Any surface needs decoration. So owners of expensive foreign cars and other prestigious equipment can decide. Even a complex shape can be covered with an exquisite pattern, to give things an individuality. Aquaprint technology serves this purpose. This is not only a design technique, but also the opportunity to open your own small business. Moreover, aquaprint at home is quite feasible.
How to create a drawing
An image printed using this technology can give an expensive and prestigious car an even more elegant look. Of course, to get such a service, it is enough to contact the masters in technical centers. But, having become acquainted with the material below, you will conclude that the whole process is quite feasible at home. The choice of colors and images is quite large. For example, you can make a coating under the skin of reptiles, fur and camouflage. Imitations of wood, steel, stone, aluminum and titanium are very popular. To create an aquaprint with your own hands, you need a spacious room. Its area should be at least twenty meters. It is necessary to separate the place where all materials will be stored. It is mandatory that all engineering communications are in the working area: water supply, ventilation, sewage. It is necessary to ensure that there is no dust in the room, and maintain a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees Celsius. Humidity should be between forty and seventy percent.
Technology feature
The method of coating the most complex surfaces, called Aqua Print (or immersion printing), was invented by the Japanese in the 80s of the twentieth century. As the name implies, water is required, it is poured into a special container and brought to a temperature of twenty degrees. The process is based on applying a special film to almost any surface. It immediately performs two functions: it serves as decoration and protection against the influence of temperatures (in the range from minus forty-five to plus one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius), cracking, vibration. In addition, the decorative coating helps prevent the negative effects of various solvents, sea water and ultraviolet radiation. And in this way you can decorate metal, plastic, glass, porcelain, wood, ceramics.
Material required
To do a do-it-yourself aquaprint at home, you will need the following: a large bathtub with water, a boiler, a film, a spray bottle, a thermometer, an air compressor and a timer. For beginners, who are going to engage in immersion printing at home, special kits are available for sale. If you intend to turn this activity into your own business, it is better to purchase special equipment for aquaprinting. To work with paints, varnishes and an activator you will need a compressor and spray guns.
Surface preparation for painting
Before creating an aquaprint with your own hands, you need to process the item that is supposed to be decorated. First, it is wiped with a solvent to degrease. If you are going to decorate the interior of the car, then first you need to remove the rubber compound. They cover plastic surfaces. If the part is polished, then it is enough to simply wipe it. The next step is sanding to remove all roughness and make the thing perfectly smooth. To prepare the surface of the subject for applying the primer, you need a primer for plastic. It can be purchased at a specialty store. Then apply a car primer and expect it to dry completely. Only after that the surface is sanded again. Then the part is painted in the main, basic color.
Step-by-step instruction
To make a bath for aquaprint, you can create a special tank with your own hands. For small parts at the initial stage of activity, it is enough to take a basin or bucket. It is necessary to collect water in a container and heat it. Temperature can range from twenty-nine to thirty-one degrees. Now you need a special film for aquaprint, you can buy it in stores. She bears the future drawing. It must be cut and made at the edges of the notch two centimeters. Now you need to determine its sticky edge. This can be learned with a simple manipulation: you need to moisten the index and thumb and hold the film with them. Then it will need to be immersed in water on the side that is sticky. After the drawing, you need to fix it, and remove all bubbles from the film surface (for this you can use a hairdryer). From above, it is necessary to apply a spray activator on it, under its influence, the material will become liquid and spread to the edge of the container. Now you need a detail that you plan to decorate, dip into the resulting composition. After that, the surface to be decorated must be washed, dried. Then the decorated item must be coated with a protective varnish. Thus, an aquaprint is obtained with one's own hands. This is a business that a novice can cope with. As a result, you will get a very beautiful and high-quality thing.