Nap's Reverse Engraving Solution ~ Advanced Printing Techniques

Posted by Kelly Brewster on December 30, 2019

Reverse engraving refers to the process of engraving the "underside" of a substrate – allowing the top or finished side of the substrate to remain smooth. In most cases, acrylic paint is used to fill in the engraved portion of the substrate. This is called back painting or color filling of the characters. Back painting can be a timely messy process.

NapTags offers reverse (or subsurface) printing to clear plastic, our reverse engraved back painting solution!!

We produce high quality reversed printed tags that add value to your brand. All our Tags are made in the USA!

Nap's uses the highest quality UV inks to print your logo, image or text on the second surface of our clear plastic. Our UV printing process combined with unlimited color choices, including four color process, standard and PMS colors, create more detailed logos and designs.

NapTags reversed printed tags - Durable and tamper resistant tags

There are two basic ways to reverse (subsurface) print:

Flood White Set Up: The design does not have any clear or see through areas in the design, so the whole surface is flooded with white over the initial colors. Used for full color backgrounds.
Spot White Set Up: The design has transparent areas within the design. The white will only be spot printed behind the image in the areas of color.

The printing of the White in both instances makes your colored areas stand out more, without the white print you would end up with washed out graphics and text.

When you look at surface of your finished product, it looks as if the printing is inside the material.

Advantages to Reverse Printing:

Durable Product
Excellent, Crisp Lettering and Graphics
UV cured quality inks which are environmentally friendly
Tamper Resistant
Scratch Proof
Easy to wash
Harsh Environment Protection
Fully protects graphics from abrasions
Protects from various oils, greases, and solvents
No need to paint fill, reduces production time for faster delivery
Color Matching
Ability to print full color, more color options
No Drying Time for Production

Reverse Printed Tags are great for durable applications and for customers requiring longevity in their tags. These tags may be exposed to moisture, chemicals, and abrasion. Nap's reverse printing protects against all of the above once the durable tag is installed. The printing is between the durable plastic and the equipment's surface thus protecting the graphic, while eliminating the need for any laminate.

Reverse (subsurface) Printing is great for:

Interior Signs
Nameplates
Control Panel Tags
Control System Tags
Safety Tags
Equipment Tags
Safety Tags
Warning Labels
Valve Tags
Serial Number Tags
Industrial Equipment Tags
Long Term Tags and Labels
Machinery Tags
and tons more!

Order NapTags reverse printed tags here!

We have a handful of stock sizes available online, which are rectangle is shape. Each size Reverse Printed Tag has options for your custom text, or logo, as well as hole size choices.

More sizes and shapes will follow, plus we are able to do custom shapes and sizes to fit your exact needs.

Check out our video on some other Reverse Printed Tags we produced!