Printed etch effect films - If it sticks - print it...

Why confine your digital output, and your commercial opportunities, to white materials alone? There's more to digital than white - Metamark explains.

The coming of the digital revolution in signing and display graphics was once foretold and characterised as "The Charge of the White Brigade." It's proved to have been a largely accurate foretelling. The overwhelming majority of the output of a typical digital printer is produced using white, opaque media. But, it doesn't have to be that way according to The Materials Company Metamark. Metamark holds the view that there's a lot more to digital than just white, and that commercial opportunities await those prepared to explore the options.

Why not print on etch effect films? Probably because, by and large, the results you'd get are not something you could easily sell. Metamark's etch effect films though are manufactured according to the same processes and quality qualification procedures that it reserves for its digital materials. The result? A range of etch effect films that's as happy in print and apply applications as it is in the role more traditionally reserved for it.

Printed etch effect films can add an altogether elevated dimension to so-called glazing manifestation exercises. Even in the printed state, they obscure the view out and in, imparting privacy and presence, but they barely impede the passage of light and so don't darken a room or space like a solid material would.

The printed film conveys a tasteful resonance of the surrounding architecture or a dramatic counterpoint at the printer's option. As the light admitted changes throughout the day, so does the tone of the printed graphic. At night, light within the installation that finds its way outside is filtered and coloured by the area of print adding tone and interest.

For restaurants, retail premises, office partitioning schemes and anywhere there's a need to decorate glass, whether for safety's sake or its own, printing adds value to the job. Innovative application both lead demand and command a better price. According to Metamark, this has to be one of the easiest and most accessible ways of turning a relatively pedestrian job into something that will delight a client and generate more demand.

The practical dimension is just as compelling. Metamark's development specialists advise that conventional print settings work well but are quick to point out that even a hint of colour will produce a big effect. Experiment is the message.

You can experiment at Metamark's expense. Contact the company at sales@metamark.co.uk and they will send you samples of its etch effect materials for you to try. The materials work with most digital ink species other than aqueous.