Metal printing is one of the best options if you’re looking for a distinctive and eye-catching way to display your pictures or artwork. We will answer the question: how to print on metal in this post.
A relatively new printing technique, metal printing has many benefits over conventional printing.
You can easily print images on metal at home if you have an inkjet printer. Even without an inkjet printer, you can still print images onto metal with a few straightforward tools. Find out more by continuing to read.
Table of Contents
What is a Metal Photo Print?
A specialty print known as a “metal photo print” involves the infusion of images onto sheets of aluminum. The end result is an image that is sharper, crisper, and more vibrant than anything an inkjet printer can produce.
Metal prints are renowned for their opulent, streamlined appearance. In both contemporary and industrial settings, they fit in perfectly. Metal prints don’t need frames because they can be printed to hang or stand. Your metal print is equipped to go on display the moment it is delivered.
What Printer You’ll Need
There are two ways to make metal pictures. The first method involved printing directly onto a metal panel, and the most recent and well-liked technique involved dye sublimation.
Printing directly onto the metal panel is done with AGFA printers for conventional metal photo prints. The most typical applications for these large format printers include the printing of billboards and large banners in large format.
This printing method isn’t quite as vivid or durable as the sublimation method that we’ll discuss in greater detail below.
A large format inkjet printer that can produce Giclee prints is used for sublimated prints. These printers are made to produce incredibly vivid museum-quality prints quickly and affordably.
Utilizing specialized sublimation inks, artwork is printed on paper for metal printing before being transferred from the paper to the metal substrate.
How Are Photos Printed on Metal?
The dye-sublimation method is used to print photos on metal. Dye-sublimation printers use heat to infuse an image onto an aluminum sheet, in contrast to inkjet printers, which translate an image into tens of thousands of tiny dots.
Two steps make up the dye-sublimation process.
Your photo is initially printed using liquid gel on a transfer sheet. Onto an aluminum sheet, this image is subsequently baked. The crisp details of your image are permanently bonded to the aluminum by a combination of heat and pressure.
What’s left is an image printed on metal that is resistant to scratches, water, and sunlight.
Read More:
- How to Print on Tissue Paper?
- How to Print on Paper Bags?
- How to Print on Leather?
- How to Print White Ink?
How Long Does a Photo on Metal Last?
A photograph printed on metal is resistant to water, whereas materials like canvas or archival Hahnemuhle fine art paper can deteriorate over time in humid environments. This is due to the advantages of its aluminum base and its heat-based printing technique.
A photo printed on metal is the ideal printing choice for bathroom décor because of its water-resistant properties. Without worrying about damage, add color and personality to the walls of your bathroom. It’s aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective to decorate your bathroom with photos on metal.
Even as outdoor décor, metal prints are strong enough to last. The best investment you can make when designing a patio, pool area, or outdoor bar area is a set of metal prints.
The resistance of aluminum to sun damage contributes to the outdoor durability of a metal print. The UV concentration effect can cause an image on a material, like canvas, to fade over time if it is hung in the sun. No matter the circumstances, your image will stay vibrant and HD-quality with a photo on metal.
A metal print will endure for many generations because of how resistant to the elements it is.
Read More: How to Fix Cracked Print On Shirt?
FAQs
Can You Print Directly on Metal?
It’s difficult, but not impossible, to print directly on a metal surface. Therefore, rather than printing directly on the bare metal, the ink is applied to the coating, which serves as a primer. The majority of inks are printed on coated metals. Aluminum is the metal that is printed on the most frequently of these.
What Do You Use to Print on Metal?
Metal prints are made by a process called dye sublimation. To provide long-lasting durability and protection, dye sublimation infuses the image directly into the hard coating, as opposed to the conventional method of printing directly on the surface, which may damage easily.
How Long Do Prints Last on Metal?
These metal prints won’t tarnish for more than 200 years in typical conditions with some sunlight. They have been tested to last two years without fading when displayed outdoors and exposed to continuous direct sunlight, which is still a very long time in comparison to other kinds of art!
Summary on Metal Printing
This article provided a succinct explanation of how to print on metal in the industrial setting. For more information on printing, read our posts below:
