How to Paint or Print on Acrylic Sheets for Brands

Achieving precise and lasting brand expression on the surface of materials has become the core battlefield of modern corporate visual competition.

Acrylic sheets have become the material of choice for corporate signage, display devices and high-end decorations due to their high transparency, high strength, light weight and weather resistance.

This versatile material not only replaces traditional glass, but also allows for deep customization through painting and printing technology, providing companies with a full range of solutions from brand logos to artistic displays.

Driven by continuous innovation in surface treatment processes, acrylic customization technology is breaking through the traditional limitations of adhesion and durability, opening up new possibilities for commercial applications.

Core Technology of Painting: Surface Treatment and Process Selection

Painting feuilles acryliques is far more than a simple coating – it is a sophisticated combination of material science and process technology. Companies must select coatings designed for plastics, such as acrylic paint or plastic-specific spray paint, to ensure compatibility between the coating and the substrate.

The surface pretreatment directly determines the success or failure of painting: first use a mild detergent to remove oil and dust, then use 800-1200 fine sandpaper to gently polish the surface to form a micro texture, which greatly improves the adhesion of the coating. This key step avoids the risk of paint film peeling or cracking.

The painting process needs to be flexibly selected according to project requirements:

• Hand brushing: Precisely control small areas, suitable for complex patterns or touch-up paint
• Special spray gun: Achieve uniform coverage of large surfaces, significantly improve efficiency
• UV curing coating: As the final protective layer, enhance outdoor weather resistance

Silk screen printing and UV printing: In-depth analysis of the two mainstream processes

There are two major technical routes in the field of acrylic printing, each of which is suitable for different business scenarios:

Screen printing has an advantage in small-batch monochrome tasks due to its economy. The core of its process is to transfer ink to the acrylic surface through screen pressure, and the initial plate making cost is about 200-300 yuan.

This technology is particularly suitable for batch production of fixed corporate logos – once the screen is made, it can be reused to significantly reduce the cost per piece. However, its technical bottleneck is obvious: only one color can be printed at a time, and the gradient effect cannot be achieved. In addition, multiple plate making is required for multi-color overprinting, and the cost rises sharply.

UV flatbed printing represents the technological forefront of digital printing. The equipment adopts Japan Toshiba 8-degree gray printing technology, with an accuracy of 1440DPI, comparable to photo quality. Its revolutionary breakthrough is:

• Directly output through digital files, eliminating the plate making process
• Complete full-color gradient color printing at one time
• UV ink is instantly cured, and outdoor weather resistance is 3-5 years
• Can produce embossed touch and enhance the brand display dimension

This technology requires a special coating to be applied before printing to solve the adhesion problem and ensure the long-lasting stability of the image on the smooth acrylic surface

Technological breakthrough: Overcoming the industry problem of white coating bottom transparency

The transparent acrylic production of pure white coating has long been plagued by the bottom transparency problem – under traditional processes, the glue marks on the back and the internal structure of the equipment are vaguely visible, which seriously affects the high-end display effect. Conventional white car sticker solutions are prone to shell separation or displacement when the temperature changes, and the risk of oxidation cracking is higher.

Tianmei Acrylic’s technological innovation has broken this deadlock. Its developed screen printing warm light white process is achieved through a special ink formula:

• The ink layer is full and thick, completely covering the substrate
• The edge is smooth and does not fall off after CNC cutting
• Resistant to alcohol wiping and chemical corrosion
• -40℃ to 80℃ environmental stability verification

This technology is particularly suitable for high-end display cabinets, luxury retail spaces and museum booths. After installation, the back panel defects are completely isolated, presenting a pure visual experience. From then on, the company got rid of the defective loss caused by the bottom transparency and improved the product premium ability.

Analysis of the entire process of professional UV inkjet printing

The implementation of high-quality acrylic UV inkjet printing requires a precise workflow:

1. Substrate pretreatment: Use a non-static cleaner to treat the board, and position the mark to ensure printing accuracy
2. Coating spray: Enhance UV ink adhesion and prevent later scratches
3. Equipment parameter optimization: Adjust the nozzle height according to the thickness of the board (usually 1.5-2mm from the surface)
4. Color management system calibration: Match Pantone color numbers to achieve accurate restoration of brand colors
5. Layered printing and instant curing: UV lamps are divided into three levels of intensity to control the polymerization reaction of the ink layer
6. Wear-resistant transparent layer coverage: Optional varnish printing increases surface hardness and gloss

This process can achieve a high-speed output of 84 square meters per hour in a professional factory environment, and supports large-format operations of 1.8×3.2 meters, greatly improving the efficiency of enterprise batch order delivery.

Enterprise application scenarios and value creation

Leading companies in different industries are realizing brand value-added through acrylic customization technology:

• Commerce de détail: Customized acrylic cosmetics storage boxes and jewelry display cabinets, UV printing gradient logo to improve counter conversion rate
• Décoration architecturale: Wind-resistant UV crusting board curtain wall withstands 12-level strong winds, and the spray-painted pattern does not fade for ten years
• Exhibition display: Frosted acrylic combined with UV relief printing to create a tactile guidance system
• Office space: Silk-screen corporate culture wall solution, monochrome slogan cost reduced by 40%
• Outdoor advertising: Three-layer protection UV output (white background + color picture + varnish) guarantees 5 years of maintenance-free

These applications verify the multiplier effect of customized acrylic solutions on corporate brand image building and space value enhancement.

Surface treatment and long-term maintenance technology

Maintaining the aesthetic life of spray-painted/printed acrylic products requires scientific maintenance:

Chemical strengthening technology forms a composite protective layer by applying acrylic aliphatic polyurethane topcoat (20-60μm thickness) after spraying. The coating has been experimentally verified to have:

-Resistant to ultraviolet light degradation

-Resistant to brittle cracking at low temperatures of -30℃

Resistant to salt spray corrosion (suitable for seaside commercial entities)

• Five-year gloss retention rate exceeds 90%

Daily maintenance adopts three-stage cleaning method:

1. Microfiber dusting to remove floating dust
2. Wipe with neutral detergent solution (pH 6.5-7.5)
3. Quarterly maintenance of nano-coating agent to enhance hydrophobicity

It is strictly forbidden to use cleaning products containing ammonia or abrasives to avoid accelerated surface aging. Under professional maintenance, the indoor display life can reach more than 10 years.

The breakthrough development of acrylic board printing technology is reshaping the boundaries of commercial display. From silk-screen printing’s economical monochrome solution to UV inkjet printing’s full-color gradient output, to Tianmei Acrylic’s breakthrough white paint process, companies now have unprecedented brand expression tools.

When these technologies are combined with scientific surface treatment and maintenance solutions, custom acrylic products can maintain visual integrity for more than 10 years in harsh environments.

Companies that master these innovative technologies are building unparalleled visual competitiveness in retail spaces, corporate environments, and public art.