Why UV light?
Ikonart is a product sensitive to UV light. If you sprayed an unexposed IkonArt film with water, the blue emulsion would be washed away completely. As soon as Ikonart reacts with UV light, the blue emulsion hardens and is no longer water-soluble. We make use of this effect for the simple creation of Ikonart stencils. If you only cover individual areas of the Ikonart film with a motif printed in black, the black color of the motif prevents the areas below the Ikonart film from being cured by UV light. These areas under the motif can be rinsed out with water afterwards. At the same time, all other areas are cured by UV light and are therefore no longer water-soluble. This creates an ingenious stencil effect with the finest details and lines, without the laborious cutting, plotting or weeding.
What motifs and designs can I use?
To create your Ikonart stencils, you need black motifs on a transparent carrier film. Each black surface of your motif subsequently becomes a color-permeable surface in the stencil and can be designed with your desired color. Ikonart offers maximum flexibility, since almost any design can be implemented with Ikonart, regardless of how fine and detailed it is. Create your own designs in the graphics program of your choice or use an infinite selection of vector and clipart / pixel graphics online. It is important that these either already consist of purely black areas or alternatively that you convert them to black and white.
What are vector graphics?
Ideally you use vector graphics. Alternatively, you can also use high-resolution clipart / pixel graphics in black and white. You can also find beautiful motifs online on free and paid stock pages. Vector graphics consist of sharp lines, unlike pixel graphics which consist of coarse pixels. You can adjust and enlarge vector graphics as desired with a graphics program without affecting the quality. The sharp and clear edges and lines of a vector graphic also cause the Ikonart stencil to reflect the same high quality of your motif. Vector graphics usually have the following file extensions: .ai .svg .eps .cdr .pdf.
Why should I mirror the motif?
If it’s necessary that a motif is correctly applied to your desired object, e.g. for text or logos, you should mirror the motif before printing. If you are printing with an inkjet printer, this step is optional, you can also simply turn the film over during exposure. However, we recommend that you always mirror before printing, especially with very detailed motifs. When using laser foils and laser printers, mirroring the motif is important. This ensures that the print side of the laser foil lies directly on the Ikonart film.
What printer settings do I use?
Select the highest print quality in the printer configurations on your printer as well as black printing and paper type "Glossy". This gives you prints with high opacity and UV opacity. The black areas of the printout must be able to block UV light. A simple test: hold your printout in front of a sunny window or a lamp. If you can see the light through the black areas of your expression, it’s not dense enough.
What colors can I use?
Water-based paints are recommended for use with Ikonart. We have already successfully tested acrylic paints, blackboard paints, glass paints, screen printing inks, stone font inks and many more. We have also successfully used etching paste ("Etchall") with Ikonart. There are colors and brands that tend to run under the stencil and affect the motif. Test different brands to achieve your desired effect. Oil colors are not suitable. Colors are not included in the IkonArt StarterKit. For color recommendations, please contact us or a specialist dealer of your choice. All information is without guarantee and pure recommendations. Be sure to note the application and safety information provided by the paint manufacturer.
What should I consider when using the UV exposure unit?
The LED UV exposure unit included in the Ikonart starter kit is identical to common black light lamps used for home decoration, party lighting or aquariums. Please follow the instructions for using and maintaining the lamp. Make sure that the lamp and the cable are not damaged before you use them. Minimum age for use is 12 years. Avoid looking directly into the light source for a longer period of time. The use of the lamp is not suitable for people who are sensitive to UV light. The exposure process can be started / stopped by plugging the plug in and out. We recommend using a power strip with a switch. The lamp has a lifespan of over 50,000 hours.
Simply download the
Ikonart application guide as a PDF here.
