Surfaces on Aluminum

With the year over, I thought it would be interesting to see which articles were of most interest to you in 2012. It's a fascinating exercise to see what resonated most with you as we look back on the year through our blog.

	1. Aluminum Finishes Inspired by Woven Wire Mesh Thick strands of metal woven together create 3-dimensional mesh structures which translate into interesting surfaces on aluminum. Read More
	2. Dark Brushed Aluminum Finish | Inspired by a Saucepan A saucepan with a near black brushed finish caught our attention. Read More
	3. Black Textured Aluminum Combinations of matte and glossy layers. Read More

The designer disc collection features a cross-section of finishes on aluminum. The pattern samples are labeled for easy identification.  Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of textures and finishes available for nameplates and labels.

 

Take a quick look at our Aluminum Holiday Cards through the years.

Happy Holidays from Your Friends at Northern Engraving!

The Inspiration

For this finish the inspiration came from a trip to our local department store. A saucepan with a near black brushed finish caught our attention. The definition of the brush is what makes this finish stand out.

Translated to Aluminum

The pan was photographed, and artwork was created to mimic the heavy brush structure. An actual brushed surface was chosen as a starting point, then a coated black tint was applied. Using the artwork created, a screened line pattern was added to accent the brush and add texture. The end result was a near black brushed surface with a deep brush feel.

 

The designer disc collection features a cross-section of finishes on aluminum. It begins to illustrate the versatility of aluminum as a decorative substrate. The pattern samples are labeled for easy identification. The discs are useful when designing a custom finish. Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of textures and finishes available for nameplates and labels

The Inspiration

Crazing is a glaze defect in which a network of cracks develop in the fired glaze. These cracks are often very fine, but can also be quite severe.

Certain glazes, referred to as crackle glazes, are specifically composed to develop a controlled form of crazing. This cracking of the glaze makes the pottery look old and antique.

Translated to Aluminum

Artwork was created to mimic a crackled glaze. Through the use of lithography, the image is applied to a low gloss brushed aluminum. The end result is a surface that is recognizable to pottery but takes on new life as an aluminum finish.

 

The designer disc collection features a cross-section of finishes on aluminum. It begins to illustrates the versatility of aluminum as a decorative substrate. The pattern samples are labeled for easy identification. The discs are useful when designing a custom finish. Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of textures and finishes available for nameplates and labels

Aluminum Surfaces

You've spoke and we've listened.  Our pattern library includes thousands of finishes on aluminum.  This group of finishes has one thing in common.  For one reason or another they caught your attention.  They were the most requested surfaces over the past year.  Designers of products as varied as automotive, appliance, computer, cell phone, camera and architectural surfaces explored these finishes.

 

Related Articles

PAT-4179-B: Patinas and Metal Trim
PAT-4488-C: Architectural Metal Surfaces
PAT-4392-A: Patterns and Finishes on Recycled Aluminum
PAT-4497-C: Pinstripes on Aluminum
PAT-4657-A: Layered Honeycomb Aluminum Finish
PAT-4607-A: Ed Kiriko (Carved Glass) Aluminum Finish
PAT-4643-B: New Aluminum Finish for Decorative Trim
PAT-4677-A: Simulated Nova Trim

 

 

Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of finishes available for panels, overlays and decorative trim.

 

Real Metal Textures in Aluminum Trim

The Nova Trim process combines standard decorative processes with coining and embossing to press texture into the surface of metal. Brushed and bright aluminum adds movement while texture creates natural highlights and shadows in the metal.

Simulated Nova Trim

Based on the popularity of Coined aluminum finishes we've created an alternative by developing an ink using our standard processes that simulates a coined texture. By doing this, a similar look to Nova Trim is achieved without the added cost of coining and embossing.

Request aluminum finish samples to begin exploring the options available to you in surface design.

Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of finishes available for panels, overlays and decorative trim.

 

 

 

Basic black textures fuse with brushed metal, matte black and transparent grey.  Combinations of matte and glossy layers are explored in this series.

(from left to right, top to bottom) PAT-4440-A, PAT-2980-A, PAT-4095-A, PAT-3354-C, PAT-3355-A, DES-520-G *patterns not shown to scale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Inspiration

A radial starburst is an interesting effect created by lines emanating from a central source. The line spacing increases as you travel away from the center creating an optical illusion of depth. An added level of detail is achieved when the remaining spaces between the lines are treated with different finishing techniques, such as a color or grain variation.  This is a great effect for accenting round shapes.

Translated to Aluminum

In this example, selective brushing is combined with tones to create a radial sunburst effect. The different grain directions caused by the brushing allows this finish to dance as it is flipped in the light. An added level of printed tones creates visual depth and gives the finish its overall dark appearance.

 

The designer disc collection features a cross-section of finishes on aluminum. It begins to illustrates the versatility of aluminum as a decorative substrate. The pattern samples are labeled for easy identification. The discs are useful when designing a custom finish. Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of textures and finishes available for nameplates and labels.

The Inspiration

Edo Kiriko is the traditional Japanese craft of carving colored glass which has been handed down over generations.

Designs are created by engraving patterns on the surface of colored glass. The colored glass is laid over clear glass before the engraving takes place.

The traditional patterns used in Edo Kiriko are based on common patterns utilized in household items in the Edo period such as kagome (basket weave), yarai (arrow-shapes), and nanako (fish scales).

Translated to Aluminum

An overall basket weave design was chosen to interpret this idea onto aluminum. Using selective brushing, selective tint and selective texture, a traditional basket weave pattern is created. The fine detail in this pattern gives the appearance of carving away the upper red layer down to the raw aluminum. A high gloss topcoat gives the red areas a shiny glass look, while a printed texture is applied to give this pattern an authentic feel of a carved aluminum finish.

The designer disc collection features a cross-section of finishes on aluminum. It begins to illustrates the versatility of aluminum as a decorative substrate. The pattern samples are labeled for easy identification. The discs are useful when designing a custom finish. Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of textures and finishes available for nameplates and labels

Here are two examples of modern flame designs on an aluminum substrate.  Northern Engraving also manufactures gauges and dials.  Aluminum dials can take advantage of the substrate by incorporating mechanical finishes such as spin or engine stripe into the background.  This particular example is an excellent design to show you how far you can take creativity on a dial.

To learn more about the variety of markets that Northern Engraving manufactures products for, please click here.