Aquaprint - DIY car tuning

Water printing technology is widely used by lovers of car tuning. It allows you to transform the car, it is interesting to design a salon, and is also suitable for decorating many other products. Do-it-yourself aquaprint is possible if you know the sequence of actions and the rules of work.

Content:

• Aquaprint technology and its history
• Areas of application of aquaprint
• Materials and equipment for printing
• Aquaprinting Technology
• Part surface preparation
• Film preparation
• Image transfer
• Washing and drying
• Applying varnish
• Car parts suitable for aquaprint
• What difficulties can you face?
• How to care for products with hydrographic printing?

Aquaprint technology and its history

Water printing (hydrographic printing, immersion printing, aquaprint) - a technique for coating the outer surface of products with a special decorative film. The latter is a special polymer base with a printed pattern. After the film is placed in water and treated with an activator, the base dissolves, and the ink remains on the surface. After the workpiece is immersed in water, the paint adheres to it with a thin layer, as a result, the image is saved practically unchanged.

Aquaprint is a simple but effective decorating method available even for home use. It is only necessary to purchase a suitable film in a specialized store and correctly complete all stages of work.

Most often, water printing is used for cars: it was for auto tuning that it was first tested in Japan about 40 years ago. Now the technology allows us to achieve a unique look of the car and even protect it from theft, because cars with vivid designs steal quite rarely.

Advantages of aquaprint technology are beyond doubt:

• uniform coating with a pattern of parts;
• body protection from chips, scratches, scuffs;
• lack of response to the aggressive action of external factors;
• maintaining the integrity of the pattern under the influence of water, elevated temperatures;
• resistance to pressure washing, UV radiation, solvents;
• beautiful, unusual appearance of the car.

Areas of application of aquaprint

Water printing can be done on different materials, but best of all, such drawings fall on plastic, polymers, metal, ceramics and glass, wood, plywood, MDF. Simply put, you can do aquaprint at home on any smooth and hard surface.

Often, immersion printing adorns the body and interior of cars, as well as motorcycles and scooters, wheels of equipment. A special technology allows you to get interesting, original surfaces like wood, stone, reptile skin. Sports cars are often decorated with carbon fiber, and plastic inserts in the passenger compartment - under the skin.

In addition, do-it-yourself water printing or with the involvement of masters can be done on such things:

• facades, tabletops of furniture;
• door leafs;
• plumbing;
• switches and sockets;
• mirrors and their frames;
• windows, window sills;
• household appliances, electronics, computers;
• weapons;
• sport equipment;
• scooters and gyro scooters;
• advertising constructions;
• shop windows and racks;
• signboards;
• musical instruments.

If the work is done correctly, the aquaprint will remain on the product in its original form for up to 10 years, especially when it is coated with high-quality varnish.

Materials and equipment for printing

Specialists have all the necessary equipment to make drawings using aqua printing technology. To independently implement the idea, you need to prepare:

• container for washing the product;
• film with the selected pattern;
• hydraulic press activator;
• devices for surface preparation, degreasing and grinding;
• varnish and primer;
• sandpaper or grinder;
• alcohol or mercury thermometer;
• protective mask, gloves;
• boiler;
• base paint;
• pencil;
• scissors or a sharp knife;
• polish.

A capacious container will also be needed in which a thing or a part selected for decoration can fit (basin, bucket, bathtub). For small items, a cropped bottle or canister is suitable. It is better if a gap of 5-10 cm remains between the part and the sides, this will eliminate damage to the picture.

Aquaprinting Technology

When conducting immersion printing, you must strictly observe the temperature regime within + 30 ... + 35 degrees, so you have to buy a thermometer and fix it on the surface of the liquid. You should also prepare in advance an industrial electric boiler with a heating sensor, which will heat the water if necessary.

The most convenient container for aquaprinting on automotive parts is an old bathtub. You can cut a large barrel vertically in two and attach the clamps to one part. The second is useful as a container for washing the product.

Part surface preparation

Before starting work, the plane of the part is cleaned with sandpaper with coarse grain, removing old paint to metal. It is also important to completely remove the foci of corrosion, the remains of varnish, wipe chips, scratches. Large area products are more convenient to handle with a grinder, small ones - manually or using a drill with a micron nozzle for grinding. Next, the base is degreased, coated with soil or a special automotive primer.

To obtain smooth, beautiful combinations and color transitions, it is recommended to apply a basic tone to the part, which is well suited to the future pattern.

Film preparation

The film for aquaprint must necessarily be of high quality, because most of the success in decoration depends on this. It can be bought in a construction, car store, ordered online. The width should be enough to cover the part, so all measurements must be made in advance. The most successful drawings will look with a film that is 3-4 cm larger than the size of the product itself.

Before gluing, the film is cut into account the dimensions and geometric shape of the part. It is better to check its suitability several times, draw the contours and only then cut it - this will prevent material damage. On the edges, small incisions are made in increments of 2 cm.

Next, water is poured into the container, heated to +35 degrees, and a film is placed in it. The activator is carefully and uniformly applied to the material. In just 10 seconds, the base will disappear, and only the paint in the form of a pattern, similar in structure to jelly, will remain on water.

Image transfer

The most important step in creating an aquaprint is to transfer the drawing to the part. It is started after complete dissolution of the film. The product is carefully immersed in water starting from sharp protrusions and holding the object at an angle of 45 degrees. The slightest fluctuations, sudden movements, shocks, dragging the product on the surface should not be allowed. After the entire part is under water, they immediately get it. The paint should lie evenly, the pattern should be reflected on the surface without distortion.

Washing and drying

After sticking the picture, the part must be carefully washed in clean water, which is poured into the second container.This will help get rid of paint residues, films. You can not wash in the same container where the picture was. Pieces of paint that can interfere with the quality of the finished image can float there.

The product is dried at room temperature. Small parts can be hung on hooks, large ones can simply be laid on racks, other smooth surfaces. Hard-to-reach areas are best purged with a weak stream of warm air after partial drying of the paint.

Applying varnish

The varnish is applied after the final drying of the pattern in all its planes, bends. The product is sprayed in 2–4 layers, polished after drying.

Car parts suitable for aquaprint

Any part of the machine that has a plane for design is suitable for aqua printing. Typically, large images are applied to the wings, hood, and small ones to spoilers, mirrors (on the back side), wheels, roof rails. For interior decoration, aquaprint technology is used on door cards, armrests, steering wheel, door linings, console elements.

What difficulties can you face?

Water printing is a simple technology that is available even to beginners. But it is novice masters who most often make mistakes that adversely affect the quality of the finished drawing:

1. Immerse the film in cold water - folds immediately appear on the surface, which are quite difficult to smooth out.
2. Add a little activator - the coating exfoliates, a lot - the picture is smeared.
3. Washed in dirty water - the image deteriorates.
4. The surface is poorly prepared - bumps appear when applying a drawing.

How to care for products with hydrographic printing?

Aquaprint products do not require complicated maintenance. They can simply be cleaned of dust, dirt by washing and polishing. It is undesirable to use organic solvents: over time, they can make the drawing dull or immediately damage it.

Aquaprint is an affordable and affordable technology. With it, you can decorate the car, household items and interior with your own hands without the involvement of specialists, especially since the choice of pictures is incredibly rich.