Custom Hydrographic Design for 3D Printing
Intro: Custom Hydrographic Design for 3D Printing
Last month, Bertier Luyt, (president of le FabShop) discovered the existence of the hydrographic technology, with this viral video on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP7BKHU4WUc
This video showing a man dip coating his hand with a carbon pattern can be quite impressive for someone who never heard of this technique before. Also known as immersion printing, water transfer printing, water transfer imaging, cubic printing, hydro dipping or hydrocoating, is a technology wich has been used by the industrials for decades.
If you ever saw a hunter gun covered with leaves or a moto helmet with a flame pattern, you've seen the result before.
Anyways, Bertier was extremely excited by his discovery because he realised that it could be applied to almost any plastic object... wich meant it was perfect for... 3D Printing!
We managed to find a simple DIY hydrographic kit on internet. Our first tests left us speechless. This technique really does feel like magic. Here is a guide to your first image transfer on a 3D printed object.
We invite you to follow the process in our video tutorial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP7BKHU4WUc
This video showing a man dip coating his hand with a carbon pattern can be quite impressive for someone who never heard of this technique before. Also known as immersion printing, water transfer printing, water transfer imaging, cubic printing, hydro dipping or hydrocoating, is a technology wich has been used by the industrials for decades.
If you ever saw a hunter gun covered with leaves or a moto helmet with a flame pattern, you've seen the result before.
Anyways, Bertier was extremely excited by his discovery because he realised that it could be applied to almost any plastic object... wich meant it was perfect for... 3D Printing!
We managed to find a simple DIY hydrographic kit on internet. Our first tests left us speechless. This technique really does feel like magic. Here is a guide to your first image transfer on a 3D printed object.
We invite you to follow the process in our video tutorial.
STEP 1: Kit and Accessories
This is what you need :
- Hydrographic film (a few samples should be included in the kit)
- Activator (usually sold with the kit)
- Primer (usually sold with the kit)
- 1 container (deep and wide enough to immerse your object in the water)
- Protections : gloves, mask (the activator is toxic and corrosive)
- Scissors and masking tape if you want to mask some parts of your object.
- Clear coat, in spary. (to protect the graphic and fix it)
STEP 2: Print Your Design
For this tutorial, we selected this very simple, yet beautiful, ballerina shoe from Continuum Fashion.
You will want to print with the highest resolution. Here, we used the best resolution on our MakerBot : 0,1 mm of layer tickness.
If you need support material, try to remove as much as possible.
You will want to print with the highest resolution. Here, we used the best resolution on our MakerBot : 0,1 mm of layer tickness.
If you need support material, try to remove as much as possible.
STEP 3: Preparing Your Object
Prepare the object :
If necessary, use sandpaper to smooth the part's surface.
Protect the areas of the object you don't want covered by the graphic with painter tape (masking tape)
*We protected the sole and the interior of the shoe.
If necessary, use sandpaper to smooth the part's surface.
Protect the areas of the object you don't want covered by the graphic with painter tape (masking tape)
*We protected the sole and the interior of the shoe.
STEP 4: Primer
Apply the primer on the object (keep a distance of approximately 30 cm to avoid drops).
Then let it dry for a minimum of 2 hours.
Then let it dry for a minimum of 2 hours.
STEP 5: Prepare the Film
Fill about 3/4 of your container with water (between 25 et 30°C). Be carefull to put enough water to immerse your piece.
Gently put down the film on the water. Do that progressively to avoid bubbles, then wait between 40 and 60 seconds. The aspect of the film will change, it should wrinkle and come back to the first state (see the video). At this moment, you can vaporize the activator on the film. (Keep a distance of 20-30 cm.) Just put a thin layer, you don't need much.
Don't forget your mask if you want to live longer !
Gently put down the film on the water. Do that progressively to avoid bubbles, then wait between 40 and 60 seconds. The aspect of the film will change, it should wrinkle and come back to the first state (see the video). At this moment, you can vaporize the activator on the film. (Keep a distance of 20-30 cm.) Just put a thin layer, you don't need much.
Don't forget your mask if you want to live longer !
STEP 6: Immersion
Now, it's time to immerse your object !
You can create a small handles with tape to help you hold the object. Put on your gloves and dip your piece slowly. The film will adjust to the shapes. Incline your object at 45 degrees to avoid cracks and folds. Flat faces should enter with a angle.
Immerse completely your object and move your hand the water to push the excess pigments away from the object. Get help from an other person if necessary. You should be able to bring the object back to the surface without any unwanted pigment on your piece.
Before to dip your best design, try with some disposable cups to get used to the technique.
Watch our video for more details !
Let the piece dry few minutes and then rinse it with hot water, if necessary.
Let it dry completely
You can create a small handles with tape to help you hold the object. Put on your gloves and dip your piece slowly. The film will adjust to the shapes. Incline your object at 45 degrees to avoid cracks and folds. Flat faces should enter with a angle.
Immerse completely your object and move your hand the water to push the excess pigments away from the object. Get help from an other person if necessary. You should be able to bring the object back to the surface without any unwanted pigment on your piece.
Before to dip your best design, try with some disposable cups to get used to the technique.
Watch our video for more details !
Let the piece dry few minutes and then rinse it with hot water, if necessary.
Let it dry completely
STEP 7: Finition
When your piece is dried, remove the painter tape and apply one or two layers of clear varnish.
Your object is ready to be used, manipulated and shown to the world!
Your object is ready to be used, manipulated and shown to the world!
9 Comments
Robert Jessen 10 months ago
There´s a multitude of design options for any object you would like to transform. Apart from the swirl patterns, there are also carbon fibre, wood, marble and camouflage designs, and many other options to choose from!
Dezza22 5 years ago
The printer is an Epson what ink do you use to print onto the film ?
Frankv14 8 years ago
Just to clarify... "vaporizing the activator on the film". The activator appears to come as a liquid, so you need a spray gun to spray it onto the film?
elizabeth.eads1 9 years ago
This is a great idea! These shoes are adorable.
emily_c 10 years ago
mdeblasi1 10 years ago
water-marbling my nails?
I'm going to have to see if there is an instructable on that.
GrfxGawd 10 years ago
I tried waterboarding my nails, but my manicurist said it was an inhumane violation of their rights... You can use the watermarbeling technique in a lot more places than just on nails.
MichaelAtOz 10 years ago
To clarify.
This is using standard hydrographic film to cover a 3D printed object.
Not printing a design to use as the hydrographic patern to cover something else.
rhercher 10 years ago
Couldn't find a kit on amazon, but I found company that sells printable films (including standard letter size that will fit an ink jet) http://www.prostreetgraphix.com
Can't wait to try this once my 3D printer shows up!