Surfaces on Aluminum Blog

Carbon Fiber Patterns on Aluminum Trim

Carbon fiber finishes on aluminum are considered by designers of everything from automobiles and televisions to golf clubs and exercise equipment.  Over the years, we have developed a large palette of interpretations of carbon fiber on to aluminum.  One trait every one of the carbon fiber finishes has in common is movement.  Carbon fiber veneers are beautiful surfaces with movement and depth.  Carbon fiber finishes printed on aluminum capture movement in several ways.  Three options for adding depth to a carbon fiber finish are explored here.

1. Selective Brushing: a resist or mask is used to apply a brush selectively
2. Engine Turn: small overlapping spins catch light and your attention
3. Printed Texture: tightly spaced lines create movement with highlights

Selective Brushing

The number of possibilities are endless when you begin to consider variations in structure and color available to you in the design of a carbon fiber finish.  Layering of transparent inks combines with selective brushing to create an interactive surface with movement.

Engine Turn

Layering a printed carbon fiber finish over an engine turn finish disguises the engine turn.  The result is a surface with movement that is not recognizable as an engine turn.  The flash of the small overlapping spins is added to the carbon fiber finish.

Printed Texture

Texture adds another layer of dimension to carbon fiber finishes.  It can be combined with selective brushing or engine turn or used only with printing.

The choices in carbon fiber finishes are many.  How would you incorporate one of these surfaces into trim or a nameplate.  Would movement and depth be an important component of the finish?

Request samples of carbon fiber finishes on aluminum to see the movement available in these surfaces on aluminum.

Textured Finishes on Aluminum

Texture adds visual and tactile dimension to finishes while adding to the perceived value of a finish.  Printed texture gives you control over not only the look but the feel of your custom finish.  Use texture on geometric and technical finishes to add a look and feel of precision.  Or add texture to distressed metal surfaces to add to the realism of the finish.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. 

Process Options

Adding texture to aluminum finishes is a versatile option.  It is available colored or clear in high or low gloss.  The options are multiplied when you consider the endless possibilities in pattern design.  Some refer to printed texture as puff ink.  It is a urethane screen printed on the metal and cured. 

This is the fourth article in a series of articles focusing on designing custom finishes.  In this article I will cover options for integrating texture into aluminum finishes.

Clear Texture

Clear textures are available in high or low gloss.  When printed over colors they create a tone on tone effect. 

Colored Texture

Colored textures are available in high or low gloss.  They can be used to create subtle or high contrast looks.  

High and Low Gloss Textures

Carefully consider the gloss level of the background finish when choosing the gloss level of the texture.  Use similar gloss levels for subtle effects.  Contrast the gloss levels for more definition of the pattern.   

Hard and Soft Textures

Hard or rubber soft texture is available on aluminum finishes.  The rubber soft texture can be used to create a contrast between the soft feel of the texture and the cold look of metal.  You can also use the soft feel texture over opaque color to give the look and feel of fabric.

Additional information on options in designing a custom finish are available in the following articles.

How to Design a Custom Finish - 3 Building Blocks of Aluminum Decoration
How to Add Depth and Movement to a Finish - Understanding Options in Brushing on Aluminum
How to Add Color to an Aluminum Finish - Options in Printing on Metal

Request samples of aluminum finishes to begin exploring your choices in adding tactile dimension to surfaces.

Printing on Aluminum

Finishes printed on aluminum build on a layering of process to create surfaces with depth.  Printed colors are one of the basic options in creating these finishes. Combinations of transparent tints, opaque color and metallics are available to be integrated into custom finishes.  All can be combined with brushing and texture to add visual and tactile depth.

This article, the third in a series of articles focusing on designing a custom finish, focuses on your options in printed color on metal. 

Transparent Tints of Color on Aluminum

In printing on aluminum, we often take advantage of the reflective nature of the substrate using transparent tints of color.  A tint of color applied to a selectively brushed background gives you a tone on tone effect as the color is printed on both bright and brushed aluminum.

Spot and Process Color on Aluminum

Faux finishes such as marble, woodgrain and leather are simulated on aluminum using process color or spot color.  Virtually any surface can be duplicated on metal.

Combination of Transparent and Opaque Colors on Aluminum

Layering transparent tints of color with opaque color results in an endless range of possibilities in surface design. 

Metallic Colors Integrated into Aluminum Finishes

Metallics are one more option in printed color used to create eye-catching finishes.  An attractive option is to match a color as both a transparent tint and a metallic color combining them into one finish.

Additional information on your options in creating aluminum finishes is available in the following articles:

How to Design a Custom Finish - 3 Building Blocks of Aluminum Decoration
How to Add Depth and Movement to a Finish - Understanding Options in Brushing on Aluminum
How to Add a Tactile Dimension to Aluminum Finishes - Choices in Textures

Explore your options in printed color when designing aluminum finishes by requesting samples of aluminum finishes.

Brushed Aluminum

A brushed aluminum surface is a popular option for aluminum trim and nameplates because it is an authentic metal surface.  The brushing process is a mechanical process which abrades the surface of the metal.  When combined with a resist or mask, brushing can be applied selectively to the surface of the metal. 

This article, the second in a four part series on designing a custom finish, focuses on your options in adding brushing to aluminum finishes.

Brushed Aluminum

Selective Brushing

A selective brush takes on the character of the printed resist.  The resist can be used to create an endless variety of structures ranging from technical to organic.  The resulting combination of brushed and bright aluminum catches light and reflections creating movement in the surface of the metal.

Selective Brushing on Aluminum

Carbon Fiber, Patina and Organic Structures Brushed on Aluminum

Graphic Image Brushed on Aluminum

Multiple Direction Brush

Spin, Engine Stripe, Engine Turn

Other mechanical finishes available to be incorporated into finishes are spins, engine stripe and engine turn.

Mechanical finishes are the first step in building a decorative finish on aluminum.  They can be layered with printed color and texture to create precise geometric structures or aged patinaed surfaces.  The abraded surfaces are one of the tools available to you in designing a custom finish on aluminum.

For further information on your options in decorating aluminum read the following articles:

How to Design a Custom Finish - 3 Building Blocks of Aluminum Decoration
How to Add Color to an Aluminum Finish - Options in Printing on Metal
How to Add a Tactile Dimension to Aluminum Finishes - Choices in Textures

Request a disc collection, a sampling of aluminum finishes, to begin exploring the depth and movement that brushing brings to aluminum surfaces.

Aluminum Finish Decoration - Beginning to End

This article is the first in a four part series on aluminum decoration.  In this article, I will offer insights into the steps involved in designing a custom aluminum finish.  Aluminum is a versatile substrate which can be decorated in an endless array of finishes.  This is a quick checklist for reference when developing a new surface or pattern. 

Aluminum Finish Design Checklist 

Consider these questions as you begin the design process:

1. What is the overall feel or mood of the finish?
2. What type of structure will it be?
3. Will the finish be overall?
4. Will the structure be applied selectively or in combination with other finishes?
5. Will the pattern be developed to relate to the overall shape of the trim piece, evolving as it moves across the trim?
6. Is movement and depth an important part of the structure?
7. What color will the overall finish be? 
8. Do you want a high contrast print?
9. Will the finish be tone on tone?
10. Will you incorporate texture into the structure?

Aluminum Finish Process Steps - The Building Blocks of Aluminum Decoration

There are many options available in the development of custom finishes on aluminum.  Simplifying the process into the most frequently used basic steps you get the following list:

1. Brushing:
   overall or selective
   in one direction or multiple directions
2. Printed Color:
   transparent tints
   opaque colors
   metallics
3. Texture: 
   clear or colored
   high or low gloss
   hard or soft

The basic processes are layered together to create a finish.  All of these process steps are optional.  A structure might rely on only one of the steps to create a finish or a combination of two of the steps.  All three steps can be used in combination to create endless finishes.   

Brushing, a mechanical process which abrades the surface of the metal, is the first step in the decoration process.  A printed resist or mask protects areas of the metal during the brushing process allowing a combination of bright and brushed aluminum.  Printed color is the next step in the decoration process.  It can be a simple overall tint of color or a complex layering of multiple colors to create finishes with depth and complexity.  Texture is the final step in the decorative process. 

Explore each of the process steps in the following articles. 

How to Add Depth and Movement to a Finish - Understanding Options in Brushing on Aluminum
How to Add Color to an Aluminum Finish - Options in Printing on Metal
How to Add a Tactile Dimension to Aluminum Finishes - Choices in Textures

Request samples of aluminum finishes to begin exploring the possibilities available to you in design custom finishes on aluminum.

Design Center Tour

The Northern Engraving Design Center is an inspirational resource for patterns and structures on aluminum. Trend presentations and mood boards feature finishes developed around themes. All can be customized or used as is in decorative trim or nameplates. 

Come visit us to explore the possibilities.  Our Design Center video is a preview of some of the things you will see during your visit.

Selectively Brushed Aluminum Finishes

This article is the fourth in a series of articles covering options in creating aluminum surfaces which use mechanical finishes to create movement and visual depth.  This series of finishes rely on selectively brushing the metal.  The overall look of the finish is dependent on the pattern applied to the metal during the resist process.  Simple or detailed geometric finishes are a natural fit for selective brushing with technical and precise results.  Organic structures result in finishes with entirely different appearances.   Irregular edges and shapes are enhanced by the natural character of brushed and bright aluminum. 

Customized Aluminum Finishes

All finishes shown here can be customized in scale and color for your trim or nameplate project.  Additional detail is added with selective gloss and printed texture.  The printed resist and mechanical brush processes are often the base building blocks when decorating aluminum whether a pattern or a graphic.

Request samples of selectively brushed finishes to begin exploring the visual depth and movement available to you with these processes.

Engine Turn Detail

This article is the third in a series of articles on using printed resists or masks to create aluminum finishes with depth and movement.  The first article focused on the resist process while the second article introduced a two direction brush.  This article focuses on using the resist with an engine turn process. 

Engine Turn

Engine turn is a series of small overlapping spins tightly spaced.  The finish itself is quite beautiful and flashy.  It was popular on vintage airplanes and race cars and used on automotive dash panels in the 1950's.  There has been a renewed interest in the engine turn finish in recent years as a retro look.

Selective Engine Turn in Aluminum Patterns

Applying engine turn selectively creates an entirely different effect.  The overall spin effect disappears.  Small areas of engine turn create an almost holographic look.  The circular image is no longer visible.  The finish dances with movement.  The result will be entirely different depending on what pattern you screen print as a resist.  Dots, pinstripes and organic shapes take on sometimes unexpected results when engine stripe is added to the finish.

Nameplates use selective engine turn to make graphics pop.  The same holographic effect created in patterns is translated into graphics and borders on nameplates.

Do you have any ideas for using engine turn in a finish to create visual depth and movement?  How would you integrate this finish into trim or a nameplate?

Request samples of finishes with selective engine turn to see the depth this process brings to aluminum finishes.

Aluminum Finishes with Movement

This article further explores the use of printed resist in aluminum finish development.  The printed resist process is used as a mask to protect areas of metal during the brushing process. I will expand on the previous article explaining the resist process and will focus on aluminum finishes featuring two brush directions.

Two Direction Brush on Aluminum

The use of an additional resist allows you to add a second brushed detail to your finish.  Registration between operations is tightly controlled during the screen printing process.  The basic process is listed here:

1. bright aluminum - a polished surface from the mill
2. resist - a screen printed mask for protection
3. brush - mechanically abrade the surface of the metal (horizontal)
4. wash - remove the resist or mask
5. resist - a screen printed mask for protection
6. brush - mechanically abrade the surface of the metal (vertical)
7. wash - remove the resist or mask
8. color - print overall or selective color

The finishes shown here rely on a horizontal and vertical brush.  The angle of the brush can be adjusted creating the desired effect.  The brushing process is the first step in building aluminum finishes.  You add layers of color and texture to create further detail and depth.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.  Change the overall gloss of the finish and you change the look and feel of the surface.

What ideas do you have for incorporating movement into your aluminum trim or nameplate with multiple brush directions?  Would you use brushing to add depth to a carbon fiber finish?  Or would you use it to create a patinaed metal look?

Request samples of these finishes to see the detail in the brushed and bright aluminum.

Can you resist metal?  We can!

Resist.  Let me clarify, a resist or mask is printed on aluminum to protect areas of metal during the brushing process.  The protected areas of metal remain bright aluminum.  The resist process can be used repeatedly on the same finish to create metal finishes with multiple brush directions.   Brushed aluminum is a preferred look because it is an authentic material.  Applying a brush selectively allows you to use your imagination creating finishes with movement and detail.

This article is the first in a series of four articles on using a resist with mechanical finishes on aluminum.  This articles focuses on the screen printed resist process.

Brushed Aluminum

1. bright aluminum - a polished surface from the mill
2. resist - a screen printed mask for protection
3. brush - mechanically abrade the surface of the metal
4. wash - remove the resist or mask
5. repeat - steps 2-4 as needed changing the brush direction
6. color - print overall or selective color

Key to the success of this process is the resist.  Resist must be robust enough to stand up to the mechanical brushing process.  It then needs to be easily removed from the metal revealing the protected areas.  A resist is also used with other mechanical finishes such as engine turn or spin allowing these finishes to be applied selectively to metal.

When multiple brush directions are integrated into a finish, the brushes are typically applied in a horizontal and vertical direction.  However, brushes can also be applied at an angle if needed.  Angled brushes might be used when more than two brush directions are required.  They are also used to create subtle movement or to align to specific graphic details.

Screen Printed Resist on Aluminum

Many of our aluminum finishes rely on a resist to allow selective application of mechanical finishes.  The process is often used in nameplates to create bright graphics.  The resist is often the base process when decorating metal.  All other decorative processes build off of it.  You might say we can't resist using resist!

How would you use the printed resist process in a pattern?  Would you layer opaque and transparent color on top of selective brushing?  Would you add a printed texture?

Request aluminum finishes which include selective brushing to see how the resist process is used to add interest to finishes.