Oasis Graphic says that it has developed a new digital process for printing true black and coloured images directly onto polycarbonate sheets. The technique is not photographic but does use flood-coating, selective white printing or a combination to produce up to three layers, the wide-format graphics house states.

Recently, the method was used to create illuminated images for the Slough, UK headquarters of Research in Motion (RIM), which manufactures BlackBerry devices. Oasis was able to print to polycarbonate sheets measuring up to 3m x 2m on its EFI VUTEk GS3250 3.2m flat-bed and roll-to-roll UV-curable engine.

"We ran tests over a number of weeks, experimenting with combinations of different brands and types of acrylic and polycarbonate, and different print settings and ink levels," says Oasis Graphic's managing director, Simon Osborne.

"This enabled us to create high-density and exceptionally detailed images with strong and vibrant colours and true blacks. We developed this technique, and were able to deliver to the client within a month of starting the project."