22 replies to this topic

[lasapcheong]

Hi,

Hope I can get an official word from Bazzer, Ben or anybody from Rev here. I'm looking at a custom BPro and I wonder if Rev will make exceptions to have a Mylar center with the Rev Logo and words in black?

I've seen custom B-Series/BPros (Not sure which one) before where the vertical panels are mylar, wondering if its possible to do it on the center.

Hope they reply soon.

Thanks
Darryl

[beach]

We have never made a Pro with any type of mylar and you can not print on mylar, but call me direct to work out what your ideas
are and we'll go from there..... Ben

[quaa714]

We have never made a Pro with any type of mylar and you can not print on mylar, but call me direct to work out what your ideas
are and we'll go from there..... Ben

Now there's the Ben we all know and love. Always willing to help out and find the way........
Oh wait a second..........wrong Ben!!!!

Can't wait to see you this week Benny. Coffee's on me, (figuratively of course!!)

[big bri]

Dont do it.Dont put MYLAR on a B Pro.Dont bring Mylar back from the grave again.

I hate Mylar ,

BRIAN...

[Watty]

Dont do it.Dont put MYLAR on a B Pro.Dont bring Mylar back from the grave again.

I hate Mylar ,

BRIAN...

second.

[FortFlyer]

It's not Mylar's fault that you sissy's can't handle it.

[lasapcheong]

Thanks Ben that's what I figured wasn't too sure, inability to print on Mylar.

I sent you an email last week about a couple of Team Revs for Singapore too. Could you take a look into it?

Thanks

[steveb]

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Prism kites having printing on the Mylar.
I hate the stuff though, except in some cases for reinforcements.

[lasapcheong]

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Prism kites having printing on the Mylar.
I hate the stuff though, except in some cases for reinforcements.

Ye. I have a Prism Ozone where the center part near the spine is a long strip of Mylar (only, not reinforcement) with some black text printing on it.

Understood the drawbacks of Mylar but for this case, aesthetics does play an even weightage

-Darryl

[big bri]

Ye. I have a Prism Ozone where the center part near the spine is a long strip of Mylar (only, not reinforcement) with some black text printing on it.

Understood the drawbacks of Mylar but for this case, aesthetics does play an even weightage

-Darryl

Correct,i to have a couple of Prism kites with mylar and ink[or whatever it is]
I still hate Mylar though...

BRIAN...

[REVflyer]

Printing is all about using the proper substrate and the appropriate inks (or toner). Black images on mylar are more than likely done with a process called "screen printing". You could print on top of an uncooked egg yolk if so desired with this method.

Some kite image processes require heat and pressure to force the ink thru the substrate, as opposed to just laying the image on the surface. An example is air-brush or tie-dyed tonal values placed onto Icarex. To leach the image through the coating and fabric itself you need 240 degrees of heat and two atmospheres worth of pressure (a pressure cooker - autoclave). Harold Ames does this production path using acid etch dyes, which should be applied outdoors and wear a respirator too, 'cause this stuff is a known cancer causing agent in your lungs!!!

I've seen a printed icarex kite done in Spain that is okay, the images aren't as bright as other imaging techniques we are familiar with though.

I've done ink-jet on top of uncoated nylon, but a special starch base-coat needs to be applied by screen process first before running it thru the machine. The machines have to big enough to cover in one pass, for a Rev sail that's over 100 x 40 inches! This method is not durable enough for my proposes either. We tried it out on the "No Boundaries" kites for Smithsonian Kite Festival back in 1999, it was a space theme. The 2 kites pictured also locked together in flight, thru the use of rare earth magnets placed on top of the upright spars' end-caps.

Many folks have used "Design master" spray paint (in a can) on coated ripstop nylon, which I think is a floral industry product (available from Steve Ferrel at KiteStudio.com, or at least it used to be) Here you'd use masking methods or apply it free-hand to control the application. Remember several layers are better for controlling the density rather than one thick, rapidly applied pass.

Screen printing lays a much thicker ink film than the other processes, it's also completely opaque. You can actually feel the height variables with your finger tip on this process. The ink is squeezed thru a mask onto the substrate.

Kite fabric almost always transmits light, so a better method is a translucent printing process. Now you can mix colors (a yellow and blue color overlap give you green FREE!) but the trade-off is durability. Lots of testing should be done regardless of your method, so you know what to expect. Apply some to a test piece of material and then drive around for a week or two with it affixed to your car's radio antenna. (the wet, flapping & UV durability tests are all combined)

Flexographic printing is like a rubber stamp pad process, the live area is raised and the background is cut away in depth. Packaging and flexible/curved surface applications are it's most common uses.

Most of the high quality publications you read are Lithographic, which is based upon the fact that the ink and the fountain solution don't mix (like water and grease). The print image for each color is placed onto a separate plate which is completely smooth, flat and the image is first transferred to flexible rubber blanket in reverse, then the blanket touches the substrate (the image is off-set) back to a positive. The colors have to register exactly with each other. There's also a electronic transfer process, like a copy machine would use. The image is fused onto the substrate with head and pressure after the electro-static application.

Letterpress and gravure are the last two printing processes available, but seldom used nowadays and certainly useless for kite builders.

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[Bazzer]

Hi,

Hope I can get an official word from Bazzer, Ben or anybody from Rev here. I'm looking at a custom BPro and I wonder if Rev will make exceptions to have a Mylar center with the Rev Logo and words in black?

I've seen custom B-Series/BPros (Not sure which one) before where the vertical panels are mylar, wondering if its possible to do it on the center.

Hope they reply soon.

Thanks
Darryl

sorry, but no.
Bazzer

[Bazzer]

Dont do it.Dont put MYLAR on a B Pro.Dont bring Mylar back from the grave again.

I hate Mylar ,

BRIAN...

Mylar is not on the current B Pro cutting table. (please note size of full stop)

Although it maybe used within the construction of my high wind 1.5.
As a reinforcement and sail modulator.

Bazzer

[david ellison]

the construction of my high wind 1.5.

Tease!!! You can't just throw in a comment like that sir and walk away. We need to know

[quaa714]

Tease!!! You can't just throw in a comment like that sir and walk away. We need to know

YEAH>>>>>What the heck is that all about????????

[Aerochic]

Tease!!! You can't just throw in a comment like that sir and walk away. We need to know

How evilly is Bazzer giggling now?...

[big bri]

We need

A BAZZER CAM

BRIAN...

[antman]

mylar is not to bad . i have a 11 year old 1.5 with mylar panels that is holding up nicely.. the only down side to this stuff is if you live in a salt air area like i do it can dry rot in time if the kite is not cleaned off after every flight.. i hose all my sails down after a day at the beach..my 3 blast,s also have the mylar and it to is in good shape.. if i had a choise however the all cloth is a much better kite..

[monkey]

Bazzer is secretly working on his very own, one of a kind, ALL MYLAR sail.... pics soon!

[Bazzer]

Bazzer is secretly working on his very own, one of a kind, ALL MYLAR sail.... pics soon!

a....no
All Mylar. Please. I want to slow it down in high winds not make it faster!
Bazzer