The phrase "immersion print" is not familiar to many, but the word "tuning" is known to all motorists. What is common between them? Let's get it right.
What is water printing used for?
Car tuning (from English tuning - "tuning") implies a change in appearance, decoration of individual elements. Finishing can be done in various ways, including using the immersion printing method.
Given that the army of motorists is constantly growing, regularly updating personal fleets, it is not surprising that interest in aquaprint is growing.
A specific process allows you to transfer the desired pattern to the surface of any shape, even having many bends. Due to the ability to paint bulk surfaces, decorating with aqua printing is called 3D technology.
The principle of water-soluble printing
Immersion printing technology implies the possibility of applying to any smooth surface a special textured film that dissolves in water. Therefore, it is also called hydrographic printing.
To find out whether it is possible to do immersion printing with your own hands, you must first understand the principle of its action. The main material is a special WTP film, on which a certain multicolor pattern is applied industrially.
There are a lot of options for graphic coatings. It can be an imitation of the surface of stone, metal, ceramics, various types of wood, animal skins or fur. Also popular are drawings that create the illusion of carbon fiber (carbon fiber), military camouflage. Prints with plants, flowers, fruits, or fantasy designs look beautiful.
Equipment for aquaprint
The process of hydrographic coating does not look time-consuming, any person is quite capable of making an immersion print with his own hands. The procedure for applying aquaprint is carried out in a rectangular metal bath, equipped with heating elements and automation, constantly maintaining a certain water temperature. To work, you still need a spray gun and chemical protective equipment (respirator, protective clothing, gloves).
Today, compact semi-automatic equipment has been widely used, which can be inexpensively bought and installed in a small room.
Process steps
Having in stock all the necessary materials, you can start doing immersion printing with your own hands. The product to be decorated must first be treated with abrasive material in order to smooth the surface as much as possible. After that, degrease and cover with a thin layer of soil using a spray gun. The result is a substrate layer, on which the hydrographic layer will lie.
Having cut off the necessary fragment of the decorative film, you need to carefully place it on the water surface with the matte side down. After waiting no more than two minutes, it is necessary to apply a solvent layer evenly with a spray gun. As a result of a chemical reaction, the film softens. The paint is completely soluble in water, but does not mix with it, but remains in the form of a thin layer of suspension.
The product to be painted must be carefully immersed in the liquid vertically so as to completely moisten it. The molten film gently and evenly envelops the entire working surface. By shaking the part several times in water, you can get rid of unnecessary residues.
Doing immersion printing with your own hands, you need to act carefully and methodically, avoiding sudden movements. The painted surface should be thoroughly washed under running water and then dried with compressed air. The final step is to apply a protective layer of varnish.
Aqua immersion printing, made by hand, allows you to decorate various surfaces, creating a unique design. The advantage of aquaprint can also be considered its low cost, practicality and durability.