One of the many distinct advantages of using thermoformed plastic as an enclosure medium is the vast design flexibility that it gives you on your three dimensional enclosure component. The drawback was that importing branding, images, and complex finishes over these elaborate enclosures was limited or challenging  due to the inherent stretching in the process of thermoformed components.

However, with the utilization of distortion printing, these obstacles have been removed, presenting nearly limitless options for finishing and image applications on thermoformed parts.

What is distortion printing?

Distortion printing is the process of printing a distorted version of an image onto a sheet of plastic  and systematically vacuum forming the sheet on a mold so that specific areas of the printed image appear in corresponding areas of the resulting three-dimensional large part.

Essentially, the finished image is modified to anticipate the distortion created by the stretching of plastic during the thermoforming process. This modified image is then printed on the material which is later thermoformed, resulting in the finished image perfectly proportioned on the three dimensional part.

Why use distortion printing?

• Improved branding and consumer awareness
• Kiosk fascia project utilizing distortion printing
• Design innovation
• Increased speed-to-market product development
• Automated and accurate distortion process eliminates cost and risks related to previous trial-and-error processes
• Large part distortion printing is cutting-edge for the thermoforming industry
• Elimination of material and assembly costs for secondary parts used for decoration purposes
• Pre-decorating capabilities of distortion printing vastly increases design envelope for design engineers

Productive Plastics combines its thermoforming and manufacturing process expertise with advanced computer software from Raytek and distortion technology applications from Distortion Arts to bring you the industry’s top distortion printed thermoformed parts.

Contact us with questions on distortion printing and for assistance with your next project.