Our digital printing uses the halftone technique to create color prints. Halftone blends various densities of small droplets of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, which creates brilliant colors and gradients our eyes perceive as solid from a distance.
• Labeling connectors, switches, parts and other components
• Multicolored logos or images less than 0.5” wide
• Banding will be present at a close distance or under glancing light, but this is normal
• Preferable on most matte and low gloss finishes
• Large color gradients or highly complex graphics
• Multicolored logos or images more than 0.5” wide
• Banding will be almost unnoticeable
• Recommended for High Gloss, Sandtex or Bare Metal Finishes (Grained, Anodized, Chem Film)
• Ideal for parts for end-customer orders, or will be on display for investment presentations or tradeshows
| Types | Applicable Materials | Maximum Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
Bare-Metal Parts and Enclosures | 5052 Aluminum 6061 Aluminum Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Copper | Parts cannot exceed: Height = 36" (914.4mm) Width = 45" (1143mm) Length = 60" (1524mm) Printable Area: Width = 42.5" (1079.5mm) Length = 47"(1193.8mm) |
Powdercoat Painted Parts and Enclosures | 5052 Aluminum 6061 Aluminum Stainless Steel 304 Stainless Steel 316 Cold Rolled Steel Galvanneal | Parts cannot exceed: Height = 36" (914.4mm) Width = 45" (1143mm) Length = 60" (1524mm) Printable Area: Width = 42.5" (1079.5mm) Length = 47"(1193.8mm) |
To ensure the highest print quality and clarity, vector graphic files are recommended:
.AI - Adobe Illustrator
.EPS - Encapsulated PostScript
.SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
.PDF - Portable Document Format
.DXF or .DWG - AutoCAD
We can accept the following raster image files; however additional processing charges may apply:
.PNG - Portable Network Graphic
.JPG (.JPEG) - Joint Photographic Experts Group
.TIF (.TIFF)- Tagged Image File
.PSD - Photoshop
.VDX, .VSD, or. VSDX - Visio
.DOCX - Microsoft Word
.PPTX - Microsoft PowerPoint
File formats we cannot accept:
.CDR - Corel Draw File
| Finishes | Recommended | Special Considerations |
|---|---|---|
Powdercoat | Yes | Digital print is superior in producing images on sandtex powdercoat paints. When choosing a non-stock powdercoat, we recommend an ink adhesion test prior to proceeding with your order. |
Number 4 Finish | Yes | |
Grained Finish | Yes | When digitally printed, there may be some instances of ink bleeding into the grain direction produced via Grained Finish process. This isn't very detectable to the human eye unless you inspect very closely. However, it is something you should be aware of when choosing digital print on bare-metal finish. If possible, we recommend opting for Number 4 Finish instead of Grained Finish, as the reduced surface roughness minimizes ink bleeding. |
Vibratory Finish | Yes | Parts must not exceed the maximum dimensions: 10"L x 10"W x 6"H (254mm L x 254mm W x 152.4mm H) |
Anodized Finish | No | Digital print ink bleeding into the grain direction can worsen with anodized parts. If anodizing is required, we recommend silkscreening for graphics. If opting for digital print instead, we recommend parts be finished with either Number 4 finish or Vibratory finish before they are anodized. |
Chem-Film Coating | Yes | Parts must not exceed the maximum dimensions: 30"L x 24"W x 6"H (760mm x 609.6mm x 152.4mm) |
No Finish | No | While digital print is technically achievable on our No Finish offering, we do not advise printing No Finish parts, as No Finish will contain surface scratches, swirl marks and other blemishes. |
We are able to manually position and optically align parts and enclosures on our flatbeds to print with registration of ± 0.020" (0.51mm) between part cutouts and print pattern.
| Process | Tolerance |
|---|---|
Silkscreen Positional | 0.020" | 0.51mm |
Digital Printing Positional | 0.020" | 0.51mm |
Figure 1 - Eccentric Circles: Left 0.020" (0.50mm) eccentricity x & y, middle 0.002" (0.05mm) x & y Right 0.010" (0.25mm) eccentricity x & y
| Sans Serif Font Minimum Size | Serif Font Minimum Size | |
|---|---|---|
Colored letters printed on white powdercoat | 6 pt | 6 pt |
Colored letters printed on non-white powdercoat | 7 pt | 10 pt |
Letters (white and colored) on bare-metal finish | 7 pt | 10 pt |