^ Graphics sketches...
^ Graphic printed on paper and placed on the inside of the topsheet with a thin layer of epoxy. Note the fine lines printed on the reverse for alignment with the red lines drawn on the plastic film protecting the topsheet
^ Encapsulated graphic over a carbon fibre top layer
^ Example of CMYK colour separation in screen printing
In order to get this right you need to ensure your chosen topsheet material is suitable for this type of printing - PBT is the usual choice. You cannot sublimate on to dark coloured backgrounds. If you sublimate onto white plastic, everything will work quite normally. If you sublimate onto clear plastic you must ensure that you have a light coloured substrate beneath - or back screen print white ink onto the back of the topsheet in the areas where the graphic shows through.
Sublimation is costly to set up and not so easy to perform at home. Some suppliers can sublimate your graphics onto topsheet material for a reasonable price - for quality graphics it is worth investing in their services. See our suppliers page for more information.
^ PJM 160 Twin with sublimated PBT topsheet
^ Test sublimation section using ISOCAP material and ArTainium ink printed on an Epson 1290 inkjet printer
It is now possible to get graphics directly printed on to topsheet material. The digital printing can be performed on the top of white material - with the disadvantage that it may scratch off or fade - or back printed on clear topsheet and backscreened with white ink.
Siebdruck Stainer in Austria, and Sitra / Sericora in Switzerland can perform this. The results are highly effective.
.jpg "Graphic detail on the TwentySeven GS ski - view original size")
^ Graphic detail on the TwentySeven GS ski
This ski design was supplied as a TIFF file to Sitra / Sericora near Bern in Switzerland, and printed on the reverse side of transparent topsheet. The topsheet was corona treated by the printer before shipping. Behind the topsheet we used a layer of texalium to get the textured effect showing through.
^ Die cut graphic base is wet out with epoxy
^ Ghetto die cut design using a die-cutter designed for paper and card
^ Pig design die-cut into the tail of the graf 162 directional board using the ghetto technique