When searching for decorative surfacing solutions, you may start to hear a lot of unfamiliar terms. At ATI, we know how important it is for you to understand these terms to become better educated on products you’re interested in using for your project. Below are a few categories with useful terms to review.
Wall Panels
Available in both 4' x 8' and 4' x 10' tiles, MirroFlex Structures deeply textured wall panels are designed with an overlap (see BIO) or Bead + Button system to make installation easy, fast, and forgiving.
Glue-Up Ceiling Tiles
Available in both 2' x 2' and 2' x 4' tiles, they are designed with an overlap system (see BIO) to make installation easy, fast, and forgiving. Glue-Up tiles can be used on ceilings and walls.
Lay-In Ceiling Tiles
Available in both 2' x 2' and 2' x 4' sizes, Lay-In ceiling tiles are designed to lay inside 15/16" grid systems. Some 2' x 2' and 2' x 4' sizes might produce sag and require a small amount of panel adhesive in the center to adhere to an existing mineral fiber tile.
DIY Backsplash Panels
Looking for the perfect DIY (Do-It-Yourself) product? MirroFlex Backsplash 18" x 24" panels are primarily for residential applications, such as: backsplashes, wall and ceiling accents. The 18" x 24" size is easy to handle and produces less waste in backsplash applications.
Wainscoting
MirroFlex Wainscoting is available in 30" x 48" or 32" x 48" panels, depending on the design. Wainscoting utilizes BIO for simple installation. Also suitable for full wall and ceiling installations.
BIO (Built-In-Overlap)
Certain MirroFlex patterns that do not have a BIO may have a Bead + Button feature. By orienting all sheets in the same direction and overlapping the panels, the seams are less noticeable. To install, overlap two or more sheets or tiles on the Bead + Button perimeter which will join at the pre-determined connection points.
Bead + Button
Certain MirroFlex patterns that do not have a BIO may have a Bead + Button feature. By orienting all sheets in the same direction and overlapping the panels, the seams are less noticeable. To install, overlap two or more sheets or tiles on the Bead + Button perimeter which will join at the pre-determined connection points.
Tegular / Revealed Edges
The embossed part of the MirroFlex Ceiling Tile design is lower than the suspension grid and the 4 edges are flat to fit nicely into the grid - creating unique architectural dimension. Tegular tiles are designed to fit most 15/16" and 9/16" 2' x 2' grid systems, and can be found in our Lay-In ceiling tiles.
This is a sample text. You can click on it to edit it inline or open the element options to access additional options for this element.
When entering the digital printing world, you may start to hear a lot of unfamiliar terms. At ATI, we know how important it is for you to understand these terms to become better educated on the products and techniques when requesting a Fusion digitally printed product. Below are useful terms to review.
1st Surface
This is the front of a substrate. For digital prints on opaque substrates, this will be the only surface printed on.
2nd Surface
This is the back of the substrate. This is not typically printed on unless the material is clear like glass, acrylic, or clear PVC. 2nd surface printing allows for a three-dimensional look and feel while protecting the image under the substrate.
Bleed
The bleed is a small space around the actual printed area. This space allows for a little ‘wiggle’ room in the printing process so the image does not miss the substrate during printing.
CMYK + White
Our digital printer uses CMYK + W for colors. These are the initials for “Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White”.
DPI(Dots Per Inch)
DPI is a measure of printer output resolution; the higher the DPI, the finer the image will be.
Large Format
This term refers to anything that has to be printed using a specialty printer commonly larger than 16 x 20 inches. Large format prints are meant to be viewed farther than an arm length away and because of this they may look pixelated up close. At a distance, however, these prints are sharp and readable.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
Stands for ‘pixels per inch’. PPI is used to measure picture resolution.
RGB
The Red-Green-Blue color space. Typically used in monitors and digital cameras, colors are described in as 0-256 steps of each of the three colors, describing 16.7 million colors.
UV Ink
These inks are cured by UV light as it goes through the printer. This means that the image is dry when it is finished printing and no heat or air drying is necessary. In addition, because UV inks do not dry or cure until they are run through a UV light, it creates less waste in materials, labor, and energy. This also allows for the ink to be exposed to sunlight and used in outdoor settings.
White Ink
This is important in the printing world because not all printers have white ink. Historically, the substrate would provide the white or the white used required multiple passes and long drying times to get the desired results. But with digital printing capabilities, there is a variety of substrates and colors that are printed on, requiring the use of a white ink to do the job. This is particularly useful when printing full color designs to non-white substrates. This allows for a variety of printing options, especially when it comes to a diverse range of materials. Here are a few terms associated with white ink—
Overflood
This term is used when referring to printing on the 2nd surface (or back) of a substrate. The image is printed first, then the white on top of the color image which allows the design to stand out and become some opaque. This can also be called “backed” *Used mostly with clear substrates where a 1st and 2nd surface are printed to create a three-dimensional look.
Underflood
This term refers to printing a layer of white on the 1st surface, then the image on top. If the substrate is a darker color like some metals or woods, this will provide a more vibrant look.
Spot White
This is one of the unique capabilities of digital printing. Artists are able to select the white to print only under a portion of the image to highlight or create opacity while allowing the negative space to be the substrate.
Aluminum Collection
All finishes are available in flat sheets or with embossed designs added. Most finishes are lacquered for chemical and scratch resistance. The polished finishes are anodized.
Copper Collection
Copper laminates, with selected popular embossed designs, are available from stock. Each 4’ x 8’ sheet is lacquered and comes with clear protective film for ease in processing.
Real Stainless Steel Collection
Our Stainless Steel collection is made of real stainless steel and retains all the properties of the original metal. It is constructed with an ultra-thin layer of stainless steel with standard HPL backing and allows regular woodworking tools to be used in fabrication. We have several styles to choose from in stock.
Unique Art Collection
he Unique Art series is breaking new ground with stylish interior designs. These unique, work-of-art laminates feature rich colors and metals.
Natural finishing processes make it possible for international artists to decorate these copper panels with a fine layer of delicate ornamental touches and dynamic shapes. They are hand painted by artists using techniques that allow for repeatability; however, it should be noted that slight differences will be seen from sheet to sheet.
The Result: the fulfillment of individual ideas, with each motif in the series a unique work in itself.