Can any of the pro customizers print metallic?

[Wardancer]

Hi,

there seems to be a growing market for printing torsos and custom figs. This is great.

However, printing metallic colors seems to be impossible. At least no one does it.

Or am I wrong? Can someone do it? Is it ridiculously expensive?

If I were to ... for example... wanted to make female elven torsos with metallic print, how many could I get for say 100 Euros.

Or would it make sense to have a little private crowdsourcing with a few friends for that?

Edited October 10, 2015 by Wardancer

[FishHead]

The old Alps printers, sadly long out of production, could print metallic colors and even white.

[Thrash]

I believe it can't be done with digital printing because the UV rays will reflect off the metallic ink and jam up the ink jets.

It can definitely be done with pad printing though...that's how Lego does it!

[Plokman]

I believe it can't be done with digital printing because the UV rays will reflect off the metallic ink and jam up the ink jets.

It can definitely be done with pad printing though...that's how Lego does it!

Definitely got to figure out pad printing. By chance does anyone know the correct ink/paint best suited to Lego like quality?

[Wardancer]

Has someone tried regular printing on metallic parts? One could for example buy stuff from chromebricks and instead of printing the metallic paint on it print everything else so that the metallic could still be visible from underneath.

[Plokman]

Has someone tried regular printing on metallic parts? One could for example buy stuff from chromebricks and instead of printing the metallic paint on it print everything else so that the metallic could still be visible from underneath.

I don't think thats what the OP is asking. I think they want to know if anyone can print the shiny metallic ink for minifigures. Example tlm096 or Emmet from the Lego Movie has the silver High Disability straps that are silver in color. That I think is the kind of metallic colors they mean.

Also a bit off topic but I miss my silver 2x4 brick. The one from the 25th anniversary bucket.

[Darkdragon]

Anyone with a thermal printer or a pad printer can do it. They are both expensive and costly to learn how to operate though. Those are also the only way to print white. Thermal printers are used for making water slide decals for models and such, and last I checked run about $5000 and are expensive to operate and break down often, when you can even find them to purchase. Pad printers start at around $2500 and that's for a 1-part-at-a-time manual model.

[Plokman]

Anyone with a thermal printer or a pad printer can do it. They are both expensive and costly to learn how to operate though. Those are also the only way to print white. Thermal printers are used for making water slide decals for models and such, and last I checked run about $5000 and are expensive to operate and break down often, when you can even find them to purchase. Pad printers start at around $2500 and that's for a 1-part-at-a-time manual model.

Yikes!! Testor's decals it is for the time being. But seriously there has to be a cheaper pad print system out there. Maybe a built from scratch make could be done?

[Wardancer]

I don't think thats what the OP is asking. I think they want to know if anyone can print the shiny metallic ink for minifigures. Example tlm096 or Emmet from the Lego Movie has the silver High Disability straps that are silver in color. That I think is the kind of metallic colors they mean.

Also a bit off topic but I miss my silver 2x4 brick. The one from the 25th anniversary bucket.

I know what I mean (in the thread I opened). I just thought it might be a cheaper workaround to print everything except metallic on metallic surface.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Wardancer

[Robianco]

You can pick up relatively inexpensive pad printer than will work one colour in one place at a time.... but it'll be a used machine probably, although there are more cost effective models available.

You then have to factor in the cost for each plate... one for each colour in each position... then the inks... then you have to make sure your piece is held in place accurately allowing the second colour to be added... if it's out by a fraction of a millimetre then you'll notice it.

Look at torso prints from Lego around 15-20 years ago... there's was misalignment all over the place. These days their presses are much higher quality as are the rest of the printing materials used... and more importantly the artwork created is much higher quality.

Pad printing isn't cheap. It's the best way to print pieces if you want them close to Lego quality but it'l cost... and if you're only doing short runs then it's pretty much prohibitive.

I think Raminator has looked at creating a small hand made pad printing alternative but you'd have to ask him what level of success he's achieved.

[Plokman]

I know what I mean (in the thread I opened). I just thought it might be a cheaper workaround to print everything except metallic on metallic surface.

Ah I misunderstood what you meant then. Pardon me for that. Now that you mention It all you'd have to do with your method is use clear decal paper (I think) and just have the metallic parts of the design be white so they would be clear and allow the metal to show through.

I hope thats a working method I'm not sure if Clear Decal paper would be viable as I've heard it makes decals lighter than intended.

You can pick up relatively inexpensive pad printer than will work one colour in one place at a time.... but it'll be a used machine probably, although there are more cost effective models available.

You then have to factor in the cost for each plate... one for each colour in each position... then the inks... then you have to make sure your piece is held in place accurately allowing the second colour to be added... if it's out by a fraction of a millimetre then you'll notice it.

Look at torso prints from Lego around 15-20 years ago... there's was misalignment all over the place. These days their presses are much higher quality as are the rest of the printing materials used... and more importantly the artwork created is much higher quality.

Pad printing isn't cheap. It's the best way to print pieces if you want them close to Lego quality but it'l cost... and if you're only doing short runs then it's pretty much prohibitive.

I think Raminator has looked at creating a small hand made pad printing alternative but you'd have to ask him what level of success he's achieved.

Very true I mean there are many factors. I guess I never saw the old prints seeing as the oldest Mini figure I ever had was a M-Tron.

I will have to ask Raminator on his sucsess here. I do hope it works as I mainly want to pad print the faces for my Minifigures. Decals for those are tiny after all and while I'm sure I could put them on I just want a method thats as durable as real Lego ink. With nothing short of Po'leesh Remover of Nah'ee rubbing it off. (Sorry had to use the movie quote. Such a cool idea.)

Edited October 14, 2015 by Plokman