Joined: Oct 26, 2006
Posts: 106
Location: California

PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

pics??????
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elektro80
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Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 21959
Location: Norway
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

3vcos wrote:
pics??????



Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

?

Very nice!

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3vcos



Joined: Oct 26, 2006
Posts: 106
Location: California

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:13 pm    Post subject:   Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

oh those panels...


ya those are nice.


Smile
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Nosferatu



Joined: Jul 27, 2007
Posts: 234
Location: Planet Rock.

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Do you have any very close closeup pictures?
Particularly that shows the glossiness and fingerprints and if any pouring?
It looks very nice, great job.
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