Aluminium Composite Board

Additional Information

• Features

  • Durable aluminium composite, more hard wearing and long lasting than other materials
  • Available with pre-drilled holes upon request
  • Custom shape cutting available
  • Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
  • Board can be laminated to improve durability - various finishes available
  • Printed with UV cured inks to resist fading for 3+ years

• Details

  Aluminium composite offers a much more durable and stronger alternative to Correx® and Foamex. Lightweight and rigid, this material consists of a flexible polyethylene core covered with a thin aluminium sheet on each side, and offers a high quality printed finish. Perfect for professional looking long lasting signage, tough enough to withstand even the toughest weather conditions.

  We can supply aluminium composite with a variety of fixing options, including drill holes, stand off wall mounts and rivetted channels to the reverse for fitting. This makes aluminium composite incredibly versatile and ideal for numerous signage applications, and sure to stand out.

• Material Specifications

  Attribute	Description
  Product Name	Etec ACM 2D Matte/Matte .20 Ski
  Finish	Matte
  Thickness	3mm
  Recyclable	No
  Print	UV Digital flatbed

• FAQs

  What is aluminium composite?

  Aluminium composite is made up of two thin sheets of aluminium with a foam composite centre. Hard wearing and durable, ideal for long lasting signage.

  What sizes does aluminium composite come in?

  We stock aluminium composite in 2438 x 1219mm (8ft x 4ft) sheets and 3000 x 1550mm (aprox 10ft x 5ft) sheets.

  Is aluminium composite waterproof?

  Yes, aluminium composite is waterproof.

  What is aluminium composite used for?

  Aluminium composite is ideal for use as permanent outdoor signage. It is commonly used for security signage, outdoor information signage, but can be used for numerous other applications.

  Can aluminium composite be cut to shape?

  Yes, aluminium composite can be cut to custom shapes.

  Can aluminium composite be recycled?

  No, the core of of this material contains PVC that cannot be recycled.

• Delivery

  Information about deliveries

  We dispatch all our orders with the couriers APC and DX. Everything is sent out on a next day delivery service as standard to ensure you receive your order as quickly as possible. Please note that whilst our couriers do operate a next day delivery service, we cannot guarantee delivery.

  Delivery costs vary depending on the size of your order and its destination. Costs start at £11 + VAT (£13.20 inc VAT) for UK mainland. For an accurate delivery quote please contact us with your order requirements and we will include this in your quotation.

  Pricing for the Scottish Highlands, Scottish Grampians, and any UK offshore islands will vary from standard shipping costs. Please get in touch for an accurate delivery quote.

  We are only able to ship out to UK mainland and Northern Irish addresses. We can’t deliver outside of the UK.

  We can offer delivery with a dedicated van on request. We may offer this service for large items or a high quantity order, or for deliveries that are required in specific timeframes.

  If there is an issue with your delivery, please get in contact with us as soon as possible and we will work to resolve your issue as quickly as we can. If your parcel looks it has arrived in bad condition it can be signed for as ‘damaged’.

• Artwork Information

  Our artwork specifications

  Sending artwork the right way can help speed up your order, and also helps avoid any unexpected problems with your print. When uploading a file please consider the following.

  Colour. Files are best sent in CMYK colour, sending a file in a different colour format can result in colours not coming out as expected when sent to print.

  What is CMYK? This simply refers to the primary colours used to mix and create all the colours you see in your print. We use Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black inks in our digital printers. If your file is sent using a different mix of colours, such as RGB for example, we will need to convert your artwork. When we do this, colours can change in your artwork and not come out as expected.

  Size and scale. Files are best sent to the size you’d be looking to have your print produced, or they can also be sent to a smaller or larger scale of the size you’re looking to have your print produced.

  Why does size matter in a digital file? When a digital file is produced in design software, you can set it and export to a specific size. This size in the digital space translates directly to how large your artwork file is in real life. A common issue is trying to print a file that is small, for example A4 (210 x 297mm) in size and trying to print it much larger at A0 (841 x 1189mm). When increasing an image in size, certain elements can start to become pixelated or appear blurry. As such it is always best to create and save your file at the final size, you’ll be able to see accurately how your print quality will look before sending it through to print.

  What is scale? When resizing an artwork file, keeping it in scale means increasing or decreasing the size without stretching or distorting the artwork in any way. As such it is important to make sure your artwork will scale up if not being sent to size of. Otherwise, we may need to crop or stretch your artwork to ensure it fits your size requirements.

  File Types. Our preferred file format is a PDF or a high-quality Jpeg file. We can also accept other bitmap file types.

  Crop marks, bleed and cut paths. We would advise between 3mm to 5mm bleed if being included on an artwork. Bleed isn’t 100% required on boards that are straight cut but would be needed on any items that are cut to shape. If using crop marks to indicate the finished size, please ensure they are correctly placed as we will use these when cutting out your artwork. For items that are cut to shape please provide your artwork with a vector cutting guide.

  What is bleed? Bleed is a part of the artwork that extends outside of the finished size. The bleed area will be cut off in the finishing process. This makes cutting easier and helps ensure that your print isn’t left with any unwanted white edges.

  What is a cut path? For cut to shape prints we use a CNC cutting machine which requires a vector cutting guide. Our machine uses this path to cut out your print exactly as needed. This file would be required in a vector format in a PDF file, we wouldn’t be able to use a cut path that has been provided as a bitmap file. We can help set up cut paths if you’re unable to, this would be subject to an artwork and set up fee if required.

  Rounded fonts and outlines. Any PDFs containing fonts and outlines should be rounded and converted to curves. When left unconverted we can encounter issues when trying to set up artworks, such as missing fonts or issues with rescaling artwork files.

  What is a rounded font? When a font is used in an artwork and saved as a PDF, the file will keep this data. This means if you were to import the file back into design software you will be able to edit the text freely. The issue this can cause however, is that if we don’t have the same font file our software will try and replace it with another font. A rounded font simply means it has been converted into a curve, it will no longer be editable, but it will mean your font won’t suddenly change unexpectedly.

  What is an outline? An outline in a design file is a vector line that can be assigned a certain stroke width. An outline can be resized, however the size of the line itself will change but the width of the stroke will remain the same. This can cause issues with artworks and can cause unexpected changes. Once converted to a curve this will turn the line into a shape, allowing it to be resized freely and will maintain the same shape and width.