Since it introduced its first digital glass printer in 2005, architects and designers worldwide have come to embrace how this technology allows beautiful, intricate designs to be faithfully reproduced on glass. While much of the technology was originally developed for the automotive industry, the GlassJet’s capacities shine in several other arenas.
Building exteriors, both in terms of windows and facades, benefit from DIP-Tech’s ability to facilitate large creative visions; the technology allows designs to be produced across hundreds of panes of glass of various dimensions.
DIP-Tech’s new corporate headquarters is fronted with a dynamic, modern design composed of a ‘mere’ 97 panes. Because the façade was designed to overlook the production area, the design required a shading affect, which was achieved by varying the ink intensities. This ensures a reduction in solar radiation so DIP-Tech’s employees can maintain a cool, sun-protected environment.
Digital printer for glass
DIP-Tech Company has developed the GlassJet™, a digital printer using proprietary inks for small-to-medium print runs, to let designers and architects create the previously impossible. DIP-Tech has made digital printing on glass an affordable reality.
GlassJet™ enabled creativity graces buildings across the globe. One example is the Haarlem City Theatre in the Netherlands, with its elegant glass façade creating the illusion of water cascading from the roof, down the sides of the building, using 400 different prints on 400 different sized panes. Another is a building in Murcia, Spain, enlivened with a bold abstract design covering more than 475 panes.
Printer for glass doors, walls and partitions
Because of its cost-effective approach, the GlassJet™ is also widely deployed for developing creative glass designs for doors, walls and partitions. Interior designers can extend the range of their creativity by using designs from the subtle to the outrageous, even allowing for different levels of opacity and privacy.
A prime example of this is the Wall Street Mall in Dunedin, New Zealand. The façade was created using the GlassJet, as were creative designs on glass that are deployed throughout the building’s interior. Not only is glass ‘wallpaper’ displayed in a bold design, even partitions between the facilities in the men’s restroom sport glass replicas of the exterior.
From screening to digital-file preparation
Previously, glass printing was done using screens, an expensive, labor-intensive process that required set up, clean up, storage and reclamation. This put small-to-medium runs beyond the budget for most projects, curtailing the creative potential for project managers, architects and designers.
Digital technology allows the GlassJet’s to function like a regular printer. User friendliness is the key to the entire process.
DIP-Tech’s unique file preparation system uses digitally processed images provided by the designer from a wide variety of file types (TIF, EPS, PDF, JPG). The digital file features included in all GlassJet™ models enable tiling/paneling projects, rotating, mirroring, and determining the image opacity and color intensity.
The GlassJet’s file preparation provides a host of other benefits. Job logistics become streamlined via the use of variable data, such as logos, serial numbers, manufacture dates, and sequence numbering. These are especially useful for tiling, and assure that the entire design flows seamlessly from pane to pane. The software allows for the loading and printing of multiple panes or separate jobs simultaneously.
The job detector maximizes print time, while the ink thickness / opacity control optimizes the ink thickness in different printed areas as well as ink consumption. Similarly, the ink consumption calculator avoids waste.
Images are printed using Piezoelectric Drop-on-Demand (DOD) printing heads on the surface of the clean glass. DOD is the state-of-the-art system in glass printing and a key element in the rapid ROI provided by the GlassJet. DOD is the physical counterpart to the file preparation system, totally controlling the ink flow for thickness and opacity while printing multiple colors in a single run. This enables the production of projects in a fraction of the time that screening took.
Ink for glass printing
DIP SPECTRUM inks are ready to withstand the test of time, whether on automotive glass or building exteriors, and provide a host of benefits unmatched in the industry.
With inks developed from sub-micron glass particles and inorganic pigments, designers can now unleash the full range of their creativity. DIP SPECTRUM inks come in a variety of colors and are totally mixable to create custom colors. Specifically developed for the GlassJet, the inks allow for total opacity control and are scratchproof and UV resistant.
Ink for building exterior glass printing
For designers seeking an elegant frosted or matte motif, DIP SPECTRUM Etch Imitation Inks provide an ideal solution. Etch paints are available in all of DIP SPECTRUM’s basic colors and provide enhanced design and concealment benefits.
Ink for automotive glass printing
DIP SPECTRUM black ink meets the highest standards of the worldwide automotive industry. The ink is suitable for both tempering and bending heat treatments, providing an affordable option for automobile accessories.
Another unique design opportunity is offered by DIP SPECTRUM DoubleVision ink. This ink allows the printing of different designs on each side of any pane to create different perspectives based upon where the viewer stands in relation to the design.