Create a color image on the mirror
On some sites you can find such ignorant lines: "color glass frosting." Remember and distinguish between the concepts of color and transparency. Glass can be colored and colorless. Both glass can be frosted, that is, made opaque, matted. In this case, colorless glass will remain colorless, but frosted and colored glass will remain colored glass, only matted.
There is no color matted (frosted) glass that exists. This is the same as the saying, "color roughness." What many call color etching (frosting) of glass is actually nothing but staining on a frosted/matted surface.
It often happens that the usual matte image on the glass is not enough, you need to put a color image or inscription on the glass or mirror. Paints on smooth glass do not last long, and some do not cover the glass at all. In this case, the chemical frosting of glass helps. The essence of the method is that before painting the glass the surface is pre-treated with a matting paste or IVSATIN liquid, after which the frosted glass is painted. It is best for this purpose to use spray paints in spray cans, which are commercially available in different color variations.
First degrease the glass or mirror and remove unnecessary elements from the stencil.
Cut the desired size with a glass cutter, grind the edge and transfer the stencil to the mirror.
After sticking the stencil, we carefully press all the edges of the film and heat it with a hairdryer for better adhesion. Then we matte with paste and rinse..
So, after the standard procedure of frosting the glass and thoroughly rinsing and drying it, do not remove the stencil film from the product. Let the glass dry and proceed to colorize your pattern. If you want to make a multi-color drawing; prepare several spray cans of paint in different colors and masking tape. These will seal open areas of glass that are not intended for painting at a certain stage of decoration.
For example, you are going to paint the details of the picture, which are to be black. Therefore, all other parts of the open glass must be sealed with masking tape. When the preparations are finished, shake the can of black paint well and spray on glass. Do not bring the container close to the glass, otherwise you will get puddles. Also, do not cover the glass with too thick of a layer in paint. It will not lead to anything good.
After all the details in the drawing of the same color are painted, the glass should be set aside for drying and do not touch. Only after the first color has completely dried can you start painting other areas. The sequence is exactly the same.
Only after complete drying, remove the stencil. Try not to apply a lot of paint on the stencil film, otherwise, you will form a common film of paint on the glass and on the stencil. And when removing the stencil, you can damage the pattern.
Your product is ready! The drawing applied this way is quite resistant and durable.
Stencil secrets
What you need to know to make high-quality matted glass.
Using paste for etching glass, you can create a truly artistic product, looking at what no one would ever have thought of. Amazingly, all this beauty was created by an ordinary person at home, and not a professional, without the use of nanotechnology and expensive equipment. At the end of the article are photographs of one mirror a little over a meter long. Below in the photo you see a mirror sheet prepared for matting; using glued stencil, as well as photographs of the finished product. It is worth noting that the thickness of the thinnest line (butterfly wing) does not exceed 0.4 mm! To make such an artistic product, first of all, you need to pay maximum attention to the stencil.
What requirements must comply with the stencil for glass etching.
For stencil, ORACAL self-adhesive film is used. The use of other similar films, for example, self-adhesive wallpaper (photo below), is unacceptable! The film for the stencil should be fresh, where it did not lie at the warehouse for six months. This can be determined quite simply: just look at the edge of the self-adhesive film.
If a white substrate is visible from under it, the adhesive layer begins to dry and compress the film. And the substrate remains the same size. As a result, the white substrate becomes visible from under the self-adhesive film.
The wider the white strip of the substrate, the more the self-adhesive film has dried. Thus, the self-adhesive film is old, and the adhesive layer is dry You do not need to take this film for critical stencils with small parts, otherwise the edges of the image will be uneven due to poor adhesion of the film, and small parts of the stencil may fall out during etching and your product will be damaged.
For stencil, ORACAL self-adhesive film is used. The use of other similar films, for example, self-adhesive wallpaper (photo below), is unacceptable! The film for the stencil should be fresh, where it did not lie at the warehouse for six months. This can be determined quite simply: just look at the edge of the self-adhesive film.
If a white substrate is visible from under it, the adhesive layer begins to dry and compress the film. And the substrate remains the same size. As a result, the white substrate becomes visible from under the self-adhesive film.
The wider the white strip of the substrate, the more the self-adhesive film has dried. Thus, the self-adhesive film is old, and the adhesive layer is dry You do not need to take this film for critical stencils with small parts, otherwise the edges of the image will be uneven due to poor adhesion of the film, and small parts of the stencil may fall out during etching and your product will be damaged.
This is an old film with a dried adhesive layer; it is not suitable for stencils!
Beginners should avoid the brusque mistake when preparing the glass for matting; namely when pasting the stencil. If it is necessary to limit the matting area, and this is done using the same ORACAL self-adhesive film. No wetting materials (such as a backing made of self-adhesive material, etc.) can be used to protect exposed areas of glass: as all this can get wet and your product will be sent to landfill. In addition, in no case whatsoever should you overlap individual segments of the film on top of each other, like in the photograph.
Beginners should avoid the brusque mistake when preparing the glass for matting; namely when pasting the stencil. If it is necessary to limit the matting area, and this is done using the same ORACAL self-adhesive film. No wetting materials (such as a backing made of self-adhesive material, etc.) can be used to protect exposed areas of glass: as all this can get wet and your product will be sent to landfill. In addition, in no case whatsoever should you overlap individual segments of the film on top of each other, like in the photograph.
In places where the film overlaps between the glass and the stencil, a void forms, even in tenths of a millimeter, but this distance is enough for the matting paste to penetrate. Knowing this try to prevent the film from overlapping.
As a result of action with vapors falling into the gap at the site of the overlapping film, a frosted glass region forms in an unnecessary place. The photo shows what happens as a result.
The mounting film is used to transfer the prepared stencil to glass. It serves as the carrier in all the individual parts of the stencil that are not connected to each other. Connected to each other as in on the prepared glass; without violating the geometry of the pattern. The quality of image transmission depends on the quality of mounting the film to the stencil. Mounting films are available both on the substrate and without it.
Each person himself determines which mounting film for transferring the stencil is more convenient for him to work with. To transfer a stencil with a very large number of small parts, it is necessary to choose a mounting film with an average degree of adhesion in the adhesive layer. Otherwise, after transferring the cut out stencil to the glass, you risk tearing off all the small details of the stencil (image) along with the assembly film.
Now to the next moment. You should not use a white film, otherwise you simply will not see the missed places that should be covered with paste. The best option is a bright color film.
After applying the stencil, do not rush to etch the glass immediately. Even if you carefully pressed the stencil film, this does not mean that it is well adhered. For good adhesion, it is necessary to withstand glass with glued stencil for 24-48 hours. Then you can be sure that your picture will not be blurred, and the edges will remain clear. This is especially important if you are working with a solution, not with a paste.
Now to the next moment. You should not use a white film, otherwise you simply will not see the missed places that should be covered with paste. The best option is a bright color film.
After applying the stencil, do not rush to etch the glass immediately. Even if you carefully pressed the stencil film, this does not mean that it is well adhered. For good adhesion, it is necessary to withstand glass with glued stencil for 24-48 hours. Then you can be sure that your picture will not be blurred, and the edges will remain clear. This is especially important if you are working with a solution, not with a paste.
There are times when there is no time to wait a day. Order must be made urgently. In this case, the glued stencil can be heated with an ordinary hair dryer for styling hair to a temperature of +50 degrees. After cooling; etch the glass. But this way you can only heat small areas. Large-sized glass is best left to dry for a whole day.
In the photo is a mirror with a glued stencil, which has already been etched with paste and washed.
This is the finished product for a hair salon customer.
Clear glass etching
When matting transparent glass products, it should be remembered that the quality of the matting directly depends on the quality of the glass itself. higher the quality of the glass, the higher the silicon content in it, and the better the final result. Do not try to frost old Chinese window glass, cheap bottles, or stemware. As a rule, they are made of glass of very dubious quality with a chemical composition unsuitable for matting.
If we compare the materials, we can say with confidence that the best material for chemical matting is a mirror. Despite the fact that the outer side of the mirror is always “lead”, precisely on the mirror itself the flaws from poor-quality matting compounds or stains due to a violation of the matting process are less visible.
The second important aspect is for the thorough degreasing of the glass item to be frosted. Do not use solvents, as they leave a thin film on the glass surface that interferes with the flow of the chemical process. For degreasing use detergents for windows based on ammonia.
Now then, you need to frost (etch) one side of the clear glass. When matting with paste, everything is done as usual. First we paste the stencil, apply the paste on the glass, wash off the paste, remove the stencil, and finally, wash the glass with soap.
When matting in a solution you completely immerse the glass, so you need to seal the back of the glass with ORACAL film to protect it from matting.
Particular attention should be paid to the ends of the glass. They also need to be carefully sealed to avoid fluid leakage.
The way to protect the back of the glass is shown in the figure.
Now then, you need to frost (etch) one side of the clear glass. When matting with paste, everything is done as usual. First we paste the stencil, apply the paste on the glass, wash off the paste, remove the stencil, and finally, wash the glass with soap.
When matting in a solution you completely immerse the glass, so you need to seal the back of the glass with ORACAL film to protect it from matting.
Particular attention should be paid to the ends of the glass. They also need to be carefully sealed to avoid fluid leakage.
The way to protect the back of the glass is shown in the figure.
When preparing glass, follow the following procedure: After thoroughly degreasing the surface, the stencil first sticks together. All the edges are pressed tightly; wrinkles and air bubbles are removed. Then the back side of the glass is sealed, after which the glass is sealed from the ends with strips of the same film. Now leave the prepared glass with the stencil pasted for a day alone to achieve maximum adhesion.
Pallet (bath) For frosting direct glass the presence of related equipment is required. The most important equipment is the capacity in which the glass will be etched. It can be any flat pallet with sides 5-15 cm high. Material - any polymer. Only metal and ceramics are not suitable. The bottom can be equipped with a drain hole, but this is not necessary for the convenience of draining IVSATIN liquid back into the tank.
Process. First, pour IVSATIN Matting Liquid into the bath. Keep track of the level. For immersed glass, the liquid level above the glass surface must be at least 1 cm. Then carefully immerse the glass in the solution with the matted side up. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. It is strongly not recommended to touch the matted surface during the process! There will be spots! After matting, the glass is removed from the tray and immediately washed with soap foam, as in all cases described above.
Precautionary measures. During the reaction, a small amount of ammonia is released, so glass etching should be carried out in a ventilated room or with exhaust ventilation. Work should be done with rubber gloves to prevent reagents from entering affected skin areas. Do not drink or eat food while working.
In addition to flat glass and mirrors, IVSATIN can also be used for matting volumetric glass objects. The photo below shows a piece of mirror and an ordinary light bulb in a bath with IVSATIN glass frosting liquid. And then we have our result after 10 minutes of frosting.
In addition to flat glass and mirrors, IVSATIN can also be used for matting volumetric glass objects. The photo below shows a piece of mirror and an ordinary light bulb in a bath with IVSATIN glass frosting liquid. And then we have our result after 10 minutes of frosting.
Matting of volumetric objects with IVSATIN liquid.
Sometimes it is required to matte (etch) a type of curve shaped volumetric object . It can be a vase, a glass, an ashtray or a bottle of champagne; it makes no difference. If you want to etch any commemorative inscription or event date on this topic, then it is quite possible to do this with the help of IVSATIN matting paste. There is nothing complicated. Glue the stencil, press it with a roller, heat it with a hairdryer, seal unprotected areas nearby with tape, apply IVSATIN paste. After 10 minutes; wash the glass with soap and remove the stencil. Finally clean the glass from the remnants of the adhesive layer of the stencil. Your product is ready! Note: the matting process is best done the next day so that the stencil adheres well to the surface of the glass.
However, you can decorate the same subject much more spectacularly. You can matte it completely, and leave the drawing or inscription intact, that is, shiny. This cannot be done with paste because the paste is intended for local use. In this case, IVSATIN glass matting (etching) liquid comes to the rescue. With it, you can deprive a bottle, a vase, or a glass of all its glitter, leaving a glossy picture or a commemorative inscription.
To begin, consider a very important point: do not use products from cheap low-quality glass as a blank for matting (etching). For example, Chinese stemware from the market. They will be poorly matted (etched). Perhaps they are just covered in places with white spots. The result is disappointing with spoiled materials. You should also not use bottles from cheap alcoholic drinks in matting. Remember, the more expensive the contents of the bottle, the more expensive and better its packaging, that is, the glass from which the bottle is made.
So, for work you will need:
After degreasing the surface, we proceed to transfer the stencil. How to do this is described in the "secrets of the stencil".
We roll the stencil with a roller, press the edges with any piece of rubber, and leave it for 24-48 hours to dry the adhesive layer. Remember: after transferring the stencil to glass, it is necessary to withstand the workpiece, otherwise, due to poor adhesion, the film of the stencil will peel off from the glass due to the matting solution. And your product will be damaged. To prevent this from happening, it is better not to rush. For reliability, the glued stencil can be heated with a household hairdryer to 50 ° C.
- • stencil carved from a plotter on a self-adhesive film ORACAL
- • special mounting film for transferring the stencil to the workpiece
- • the workpiece to be matted (etched)
- • plastic container slightly higher than the product, and wider by a couple of centimeters
- • matting fluid IVSATIN etching glass
After degreasing the surface, we proceed to transfer the stencil. How to do this is described in the "secrets of the stencil".
We roll the stencil with a roller, press the edges with any piece of rubber, and leave it for 24-48 hours to dry the adhesive layer. Remember: after transferring the stencil to glass, it is necessary to withstand the workpiece, otherwise, due to poor adhesion, the film of the stencil will peel off from the glass due to the matting solution. And your product will be damaged. To prevent this from happening, it is better not to rush. For reliability, the glued stencil can be heated with a household hairdryer to 50 ° C.
Fluid level calculation
So, your product is ready for matting. Before filling the working tank with IVSATIN matting fluid, you must first determine the level at which the matting liquid will be poured. Because when the object is immersed, the level will rise and the solution may splash over the edge, or you will matte places that, for example, you didn’t want to matte. To prevent this from happening; first pour plain water into the tank, immerse the workpiece, and experimentally determine what level the liquid will rise to when immersing an object for frosting. If necessary, adjust this level by adding or removing part of the water to the desired height.
Once you have determined the level to which you want to matte (etch) your product is found. Mark it with a marker on the wall of the container in which you will matte the product. Pour IVSATIN matting liquid up to the line that you marked. Now you will be sure that when a part is immersed in a solution, its level will not rise above the point to which you need to matte your product.
So, your product is ready for matting. Before filling the working tank with IVSATIN matting fluid, you must first determine the level at which the matting liquid will be poured. Because when the object is immersed, the level will rise and the solution may splash over the edge, or you will matte places that, for example, you didn’t want to matte. To prevent this from happening; first pour plain water into the tank, immerse the workpiece, and experimentally determine what level the liquid will rise to when immersing an object for frosting. If necessary, adjust this level by adding or removing part of the water to the desired height.
Once you have determined the level to which you want to matte (etch) your product is found. Mark it with a marker on the wall of the container in which you will matte the product. Pour IVSATIN matting liquid up to the line that you marked. Now you will be sure that when a part is immersed in a solution, its level will not rise above the point to which you need to matte your product.
Matting process
The moment of matting itself is the final phase of the entire process in processing the subject as a whole. It is not more than 15% of the total work on matting. The remaining 85% falls on preparatory work and on the quality of which the final result depends.
So, the product is neatly placed in a solution poured to the desired level. Immersing an object in a liquid should be quick, without stopping (but neatly) without creating strong fluctuations in the solution.
Important! After placing an object in the liquid, by no circumstance touch it with your hands until the matting process is complete.
The moment of matting itself is the final phase of the entire process in processing the subject as a whole. It is not more than 15% of the total work on matting. The remaining 85% falls on preparatory work and on the quality of which the final result depends.
So, the product is neatly placed in a solution poured to the desired level. Immersing an object in a liquid should be quick, without stopping (but neatly) without creating strong fluctuations in the solution.
Important! After placing an object in the liquid, by no circumstance touch it with your hands until the matting process is complete.
Flushing
After 8-10 minutes, carefully remove the item and wash it with running water and soap. If necessary (if you are unsatisfied with the result), the matting process can be repeated by immersing the object (after a wash) back into the solution for another 5-8 minutes. This will help obtain a more uniform matting (unless, of course, you damaged the stencil on the glass when washing). Rinse the item (!) In the most thorough way. Unwashed salts after being dried can get the appearance of white spots, which are very difficult to remove.
When matting glass with IVSATIN liquid, 90% of your success depends both on the glass itself and on the quality of preliminary washing of the surface workpiece. If the glass is poorly degreased, or has a very heterogeneous composition on the surface (areas with different silicon densities), then the glass will be matted with spots. Where there is more silicon, the etching process goes faster and respectively these places will be whiter.
Follow all these recommendations, and you will succeed in the best possible way!
After 8-10 minutes, carefully remove the item and wash it with running water and soap. If necessary (if you are unsatisfied with the result), the matting process can be repeated by immersing the object (after a wash) back into the solution for another 5-8 minutes. This will help obtain a more uniform matting (unless, of course, you damaged the stencil on the glass when washing). Rinse the item (!) In the most thorough way. Unwashed salts after being dried can get the appearance of white spots, which are very difficult to remove.
When matting glass with IVSATIN liquid, 90% of your success depends both on the glass itself and on the quality of preliminary washing of the surface workpiece. If the glass is poorly degreased, or has a very heterogeneous composition on the surface (areas with different silicon densities), then the glass will be matted with spots. Where there is more silicon, the etching process goes faster and respectively these places will be whiter.
Follow all these recommendations, and you will succeed in the best possible way!
