Insights

A re-creation of a Vintage Michelin Guide Book cover for the French and Swiss Alpes , by NeroCavallo artists, featuring Bibendum. Dye sublimation on aluminum with mounting hardware installed, ready to hang and enjoy. HD image with high gloss finish. Size is 12″ x 18″ x 1″. This item is made to order and will ship up to 7 days after ordering. Sublimation onto metal is a new cutting edge way to reproduce an image. Sublimation is the process of going from a solid to a gas, back to a solid while skipping the liquid state. During the cooling process the dyes are permanently infused beneath the surface of the metal in the form of a perfect High Definition image.Not to be confused with other aluminum prints or signs like DiBond, which is a paper coated thin aluminum veneer adhered to a foam core panel or paper surface metal with resin coating. This end result is nothing more than printing on paper and the image finish is matt or the resin yellows and cracks over time.We do not print directly onto aluminum. Doing so would have the same issues with durability as ink printed on paper or canvas. With dye sublimation, a coating is commercially applied to the aluminum which hardens to form a wear layer on the metal. We only use heavy guage aluminum, the thickest avaialble at .045″ thick with hanging mounts already in place ready for mounting on the wall. ARCHIVAL – 50 plus years of fade resistance beating all other forms or print mediaSCRATCH RESISTANT – Sublimation dyes are infused beneath the unique exterior coating of the aluminum. The image can’t be scuffed; surface scratched or peeled off the surface.MODERN FINISH- No glass needed! Sublimated aluminum has a smooth level surface like mirror glass. This provides a very lightweight product compared to alternative wall hanging art.WIPEABLE ARTWORK- Aluminum prints can be easily cleaned with a microfiber cloth and mild household cleaner. We recommend a foaming glass cleaner.LIGHTWEIGHT – While being extremely rigid and durable the aluminum is to hang. A 12” x 24” panel weighs approximately 2 lbs.PROCESS – First the image is printed onto a proprietary transfer paper, using specially formulated dyes, and then adhered to the coated aluminum. Both are then placed into a custom heat press, heated to a temperature of 380 degrees Fahrenheit. While under extreme heat and pressure, the dyes from the transfer paper turn into a gas(they sublimate) and are pressed into the surface of the metal and then solidify into the treated aluminum.