The Incredible Versatility of Decorative Coatings

When it comes to meeting the increasing demands of today’s consumer, visual impact plays an undeniable role.  It can define the character of a product or place and in many cases, significantly increase perceived value.

Based in Poole, Wicked Coatings has carved itself a niche in the custom coatings industry – helping manufacturers and designers to transform ordinary substrates such as wood, metal and plastic, into unique and eye catching items.

Operating in a 19,000 square foot facility, we have worked with a huge cross section of clients in a number of sectors including marine, medical, automotive, interior design, aerospace and more.  This professional outfit has a combined 30 years’ experience in the specialist coatings sector but is perhaps best known for expertise in a process called water transfer printing – also known as Hydrographics or dipping.

This decorative coatings technique involves applying incredibly realistic patterns such as wood grain, stone, carbon fibre or metal onto virtually any 3D substrate.  In a nutshell – the graphic is positioned on the surface of a tank of water and then sprayed with an activator to allow it to partially dissolve. Following professional preparation, the object to be customised is then expertly submerged into the water, allowing it to pass through the pattern and take on its new appearance!

For those wishing to save money in the manufacturing process, water transfer printing is the perfect way to achieve a durable yet expensive looking finish at an economical price. Clients in the marine and aerospace sector are particularly motivated by the considerable weight savings made by replicating a metal or stone finish on a fibre glass component.

Customers can either select their desired effect from a massive range of hydrographic films or work closely with Wicked Coatings to design a completely bespoke pattern which can then be manufactured for mass production application.

In the leisure sector, exciting progress has been made in the area of camouflage customisation – with particular demand for the highly sought after camo water transfer patterns by Realtree.  Wicked Coatings has been appointed as the leading licenced applicator and supplier of Realtree water transfer films and will work closely with manufacturers to advise on large scale production.

Setting water transfer printing aside, the decorative coatings industry is constantly evolving with new and innovative techniques.  The opportunity to experiment not only with colour but also a variety of incredible finishes and textures is something that Wicked Coatings has heralded a “game changer” – especially in the interior design sector.

The fascinating product range from Metalier Coatings is a fine example of what can now be achieved with decorative metal coatings.  Metalier will transform the look and feel of virtually any substrate using a variety of metal finishes such as copper, bronze, alumimum or iron.

Coatings can then be patinated, polished and waxed to fast forward the ageing process – creating rust on laminated wood or a weathered aluminium finish on plaster. From executive jet interiors to one off pieces of furniture, Metalier Coatings will allow designers and specifiers to explore a huge range of options as they strive to achieve aesthetic perfection at achievable cost.

We are firm believers in the  incredible versatility of this product range and Director Chris Hinks has commented:

“ This is a quick, durable and cost effective process that can greatly increase the perceived value of any project as well as significant weight savings when bronze can be substituted for MDF.”

So there you have it. The decorative coatings industry is a thriving hotbed of possibility for those with a surface finishing requirement – from large scale manufacturers to independent designers.  For high quality results it is always advisable to select a professional company known to be at the top of its game. When it comes to custom coatings for industry – Wicked Coatings is the name that should always come to mind.