Color & Surfaces
In architecture, GKD Metal Fabrics provide visual versatility and inherently functional characteristics. The material opens new aspects of design through the interplay of aesthetics and function, lightness and robustness, transparency and reflection, screening and views, and daylight and sun protection. Fully customizable metal fabric can be installed horizontally or vertically, framed in panels or draped like curtains. But the design capability doesn’t stop there. Our broad range of weave patterns can be etched, illuminated, printed and coated to enhance aesthetic effects. Engaging GKD as part of your design team yields innovative material combinations and custom design solutions.
Secondary Finishes
COLOR
Read MoreETCHING
Read MoreANODIZING
Read MorePRINTING
Read MorePowder coating is one way we can add color to our metal fabrics. Fusing dry powder to the surface of metal with via an electric charge, powder coating creates a smooth and durable finish that’s ideally suited for exterior environments. GKD can provide a range of powders in a near limitless range of colors to accommodate your specific performance requirements and aesthetic needs.
With our in-house paint mixing system and color matching capabilities, we can create virtually any custom color with our Imron HD performance coatings. Durable, long-lasting, and available in a variety of finishes, we can paint solids, graphics, and patterns in a controlled environment for maximum quality.
Etching is a GKD in-house process that transfers graphic elements onto a metal fabric surface. Because the graphic elements are etched directly into the surface, it is weather-resistant, sustainable, durable, and permanent. Presenting a high-quality image, etching also preserves the materials inherent transparency elements. Daylight or lighting comes through and adds a dramatic effect without jeopardizing the integrity of the alloy.
GKD’s aluminum meshes are offered in a range of anodized colors so each decorative design pattern is greatly enhanced. This surface coloration method provides a durable protection against environmental influences such as UV radiation, temperature deviations or mechanical effects and overall corrosion. We offer 12 different colors and in a variety of mesh styles.
Complex graphics on metallic metal fabrics in outdoor deployments – such as façades– are applied using the screen-printing technique. Depending on the application, the print format ranges from a few inches to several feet. One advantage of screen printing lies in the ability to vary the color application by using different grades of mesh fineness. This results in very thick paint layers, which are five to ten times thicker than with other printing methods.
Alongside the various methods for printing solid colored mesh surfaces, digital UV direct printing allows complex graphics and even photographs with fine color gradients to be applied to metal fabrics. This is recommended for metal meshes used in interior applications.
Custom Weaves
GKD offers a standard collection of more than 50 distinct weave patterns that vary in transparency, visual weight, texture, mechanical properties and alloy. However, many of these weaves are the result of an original collaboration between an architect and our design team. To meet unique design objectives and specific installation requirements, we are often asked to develop custom patterns. With weaving capabilities at our facilities here in the US and in Germany, we apply our 100 years of weaving experience to provide architects and designers with the weave that will accurately and safely meet their aesthetic and performance requirements. To discuss your ideas for a custom weave, contact our sales department.