By Andy Huxley, Technical Manager, Liquid Lens
Doming requires the application and curing of a polyurethane resin to create a raised, 3D effect for labels, number plates and more. If you aren’t familiar with the process, it may seem intricate, but it is actually more straightforward than you might imagine.
Liquid Lens has spent decades refining the process and offers customers a meticulously developed system that simplifies the process. From safety protocols to curing perfection, here’s a guide to achieving excellent doming results.
Safety first: protecting the maker
Doming begins with a commitment to safety. Before you start, you need gloves, safety glasses, and a ventilated workspace, using a dehumidifier to ensure the air is free from heavy vapours.
Avoid contact with the resin and rinse immediately in case of accidents. Be vigilant for the safety of those in the room.
Creating the right environment
The environment in which doming takes place is just as important as the tools and techniques. It’s a space that welcomes precision: clean, warm, and free of dust or stray fibres.
For doming to work its magic, the room temperature should hover between 22-25°C, with humidity kept under 35%. A flat, level work surface ensures the resin flows gracefully, stopping at the edges of each label. It’s a delicate dance between resin viscosity and gravity, where imperfections in the setup can ripple into the final product.
Preparation: where craft meets care
Before the resin flows, the labels must be prepared. Each sheet is carefully weeded, leaving only the designs destined for doming. Attention shifts to the smallest details: dust, debris, or moisture droplets must be banished.
This is the moment where artistry meets engineering. Labels lie flat, ready to transform, each one inspected like a canvas before a painter’s first stroke.
The tools of the trade
Every craftsperson knows their tools. For doming, it’s the resin cartridge, mixer, and applicator gun that make the magic possible. Stand the cartridge upright, attach the mixer with a satisfying twist, and purge the first 5ml of resin to ensure the mix is just right.
It’s a rhythm you fall into. Load the cartridge. Lock the applicator gun. Check, double-check, and then let the resin flow.
The art of application
Doming is part science, part art. The resin is applied carefully, a slow and steady stream that covers two-thirds of the label’s surface. There’s a meditative quality to watching the resin spread, its surface tension holding it in place, forming a perfect dome.
Three minutes after the application comes inspection. Tiny air bubbles are teased out with the quick flash of a flame torch to smooth out imperfections.
Curing is the final stage
Curing is where the doming process reveals its true brilliance. Sheets are covered with propagators, protecting them from dust as the resin sets. Over hours, the domes harden, first touch-dry, then fully cured after 24 hours.
For those who can’t wait, Liquid Lens offers tools to speed up the process. A Quality Control Unit or curing oven reduces the wait to a few hours.
A craft worth mastering
Every label tells a story, and the doming process adds a layer of durability and brilliance to those tales. For Liquid Lens, it’s not just about achieving the perfect dome; it’s about empowering creators to take pride in their work.
From safety protocols to the final cure, Liquid Lens ensures that every step of the journey is clear, simple, approachable, and rewarding. Doming isn’t just a process; it’s a craft that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
By blending precision with care, Liquid Lens has taken the complexity out of doming, making it a skill anyone can master with the right guidance and patience. It’s a process, yes, but more than that, it’s a partnership between the material, the maker, and the artistry of transformation.
To learn more, visit www.liquid-lens.com or email me at andy@liquid-lens.com.
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