ALL SKATEBOARD DECKS NORTH AMERICA MADE!
Deck-Printing Options
PROFESSIONAL CUSTOM SKATEBOARD PRINTING ONLY
INK CHEMICALLY BONDED TO WOOD IS THE ONLY WAY WE PRINT A SKATEBOARD DECK. NEVER A STICKER, DECAL, VINYL, WRAP, OR SOME WEIRD PLASTIC LAMINATE
HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING
HEAT TRANSFER PRINTING
This is the industry standard printing process. Full bottom, full color printing is achieved by transfer printing. A custom skateboard heat transfer is a form of screen printing. Each transfer carrier sheet is printed reverse order with screen printing ink and/or digital ink. To apply the transfer graphic the printed transfer sheet is aligned to the deck and run through a heated silicone rubber roller machine that heats the specially formulated ink.
DIRECT SCREEN PRINT-
This process involves direct screen printing to the bottom of a custom skateboard deck. The print area and size are limited because of the curved surface of the deck. Smudging and registration problems can also occur. Direct screen printing can be an economical alternative to transfer printing for companies that are looking for a lower cost and small ‘mini logo’ type print. 14″x7.5″ maximum print size between the truck holes. We recommend this type of printing for smaller, less detailed one or two color graphics or top prints.
DIRECT SCREEN PRINTING
DIRECT SCREEN EXAMPLE
Actual picture below. Small 1 or 2 color print usually for top prints or mini/small logo/graphic prints. This type of print works well with our stocked background colors when trying to have a variety of colors in a smaller production order.
SCREEN PRINTED TRANSFER-
For a spot color transfer a screen is made with a stencil for each color in the graphic. Each color is screen printed to the carrier sheet in reverse order. Four color process/CMYK are printed in a similar fashion with a screen made for each of the C,M,Y,K, and white ink colors that come together to form the graphic. The inks are highly specialized and contain compounds to chemically bond with the lacquer that seals the skateboard deck. Choose this method if your graphic is full board and 1-2 colors but not too fine of detail. Sometimes if you are doing 100s of the same graphic this might also be a more economical choice with more than 2 colors.
SCREEN PRINTED TRANSFER EXAMPLE
Actual picture below. Works best for 1-2 solid full length print colors & not too much detail, more colors than 2 then digital transfers are usually more cost effective
DIGITAL PRINTED TRANSFER-
The highest level of detail is achieved using this method. In this process the graphic is digitally printed to a carrier sheet with proprietary techniques and materials. This is a big advantage for graphics that have a large amount of colors and/or really fine detail as it doesn’t require the screens (set-up fees) to produce the graphic although some screen printing is used to make the transfer. Specialized coatings are used to bind the ink to the skateboard deck. The final print adheres as good as a screen printed skateboard deck graphic. Single sample custom printed skateboard decks are available using this method. Choose this method if you are trying to print detailed or photographic prints. Most artwork is best reproduced using this method.
DIGITAL PRINTED EXAMPLE
The pic doesn’t do it justice. Much better in person. Full board full color. Super detailed image reproduction. Spot color, gradient, and flesh tone reproduction excellent as well. Other pics of a digital transfer print.
WHAT PRINT METHOD TO USE?
The artwork will determine the best method to use for printing custom skateboard decks. Below is an infographic of what method works best depending on the artwork.
Why no full board direct screen print option?
Art has to be built with large amounts of possible color shifting taken into consideration. Fine detail like photographic printing is not possible. The print adhesion of transfers is the same as direct screen and the cost for a full direct screen print is more than 3x as much. We don’t see a reason for less quality printing that costs more*. Please know that other companies may say ‘screen printed’ when referring to the printing of the transfers and that does not mean ‘direct to deck screen printing’.
*There are some exceptions to this rule like a completely flat longboard deck or printing the veneer pre-pressing. Some just like the nostalgia, more power to you if disagree.
We do not sell transfers apart from a custom printed deck. We do not print on skateboard products that we did not produce.
DIGITAL COLOR CONTROL
We have a regular schedule of controlling colors and testing for color inconsistency. You may think that you ‘set it and forget it!’ when you have dialed in a digital process for printing but the truth is there is constant change, continuous improvement, and hard work to keep colors looking and matching great
Below is one of our control images to test color reproduction. Click for in-depth info on color matching and how to do it
We offer the below printed deck as a SAMPLE you can order. You can use this physical deck to match colors in your artwork by referencing the print file versus the actual deck graphic. The process works this way: 1. Open the reference file in Photoshop and use the eyedropper tool to determine various CMYK values in the graphic. 2. Look at the same color on the printed deck and that’s how that color will look. File links and in-depth explanation here: COMING SOON.
RECENT QUESTIONS
Below is one of our control images to test color reproduction. Click for in-depth info on color matching and how to do it
We offer the below printed deck as a SAMPLE you can order. You can use this physical deck to match colors in your artwork by referencing the print file versus the actual deck graphic. The process works this way: 1. Open the reference file in Photoshop and use the eyedropper tool to determine various CMYK values in the graphic. 2. Look at the same color on the printed deck and that’s how that color will look. File links and in-depth explanation here: COMING SOON
Hello, I just wanted to find out which is the most commonly used print technique on skateboards, is it a screen printed transfer or digital bottom print? like what technique do all the big skate brands use?
The answer as with most things is ‘It depends’. All big brands don’t use the same print type. What determines the best print type are a few different things: First ‘What print type can reproduce the artwork the best’? fine detail with shading, fading, and many colors=digital transfer, solid blocks of color, metallic spots and exact Pantone matching= screened transfer. Second ‘What makes the most financial sense?’ The unit cost per digital transfer is higher but there are no set-up fees vs lower unit cost of screened transfers with screen set-up fees. You’d have to do the math and know the total units to see which cost averages out to the lowest cost. Then you can have weird combos that don’t fit into the above like a graphic I was just looking at that has 2 screened spot colors and digital in the same graphic… It really ‘depends’….
I've got a graphic where I have a really detailed picture, metallic gold, some solid color text, and I want a section where the wood shows through. Can you guys do that?
We have done that before. We’d have to see the art to know for sure. There are definitely some requirements and limitations. This type of print usually requires combining different print methods so expect bigger minimums and additional costs..
Can you show me pictures of product that you have made for different companies?
Most of our customers want their supply chain to be secret and we think it is pretty tacky to show pictures of our customer’s product(we occasionally do it but it’s very rare). To have confidence in Point as a supplier we suggest ordering samples so you can know for sure!
How do I know that my printing will look good?
First off our reps review art for obvious issues like low resolution artwork. We’ll let you know if we see an issue. We also provide a digital proof/confirmation(on the wholesale/OEM side) for your approval before accepting an order. If you are really concerned we suggest that you order a sample before doing a production run.
I want to buy skateboard printing equipment from you. How much for a digital printing machine?
Printing a skateboard is much more in-depth than just a digital printing machine. We actually have to use 5 machines to print a skateboard using our digital transfer method. Most of these machines are custom made to our specifications. We also developed the materials and inks specifically for this application. It took years of hard work and huge expense to get to where we are today(we are still improving our processes everyday). We are more than happy to make finished printed skateboard decks for you but we do not sell these machines, materials, or just the transfers.
I want to send you 100 decks to print on. How much for a full color bottom print?
Sorry we do not print on outside product or supply skateboard printing equipment, transfers, or supplies. We only print on the products we produce.
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