[bradley43434]

I know this is a T-shirt forum, but I'm at my wits end trying to get some information about printing melamine plates (plastic dinnerware) with custom graphics.
To see what it looks like please go to:

[url=http://www.sarahandabraham.com/category.php?category_id=151

We want to be able to create and print art on plates similar to this.

If you can point us in the right direction I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.
Bradley Allen

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

Re: Information please

Does this help you at all?

http://www.experts123.com/q/what-is-the-process-for-printing-on-melamine-plates.html

 

[Rodney]

:: edited thread TITLE to be more descriptive and moved to a more appropriate section of the forum ::
​

 

[bradley43434]

Re: Information please

Hey thanks.
I think I have found out the answer. Apparently there is a "propitiatory" method that is not being revealed by the manufacturer, Makit. But..............I'm workin on it.
Thanks!

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

From what I read......The image is printed on a thin paper substrate, applied to a thin layer of wet non cured melamine and over coated with another thin layer of wet non cured melamine and then oven cured.

It doesnt sound like something you just do at home.

I also read about hand decorating the plates but they are just for show and not for actual use.

 

[bradley43434]

Thanks David.
Check out Makit.com
I think this is where all the printed plates are coming from. If you request information about being a reseller, and then review the FAQ sheet, you get an indication of the process, but in no way do they say actually what the process is. I have seen the same info that you have forwarded to me, and I just don't believe that's how they are doing it. I could be wrong. I have not been able to find "liquid melamine" yet (that I know of). There is a lot of research to do about that.
Thanks,
Bradley

 

[bradley43434]

Additionally, I do not know (yet) what the "thin paper" would be. My wife is picking up a kit (that is supposed to have a sheet of it in it) locally that you can draw on and then send Makit and they will put it on the plate.

 

[bradley43434]

And even MORE additionally..............the paper is flat, and the dish is concave. Makit does refer to the possiblity of "wrinkles"...........so.........
If they are placing flat images to a concave surface, then a wrinkle could occur, even though you don't see any on there website images, or any of their retailers images on the web.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

It is a resin made with formaldehyde.

 

[freebird1963]

can't you use the CLTT paper and oem laser toner ?
dont think you could eat of them.
Ask Mick over at the DSSI forums.

Good lUck
Mark

 

[bradley43434]

In Makit's FAQ they refer several times to "water based" inks. It seems they want to make sure that if you use their paper supplied in the kit, that you mark on it with "washable" inks. I'll know more later if my wife can find a Makit kit at the local craft store.

Makit has been doing this for many years, and they say you can eat off the plates and bowl. Just don't put them in the oven or microwave.

 

[bradley43434]

Also see
Custom Picture Plate - photo on a plate, picture plate, Logo, Photo, Custom Plate, plate accessories

How do they do it?

Bradley

 

[Rodney]

Also see
Custom Picture Plate - photo on a plate, picture plate, Logo, Photo, Custom Plate, plate accessories

How do they do it?

Bradley

It looks like those are done using dye sublimation

 

[bradley43434]

I just picked up the "kit" from Hobby Lobby. It had 50 pieces of what looks like plain paper, cut in a 10-3/8" circle and two boxes of Crayola water color markers. It gave specific instructions on how to draw on the paper so it could be molded satisfactorily and not smudge. All indications are the paper goes on the plate. Maybe they do coat the plate with "liquid melamine" put the image down and then put another coat of LM on it and bake it. They did refer to "trimming the edges". Here's the thing, I tried wetting the paper to see if it would lay flat on a plate we had in the cupboard, but sure enough, as I figured, there were little creases all around the perimeter of the plate, because you can't fit something flat over something round without getting creases. Maybe the liquid melamine reacts differently somehow.............it's baffling.

 

[MotoskinGraphix]

I just picked up the "kit" from Hobby Lobby. It had 50 pieces of what looks like plain paper, cut in a 10-3/8" circle and two boxes of Crayola water color markers. It gave specific instructions on how to draw on the paper so it could be molded satisfactorily and not smudge. All indications are the paper goes on the plate. Maybe they do coat the plate with "liquid melamine" put the image down and then put another coat of LM on it and bake it. They did refer to "trimming the edges". Here's the thing, I tried wetting the paper to see if it would lay flat on a plate we had in the cupboard, but sure enough, as I figured, there were little creases all around the perimeter of the plate, because you can't fit something flat over something round without getting creases. Maybe the liquid melamine reacts differently somehow.............it's baffling.

You can if you cut little triangles all around the outside of the circle.

 

[bradley43434]

I'll try it.
Thanks

 

[bradley43434]

Well...............I got some pinking shears and trimmed the edge of the paper circle..............no help.
It still develops wrinkles in the concave part of the plate.
Maybe I could do it differently somehow, I don't know.

 

[bradley43434]

Maybe the triangles need to be bigger or something.

 

[cprvh]

Your close!

Contact http://www.halseyinc.com. They provide contract printing of the melamine plates.

 

[bradley43434]

Yeah, I saw Halsey, they are like Makit.
Is it possible that slits are cut into the paper? 40 years ago when the guy from Makit figured out how to do it, did he go to the trouble to figure out just exactly how much (and how many) slits (or sections) to cut out of the paper to keep it from wrinkling yet fit together so you couldn't see them?