Lafayette, Ind.-based MadMen Creative was the first print service provider in Indiana to operate latex printing technology. “We started with the L25500, then moved to the L26500 and now we have a Latex 365,” says production manager, Javin Rusco.

Working with each incarnation of latex printer has given Rusco the ability to experiment with different types of media that are not typically considered “printable.”

“I’ve worked with an etched glass non-printable product that, because it’s meant to be used as cut vinyl, works well with HP latex print and cut,” he says.

With 25 years of printing experience, Rusco understands that some products will take more effort to create a printable surface.

Rusco wanted to try something new for a car wrap, so he chose a metallic gold cut vinyl and printed black graphics onto the gold, leaving the final image with gold highlights.

“I used a non-printable wrap vinyl, but I had to really clean it,” he says. “I used a 90% isopropyl alcohol solution to remove the surface contaminates to print on it, but it worked. Since latex ink isn’t 100% opaque, there was an ‘under glow’ to the [printed] image when the sun hit it.”

While his techniques aren’t for the everyday, faint-of-heart print operator, Rusco and the MadMen team pride themselves in developing out-of-the-box creative solutions for their customer requests.

“We’ve done a lot of this kind of work for customers and often, they’ve never even heard of printing on etched glass or gold vinyl, until we recommend it to them,” he says.

Printing on cut media with latex is an experimental process since there are no set profiles or settings. As with any new media, LexJet recommends reaching out to the manufacturer for optimal print conditions, or chat with a LexJet pro for guidance. Call us at 800-453-9538 to learn how to expand your latex printing capabilities.