Professional Hydrographics and Dipping

Hydrographics is an incredible type of customisation that can literally transform the look of a huge number of objects and parts. The simple rule is – if it can be safely submerged in water then it can be dipped!

  • Interior & exterior automotive parts
  • Fuel tanks, alloys, exhausts, rocker covers
  • Guns & rifles
  • Games consoles & keyboards
  • Helmets & sporting equipment
  • Marine trim
  • Household items and furniture

An important thing to remember about Hydrographics or hydro dipping, is that the end result is nearly always a reflection on the skill of the dipper. If it is rushed at any stage, especially at the point of preparation, then the final look will not be perfect. By choosing an expert to professionally hydro dip your parts, you are ensuring a flawless finish.

There are many awesome benefits to Hydrographics such as….

  • Amazing patterned film effects
  • Durable and realistic designs
  • Quick turnaround times
  • Cost effective

SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK? LET’S LOOK AT THE PROCESS…

STEP ONE:  The chosen substrate (this basically just refers to the part to be dipped and can be almost anything such as wood, plastic, fibre glass or metal etc..) is thoroughly cleaned and prepared to ensure an optimum surface for dipping.

STEP TWO:  It is then pre-treated and a base layer of colour is applied.

STEP THREE:  At this point the chosen film pattern (this can be carbon fibre, wood, stone, animal print, camouflage etc..) is floated on top of a tank of water and an activator chemical is sprayed onto it. This activator basically dissolves the film into liquid form which can then bond to the object.

STEP FOUR:  The substrate is now carefully lowered into the tank and through the actual film which has been dissolved into the water. The inky film layer will be drawn towards the substrate and effectively wrap itself around it – bonding to the object and completely covering it.

STEP FIVE: Finally, a top coat is applied to protect the new design.

WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER NEED TO DO?

We will take care of the entire Hydrographics process but just a few things are needed from you before we begin.

The fun part is choosing which film you would like us to apply!

There is literally an endless choice of Hydrographic patterns to choose from but some of our most popular ones include camouflage, stone, wood, carbon fibre and animal print. Check out our hydro films here.

You will then need to choose your base colour and your finish – this can be gloss, satin or matt. Having dismantled the part(s) that you wish to have dipped it is really important that you give them a good old clean to remove any thick grease or dirt. If time is short, we are happy to do this for you but it will incur an extra cost.

Finally, just send us the part or you can bring it in to our factory yourself if you live in easy distance of our factory in Poole. If you have any questions just pick up the phone and call us on 01202 622258 or contact us here.

Carbon fibre is one of the most popular hydrographic effects that we produce.

Carbon dipped parts will add a seriously expensive finish to any interior or exterior at minimum cost when compared to the real thing.  The process is exactly the same as with other films – just choose your carbon fibre effect and we will get to work. Considering the price of carbon fibre was £200/kg when it was first produced in the late sixties, the opportunity to reproduce the look of this extremely expensive, lightweight super strength material is very appealing!

This kind of dip looks especially good on automotive parts such as alloys and interior trim but can be used to customise a huge range of items.

  • Carbon dipped F Type jaguar Coupe

  • Bournemouth kawasaki Race Team custom painted and carbon dipped

  • Carbon dipped BMW steering trim

  • Carbon dipped centre console

  • carbon dipped streetfighter headlight unit by the Hydrographics team at Wicked coatings

  • Carbon dipped stereo surround

  • Carbon fibre dip for steering column

  • Carbon fibre dipped control panel for helicopter

  • Carbon dipped parts on a Triumph Street Triple

  • Carbon dipping never looked better!

  • Carbon dipped VW T5 badge

  • Aston Martin carbon dipped mirror

  • carbon dipped audi badge

  • Nissan 300zx interior parts carbon dipping

 

One of the best loved things about Hydrographics is that it can reproduce traditionally super expensive finishes at a fraction of the price.  Our wood and stone patterns are a great way to customise household items as well as making substantial weight savings!

Our wood grain patterns are very popular and often used for custom dashboards and interior trim in cars and boats. Wood hydro dipping is also a great method for motor enthusiasts wishing to reproduce a vintage look and feel to their interior.

We do a lot of animal skin effect hydro dipping for computers, keyboards and games consoles. The result is pretty awesome – take a look at a few examples of our work below:

  • Just one of the many types of animal skin dip effect available

  • Wood effect interior console

  • Awesome wood effect dip finish

  • Burr walnut effect centre console

  • Wood effect hydrographics creates a very expensive looking finish

  • Snakeskin effect hydrographics for light switch panel

  • Wood grain hydrographics can add an expensive looking finish and character

  • More wood grain hydrographics for interior

  • Snakeskin pattern for wing mirror

Can I dip wood?

Yes – absolutely!

What are your hydrographics prices like?

This really depends on the part to be dipped and the finish that you are after. Call us on 01202 622258 to get a rough price or contact us here. We are extremely competitive in the market place and it’s important to remember that we only use the highest quality hydro films.

What hydro dipping prints do you do?

We can do anything from carbon fibre to stone, wood grain, animal skin and much more. Take a look at our hydro films here. We can even source custom patterns for you.

Can you do a carbon fiber interior trim?

Of course – we have great experience with carbon dipping especially for interior trim. Just call us on 1202 622258 to get an approximate cost or contact us online with your brief.

What about a carbon fiber dashboard?

Again, no problem at all. Carbon dashboards look incredible so just get in touch for a quote.

What other services do you offer?

As well as expert Hydrographics we also offer bespoke custom painting, an online shop and an industrial coatings division

Based in Poole, Wicked Coatings is a team of passionate and highly experienced customisation experts, operating in a state of the art 19,000 square foot facility. If you want a professional job at a great price then pick up the phone and call us on 01202 622258. We will be happy to talk you though cost, timescales and answer any question you may have about Hydrographics or any of our other services such as custom painting.

Hydrographics is more commonly referred to as hydro dipping or water transfer printing and is a technology that has been around for many years. However, it has only recently become more widely available to the public via bespoke companies such as Wicked Coatings.

Our range of hydrographics designs range  from the  popular carbon fibre and camo designs, right through to the more detailed skull patterns,  stone, woods and various illusion effects. In fact, you can replicate almost anything with hydrographics printing. If you would like to see some examples of our designs, please click here to go through to the gallery.

Our facilities boast an impressive 10,000 square foot unit containing three unique sprays booths which also double up as ovens and are large enough to facilitate sizable items up to 8m x 3m. Our overhead cranes make light work of awkward objects enabling us to cope with almost any object when it comes to 3d hydrographics and cubic printing.

 

We can also arrange a bespoke service for those customers who have their own designs in mind. Why not get in touch with us to discuss your options on 01202 622258 or see what the next step is now.