Optically clear ink jet printing

[Mark Arnold]

I'm creating a prototype piece out of 1/4" clear plexiglass sheet. It requires optically clear or transparent ink (one color) to be applied. Think of optically clear window film. After some research Direct Jet makes a flat bed jet printer that can achieve this but only up to 13" wide.
Any advise or direction?

[gordo]

I'm creating a prototype piece out of 1/4" clear plexiglass sheet. It requires optically clear or transparent ink (one color) to be applied. Think of optically clear window film. After some research Direct Jet makes a flat bed jet printer that can achieve this but only up to 13" wide.
Any advise or direction?

If it's just for a prototype, maybe printing a waterslide decal might work?

DecalPaper.com - Decals - Waterslide decal paper or inkjet,laser printers Alps & copiers

best, gordon p

[Mark Arnold]

The issue is the piece is 28" x 28" with 64 separate squares of one color. It's a chess board with optically clear color (on both sides). After the color is applied it will be laser cut. So it will need to be remasked to keep it from smoke damage from the laser. The color needs to be permanent and not come of when the masking is peeled off.
I thought it would be a no brainer with todays printers and technology to do this but not so. I'm resorting to screen printing but have transparent ink supply issues with that too.

[KimSaks]

Optically clear???? That's a tall order for an ink jet or screen print!
I've been around both for years specializing in backlit glass and plastic printing for the gaming industry.
Your best bet in the screen printing world would be Sericol UV inks.
As far as ink-jet it would have to be UV and at the highest resolution you can find.
A third bet and probably the best would be to find someone making digital RGB transparency prints on a LightJet or Lambda RGB imagesetters and then laminating those transparencies to yout plastic substrate. From there you can protect with masking and cut out with either a laser or CNC router device. It's the way we achieved our best results.
Call me or write if you need any further help....
Kim Sakowski

KJSAKS Enterprises, Inc
3839 Reflection Way
Las Vegas, NV 89147
ph... 702-561-5936
e-mail... kimsaks619@aol.com