Phone customisation is a great way to make profits with Roland equipment, but some people find that phone cases are too bulky, and they take up too much pocket-space. Sure, a hard case can give your phone some extra protection, but there’s something to be said for living on the edge!
Still, just because you like to live dangerously doesn’t mean your phone can’t have a bit of personality. In preparation for the Sign and Digital UK 2019 exhibition, our Academy Manager, Joe Wigzell, has been working on a host of interesting new applications to show off what our devices are capable of. These funky new domed phone stickers are just one of the great things he has created.
“Some phone cases can be pretty cool, but they’re not really for me.” Says Joe. “These stickers are great because they don’t add a lot of bulk to the phone itself. The other great thing is that the domed finish gives the phone a little extra grip – and you know how slippery these new phones can be!”
How to make a domed phone sticker
1. First, you need to print your image onto self-adhesive vinyl (we used monomeric SAV for this one, but any SAV should work). These were printed on our new TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutter and as you can see, the new TR2 ink and the addition of an orange ink channel really makes the colours pop out.
Once the design is printed and cut, weed off the excess and then you’re ready to start doming using doming resin and a small blowtorch.
2. Make sure you’re working on a flat, clean surface in a dust-free environment. Using the applicator, carefully squeeze the doming resin onto the surface of the printed sticker covering it in an even layer. It should spread out and stop at the edges due to the surface tension of the resin (or as we like to call it, ‘magic’!).
3. After a few minutes, check the resin for air bubbles. To remove them, take your blow torch and apply a small amount of heat, waving the blowtorch at a distance of roughly 5-10 cm for a few seconds.
4. You’ll need to keep your domed stickers covered and protected from dust as the resin cures. The doming resin will be touch-dry in 2-6 hours, but it will still need a good 24 hours or so to cure completely before it’s applied to the phone.
And there you have it – with a small investment in equipment and time, you can turn a normal, everyday sticker into something with added value. It doesn’t have to be a phone sticker either – domed stickers look great as packaging labels or as a high-value giveaway item too.