What attracts your attention when you see a device’s operating keypad? It is the graphical representation of the various instructions, commands and functionalities of the device that are printed on the keypad, right?

1. How to Make the Best of Graphic Overlay Printing
What attracts your attention when you see a device’s operating keypad? It is the graphical
representation of the various instructions, commands and functionalities of the device that are
printed on the keypad, right? This is certainly one of the most visually appealing parts of the
device and is made of attractive colors-combinations, text, lines, curves and various shades,
gradients and patterns. When it comes to finding the best company to provide attractive and
precisely printed graphic overlay in Canada, it is important to understand what goes into the
overall process of designing and printing them. This will help you appreciate the hard work
behind them and also find the right company for your needs.
What are graphic overlays anyway?
As described above, they are nothing but the most vividly visible upper layer of a device or
membrane switch. They offer a colored visual representation of the various commands for
performing the operations by the device. They help identify the various parts and operative
components easily so that one can use the device with convenience and accuracy. They are rich
in color and graphical elements. They are used as the thin layers over the membrane switch
keypads for depicting the different components and commands. They come in different makes
and designs including delicately tinted windows, textures and even scratch resistant coatings
(SRC).
What materials are used to make them?
Different types of materials are used to make graphic overlays in order to make the offer more
visual appeal, clarity, accuracy, scratch resistant property, durability and so on. They are mainly
manufactured using polycarbonate and polyester. They come in different types of finishes
including gloss finish, matte finish, velvet finish and fine finish. Polycarbonate overlays offer
great optical clarity and have excellent embossing characteristics. However, the downside is that
polycarbonate is extremely solvent sensitive and is also quite expensive in comparison with
polyester overlays.
Many manufacturers of graphic overlay in Canada also use fiber which too offers excellent
clarity and is scratch resistant to a large extent. This makes them ideal for different industries
including those industries where the devices have to face harsh environmental conditions such as
heat, humidity, rough handling, etc. Vinyl films are also used by many manufacturers nowadays
as they are cost-effective. The disadvantage of vinyl overlay is that the material can be extremely
solvent sensitive and easily succumb to corrosive chemicals.
Printing process of graphic overlays
Manufacturers of these overlays employ different types of printing methods and technologies.
However, screen-printing is the most widely used method. The quality of the printing obtained in

2. screen printing is very high with excellent aesthetic appeal and high-quality finish. In order to get
the best out of the printing, it is important – but not absolutely necessary – to supply the artworks
to the manufacturers in the right file formats such as .ai, .cdr or .DXF to get the work done in a
faster and efficient manner. It also helps to keep the number of colors to a minimum, avoid using
color gradients and use the best color matching system for screen printing such as Pantone and
RAL.
This article is written by C khuzwayo on behalf of Elecflex.com, this is having topics on
Membrane Switch, Membrane Switch Manufacturer, Membrane Keypad, Membrane keyboard,
Graphic Overlay and many more.