-
Meshes
Here’s a bizarre one for you 😀
When a design is printed onto a mesh material, is it possible to print 2 completely different designs on both sides?
I have assumed that once you print onto one side, the image is visable from the other side, but I’ve been asked to quote on a mesh-like material with different designs on each side, so I’m wondering if its possilbe (?)
Cheers, Dewi
-
8 Replies
-
I’m guessing a bit here, but I would imagine it depends a bit on the transparency of the mesh and the print. If anything is slightly transparent, I should think it would make a mess of the image as viewed from the other side.
No?
I dunno.
-
im not sure, i would say yes. but i havent run any through our machine yet. maybe some others have.. best wait & see if they reply.
-
We do a lot of meshes and its not possible to print both sides , well it is , but its pretty pointless and would require some MAJOR jumping thu hoops.
The big advantage of mesh is the speed at which it can be printed (cos of the holes etc , you print at very high speeds and low resolutions) and the fact that if light hists the printed side , tou cannot see thru it to the unprinted side , yet it lets light in and is practically invisible from the other side (IE you can see right thru it)
So for example you can hang it in a window of a shop and all inside can see out and everyone out cant see in. The printed side’s image is invisible from the unprinted side , the meshe’s strands are solid , you can sort of make out the image but its almost plain white.
However at night , if the shop is lit and the outside dark , you can easily see into the shop as the front image washes out.
So this alone is just one problem with a mesh , cos it depends on how the light hits it as to how is shows. If its at all backlit , the front printed section is totally insipid.
Apart from registration issues (How to align the other side) there is the issue of the backing. Meshes have a backing to stop the ink going thru the holes
So if doing the back , one would have to apply a liner or backing to it (you can use paper app tape) however you are doing so on a printed side whcih might or might not damage it. The bigger problem is the small pools of in inside the holes once printed , these will undobtedly affect the inks and the print on the already printed side.
Meshes make fantastic roll up and verticle louvre blinds that can have advertising or graphics on em. -
Some mesh does come lined and some unlined. You can ge a blotting paper that fits over the suction area of your printer where the heads pass. This picks up the ink that comes through the holes only problem is heavy ink load oit starts to smear on to the reverse face.
Basically if your machine does not have a cavity where the ink heads pass over ie vutek, arizona then i would stay clear of double sided. Grenadiers are in this category and we only do single sided on it. We sub the double sided.
To asnwer your original question yes two different images on each side is fine.
-
I have to disagree , an image on either side is possible , but *not* fine unless you are aware of the EXACT lighting conditions and how it’s going to be used.
-
well early morning and already learned something new from the boards.
thanks rodeney, john 😉
to be honest i never gave the bleed through etc a thought. i was thinking along the lines of, would both sides be as receptive. i.e. the banner material we print on just now, prints perfect on one side, but the other looks crap due to the sorta rough finish.
i havent printed on mesh yet as i say, but the samples ive been sent felt very similar both sides, had an almost tacky rubber feel to it.
anyway, i was wrong & glad this was brought up because sure as sh** ide get an order next week i week and price it for us to do. 😮 :lol1: :lol1:
😉 -
Thanks for the info upto now. The lighting conditions, it’s going to be mounted outside on a forecourt, similar to a flag. Basically its a ‘fit & forget’, a permanent advertisement that will stay insitue til it either falls off or is need of replacement. Does that make alot of difference to the print side of it?
Cheers, Dewi
-
Mesh works very poorly as a flag , it doesnt drape well , it destroys itself and the print as it “flaps” (tears neatly along tthe holes which act like “perforations”) and visibility if backlit (sun behind) is dreaful. Use fabric for this , even tho the other side is reversed when viewed its a far more suitable material.
Flags rely on motion to attract the viewers eye , they must flutter nicely and mesh wont do this at all well.
Log in to reply.
