New Brushed Copper On Black Acrylic Makes Its Debut In NZ Catalog
From red carpets and magazine spreads to home interiors and oh-so-likeable Instagram posts, copper has been the it color for the last several seasons. You’ll see it being integrated into wedding decorations, signage at boutique hotels and trendy bars and restaurants, jewelry being sold on Etsy—and much, much more.
Now you can bring the copper trend to your latest laser cutter projects with the debut of brushed copper on black acrylic in the NZ catalog.
Creating Contrast With Two-Color Acrylic
Why does this new brushed copper on black acrylic work so well for so many applications? It’s all about the contrast.
Contrast is one of the key principles of design (in addition to alignment, hierarchy, balance, repetition, proximity, balance, color and space). It grabs attention and creates focus. So while contrast is critical for successful designs in print and online, it’s especially important when it comes to laser cutting.
In the past, makers would have to painstakingly hand paint details onto signs, jewelry, electronic enclosures and other small parts to get a striking contrast. But with two-color acrylics, achieving a sharp finish is easy peasy.
When designing for two-color acrylics, don’t forget to think beyond the contrast of the substrate. Include contrast in typography (traditional vs. modern; serif vs. sans serif), lines (thick vs. thin; straight vs. curved) and shapes (big vs. small; geometric vs. organic) to create the most interest and impact. If you’re doing corporate work, ambigram logos also look really cool when laser engraved.
What You Can Make With Brushed Copper On Black Acrylic
Signage is one of the most popular uses for two-color acrylic, and with good reason. Text and geometric shapes work incredibly well, making it ideal for signage like this functional (and necessary!) restroom sign.
While you can make traditional award nameplates from this material, why not design your own custom free-standing trophies? We kept our design simple for demonstration purposes, but you can design anything from sports shapes to corporate logos. Then personalize it with names, dates and any other sentiments to make it one-of-a-kind.
Acrylic is the top-selling laser cutting material, and jewelry is a fave of makers for the creative expression it provides and the potential profit it offers. From statement necklaces to geometric earrings, brushed copper on black acrylic perfectly complements the rose gold fashion trend that consumers are craving.
Compared to printed paper products that seem more disposable, two-color acrylics offer more permanence and longevity. Cardstock is 0.3mm where this brushed copper on black acrylic is 1.6mm thick—a massive difference compared to paper. So when you want to make an impact, use two-color acrylics as an upgrade to standard printing for a more robust product, such as this annual prospective cover.
We added some secret sauce to this phone cover by including a living hinge. Replace the decorative circles on the front with a logo to create a promotional product recipients will reach for all throughout the day.
Benefits Of Two-Color Acrylic
Because the top layer is engraved away, the bottom layer of the acrylic is revealed. This results in excellent readability because the precision of the laser cutting gives the illusion that the graphic and lettering work is printed. Thus, this brushed copper on black acrylic is ideal for products that need text or graphics along with the unique shape achieved with laser cutting.
Two-color acrylics are also manufactured with a UV-resistant additive. So while there will naturally be some fading with extended sun exposure, these acrylics hold up much better in UV light, making them quite durable for signage applications.
Finally, this material is Microsurfaced Impact Modified Acrylics. This means it contains a small amount of polymer that is similar to rubber to give the acrylic extra strength and flexibility. As a result, two-color acrylics are slightly more flexible and melt a bit more during cutting than standard acrylics. This ability to be bent makes two-color acrylics particularly suitable for trophy plates.
Now Available: Brushed Copper On Black Acrylic
With the addition of brushed copper on black acrylic, there are now eight two-color acrylics in the NZ Catalog. While similar to the brushed bronze color, this new copper has the subtle rose-gold undertones that are so on-trend today. And its medium-tone finish shows a lovely range of color when caught by the light.
Learn more about Brushed Copper On Black Acrylic here and snatch a sample here.
Maker Tip: When designing for this material, make sure the small details for cutting are a bit bigger than they would normally be constructed on standard acrylics. Also keep in mind that the top layer is very thin so the underlying substrate is sometimes visible along the cut line as well. This is most noticeable in corners or angles of designs, so prepare files accordingly.
What Will You Laser Cut With Brushed Copper On Black Acrylic?
Are you crushin’ on copper like we are? How will you use this new material? You could upgrade name tags and event badges from ordinary to extraordinary. If you’re into making and selling home décor products, clocks would be a natural fit. If tech is more your thing, bring some bling to electronics enclosures. And we’d love to see robots made from brushed copper on black acrylic! Talk about a show stopper!
Whatever your ideas are, share your thoughts on this new material below. We’d love to hear all about them!
