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OWJones

Sublimation on non-white metal surfaces

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Has anybody ever had really good luck with sublimating onto a non-white surface?

 

There is a family owned photo studio here in town and they have a display at their counter of some silver and gold colored jewelry with sublimation designs on them, and I personally thought they were ugly looking, so I've never bothered with them.

 

A while back there was a sale on the Zippo-style lighters (I think it was from ACP, but wouldn't swear to it) and by the time I ordered, all they had left were the chrome finished ones with a clear layer of polyester on the front side.   They've been sitting in a drawer and I've never tried to do one until yesterday.

 

I have a female friend who asked me to make two different mouse pads for her and she asked what other types of photo gift items I could do.   I looked through my inventory and picked out some cheap items I had on hand and I made 4" square rubber coaster, a 2" hardboard tile magnet and one of the chrome lighters for her.

 

Everything turned out like I expected, but the lighter looks like a faded stained glass version of the photo, which is what I usually see when I see sublimation done on non-white surfaces.   I thought it looked like crap and would never try and sell it to anyone, but I showed it to her and she loved it and wants me to make another one for her grandfather with a different photo, but I think I'm going to order a white front lighter for that.

 

I can see if you were going to sublimate a text design instead of a photo how that might look good on a non-white surface, but as far as photos, has anyone ever had good luck on metal items like that?   Does it work better with black & white photos?  Is there some secret to making it not look ugly?

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We got a Christmas present at work from one of our equipment suppliers that has a cat printed onto metal that I thought was totally bitchin and I assume it was sublimated or something similar. The pics don't do it justice as it is a 3D thing with the metal shaped out on a rock colored background. 

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post-20133-0-96655000-1423501307_thumb.j

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They let the natural tin color show through everywhere it needed to look like a polished dozer blade. This may be the coolest thing we have ever received here at work. 

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Here's how the lighter turned out - she just posted a pic she took of it on Facebook...

 

post-24492-0-42330100-1423508637_thumb.j

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That looks very similar to the dozer tin but it worked a little better because they used the almost rustic appearance and weirdness to their benefit. 

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Yeah too bad you didnt have white to compare I agree with you I dont think I would sell something like that unless the customer saw it and wanted it ...

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I wouldn't let them see it...

 

If it was for a customer, I agree.  She is a friend and I told her that I had made it and that it looked like crap and that I had planned to toss it out, but it was still a fully functional lighter and since she is always asking me for a light (and I don't smoke), I told her she could have it.

Didn't know she was going to post pics of it on Facebook - figured it would end up under her car seat with the other 8,200 lighters she has lost...

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If it was for a customer, I agree.  She is a friend and I told her that I had made it and that it looked like crap and that I had planned to toss it out, but it was still a fully functional lighter and since she is always asking me for a light (and I don't smoke), I told her she could have it.

Didn't know she was going to post pics of it on Facebook - figured it would end up under her car seat with the other 8,200 lighters she has lost...

then in that case, get loot & scoot..

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I tried to press more of those lighters today - pressed 3 with the same design, not one of them was usable.  The first one I used Dye Trans Pro Spray adhesive to hold the transfer on and when I peeled it off, about 5% of the design came away with it - you could see it sticking to the transfer sheet.   I tried 2 more using just tape and both of them had missing parts of the design where there was no color transfer at all.  Not sure if they're just not fully coated, or what, but they're unusable.  One of the ones I didn't press also had a large scratch across the front of the lighter - these were still in their individual plastic bags, right out of the box...

I'm going to just fill the remainder of those in the box with lighter fluid and hand them out as brushed chrome lighters without a printed design as I can't use these for sublimation.

 

I pressed 3 mouse pads and a large car flag with transfers I printed before and after those for the lighters and they all pressed fine, so I know it's not the printer or the press....

 

I think I'm officially done with non-white sublimation items...

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Who's lighters are those?  Guessing maybe ebay but I am with you on the non white no matter what,  Maybe at least put you logo or name on the lighter with vinyl.  You should be able to cut them you have a Graphtec ;D

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Who's lighters are those?  Guessing maybe ebay but I am with you on the non white no matter what

 

 

No, they came from a reputable site that is popular - I'm thinking it was a sale at ACP or Coastal - they were on clearance is all I remember for sure, but now I know why they were getting rid of them.   I'll have to dig out my old receipts to be certain.

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its just like trying to print on clear - they need the white to pop and colors look right.  translucent colors will not look right otherwise IMHO.

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I don't think ACP sells them?  But I agree stick with white metal and you are good to go other than being on clearance I don't see an advantage to anything other than white anyway?

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No, they came from a reputable site that is popular - I'm thinking it was a sale at ACP or Coastal - they were on clearance is all I remember for sure, but now I know why they were getting rid of them.   I'll have to dig out my old receipts to be certain.

that was coastal that had them on clearance. I heard zippo sent them a cease letter or something like it. so no one sells them

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Doubt that. laserreproductions.com still has them

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We must have posted the same thing at the same time. That's what I was saying too.

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