At first i couldn't tell if any paper was left because the matte finish leaves sort of a haze. But when you go to lacquer it usually clears the haze up pretty well. I've done about 40 of em so far for my upcoming batch, nice little project to do while watching a hockey game. :rockin: Although it is time consuming, i was contemplating getting a customized rubber stamp and possibly trying that method with some permanent ink. If i end up going that route i'll be sure to make a thread about it.
Ha, I think I may be a couple steps ahead of you there...while you may have better luck, I have tried both the custom stamp and the silk-screening methods before this one.
While the online source for the custom stamps was a breeze and reasonably priced, I had a few issues:
- Most caps are not perfectly flat on top which means you either have to rock the stamp around or press harder. Both leave the ink smudged from the movement or the rubber deforming (especially with finer details)
- Permanent stamping ink (at least the kind I tried) needs to be heat set when used on metal... I can't imagine it would be good for the seal underneath.
- Even when ignoring the potential heating issue, the ink never really set very well. Rubbing or light scraping would easily remove or smudge the ink (especially on colored caps).
- Properly centering the stamps was a nightmare...it was most evident on one of my designs that has a large circle incorporated into the design.
Those were just a few of the issues with stamping for me...but YMMV.
Screen printing was another headache. I admit, I didn't have the best of equipment required to do the printing, but what I did do indicated I'd be pretty disappointed again. I made a template that could hold the caps, I made a frame for the screen, bought screen printing ink for metal, made the screen, etc. When it was all said and done, the cap holding template was misaligned with the screen...ughh. Then when I tried printing anyway, I had issues with the ink seeping into areas it wasn't supposed to be and the thread pattern ended up in the ink left on the cap. Also, the ink required heat setting...which I discussed above.
All of these problems could probably be remedied with more precision, more practice, better materials, etc, etc...but I was just getting impatient and it was costing more and more money.
Assuming both of those methods worked flawlessly, you are also limited to one color...multi-colored printing with either method would require mechanical precision...but hey, maybe the handmade look is what some people may go for, in that case, more power to ya.
Personally, I think silk screening would be a great option if all of the issues I described were dialed in better and there was a fool-proof ink available. Stamping just ended up being way too rough around the edges to become a feasible option to me.
I'm still looking into alternative options...ones that require less finesse and could be applied quicker. I'll let you all know what I come up with...if I ever do..haha