Hydrographic printing
- Available at: liquidcustoms.ca, liquidcarbonshop.com
- Price: Depends on what is being customized
Bling is good. Unique bling is better. And, with independent hydrographic printing shops popping up across the country, it's easier to custom cover everything from the rims on your RV to the helmet on your head. If the item can be dipped in water, then it can probably be painted using the dip tank. Bobby Chizen, of Liquid Customs in Edmonton, says the final product is as durable as auto paint.
Hydrographic or immersion printing first appeared in 1982 and looks as simple as dipping cherries in chocolate but, of course, there is more to it. The item has to be prepped and primed while the graphic image is floated on the surface of a vat of water. Just before dipping, an activator chemical is sprayed on the sheet, making what looked like colourful plastic food wrap dissolve into a floating canvas. The helmet, rim, gas tank, bumper or car door is slowly immersed. As it glides in, the film adheres, creating a one-of-a-kind custom design.
Chizen says a custom full-face helmet costs roughly $195.
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