What is hydrographic printing?
Hydrographic printing is a 3D decorating process where custom designs are applied to a product surface. The term hydrographic printing could also be refered to as water transfer printing, hydro dipping, hydro imaging, camo dipping, or water immersion. Check out the video above to see it in action!
Is hydrographic printing durable?
The industrial coatings and finish appearance of your project should be durable and last for several years, standing up to normal wear and tear and environmental conditions experienced by hunters and sport shooting enthusiasts. We only use the highest grade automotive quality clear coats. These are scratch resistant and offer superior UV protection which prevents fading of the designs. Our clear coat resists damage from chemicals, including DEET, gun scrubbers and suntan lotion. However, no coating or finish will withstand an owner’s neglect or unusually rough treatment.
Can I / Should I paint my item before bringing it in?
We prefer items be "paint ready" but not prepped with a coat of primer. This process has specific chemicals that cross link and allow the bonding process to happen all the way through the layers of materials. If your product is in its raw material state free from other coatings & materials, we will take it from there. This is the only way we can guarantee you the performance you want and offer you a warranty. you.
What types of items can be dipped?
This process is perfect for complex 3-dimensional objects. They need only be semi rigid to rigid objects. We can hydro dip items such as metal, plastic, wood, glass, fiberglass, and many other types of substrates.
Does my item need to be disassembled?
​
Yes. Before bringing your parts to us for hydrographic dipping, you or a professional should break it down and clean it so it is ready for paint. Please bring in only the parts that are going to be dipped and printed. Un-cleaned, oily, greasy etc. parts will be subject to additional charges.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hydrographic Printing and FUSE COATINGS
Select your film pattern from our many options.
The proper base coat is applied to the item.
Film is activated in preparation for dipping.
The item is carefully dipped into the film.
Excess film and chemicals are rinsed off.
A durable clear coat is applied.
What kind of warranty does Fuse Coatings offer?
​
At Fuse Coatings we stand behind our work 100%! We have a 7 day warranty after parts are recieved by the customer which covers any defects in workmanship.
If there is a defect in the application of our coating, we will refinish the product free of charge within the warranty period. The warranty applies only to poor quality adhesion or chipping and peeling of the base paint that would indicate poor preparation of surfaces to which our patterns are applied. We cannot warranty finishes that, in our judgement, have been damaged by harsh treatment of the item.
Some issues are common to they hydrographic process and are not covered under warranty. They include:
Stretching: This usually occurs when a part has sharp corners or an elongated shape. The ink has to spread itself over a wide area and distorts the graphic. This can also lead to less dense pigment and a faded appearance to the image.
Blow Outs: Usually occur in concave parts of an item where air is trapped between the surface of the part and the film on the water. The air pocket keeps the pattern from touching the surface of the item and thus prevents any pattern from being applied. It is sometimes unavoidable on certain items or on the inside of a sharp corner, and is most common on items with heavy surface textures.
Seams: Most items can be dipped in one pass but to mitigate paint issues some need to have 2 attempts made. This will result in a seam on the item, which we do our best to hide so the integrity of the pattern is kept. But it may be unavoidable. This is most common on gas tanks, hunting gear, and other large pieces needing 360 degree pattern coverage.
Worms / Dots: These are small gaps or lines in the pattern as a result of many factors; air bubbles in the water, movement when dipping, slight variances in water temperature, and variances in chemicals used when activating the film. The pattern may appear to have small blank spots or squiggly lines where the base coat will be more visible.
Fuse Coatings is a professional hydrograhpics studio and we produce show-quality work. These issues are common to the hydrographic process but we do our best to mitigate their occurrence and if an item doesn't pass our quality control we will strip and sand it down and start from scratch to ensure our clients are beyond satisfied. If you have additional questions or concerns about our process please contact us at 1-866-234-3873, Monday - Friday 9am-5pm CST.