What does it mean to decorate, in terms of silicone injection molding for keypads and other products? Let’s go over our graphic design process and why decorating is so important.
Screen Printing
Here at SiTech, we use screen printing to achieve all our positive and reverse graphics, thanks to proprietary silicone inks. These inks result in a cross-link bond that adheres to the silicone keypads and components throughout the curing process. What you get is a long-lasting, hard-wearing graphic that stands the test of time under standard industry use.
Visually-appealing graphics impact how users feel about and use your product. This is why you need a well-designed keypad – not only to augment its appearance but to ensure top-notch functionality as well.
There are many factors to take into consideration when it comes to graphics, such as:
- Keypad Size
- Color
- Mat Thickness
- Key Top Dimensions
- Mounting Hole
- Key Spacing
- Boss Details
- Radii Dimensions
- Actuation Force
- Legends
- Colors
- Material Specifications
Embossing and Engraving
Adding embossing or engraving to the keys’ surface is a great way to add a unique look and feel. We can add the text or image to the mold in either an engraving or embossing method depending on your preferences. Thus, your graphic or text can last the lifetime of your keypad without fading.
However, one downside of embossing or engraving is that dirt and debris can get trapped. We have a minimum line weight of 0.015” and a max height/depth of 0.012”. We take graphic designs in these formats:
- *.cdr (Corel Draw)
- *.ai (Adobe Illustrator)
- *.pdf (Adobe)
- *.dxf (Autocad)
- *.dwg (Autocad)
Graphic Design
Here are some considerations to keep in mind in terms of the graphic design process.
- We can screen solid colors up to the edge of flat key tops.
- We can screen solid colors up to 0.015” on curved key tops, to the outer radius’ tangent point.
- 0.015”: this is the minimum distance from the edge of the mat to the legend.
- 0.010”: this is the minimum line weight for legends.
- 0.050”: minimum text height.
- 0.375”: minimum radius of a convex or concave key top.
- 0.060”: max curvature depth for concave key tops featuring a minimum radius of 0.375”.
- 0.060”: max curvature height for convex key tops featuring a minimum radius of 0.375”.
A big part of the design process is ensuring the right shape. Not only must the shape be durable in design, it must have pleasing tactile qualities for the user.
Here at Si-Tech, our teams utilize Pantone numbers for color specs and are also able to match color chips. We also apply a variety of coatings according to your specifications that range from industrial pre-coats and adhesives to abrasion and chemical resistant coatings.
To learn more about our durable design and decorating process, call us today at 757-887-8488.
