# Part Marking & Product Graphics

https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/part-marking-product-graphics

Screen printing, also called silk screening, pushes ink through a stenciled mesh onto a part, and labels and decals apply artwork on film. K-Display, in Chicago, does part marking on fabricated sheet metal panels, housings, and kiosks as the last operation before assembly.

## Overview
Screen printing leaves a thin layer of ink on the face, in the shape of the artwork. A label or decal carries the artwork on a film pressed onto the face. We mark a part as the last operation before assembly, on the face in the finish it will ship in. We supply marked parts in steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, with hardware fitted or fully assembled. Powder coating gives the whole part one color, texture, and gloss, and the marking sits on that face.

## Materials
- Carbon steel
- Galvanized steel
- Galvanneal
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum

## Production volume
Marking method and production fit are reviewed with the artwork, substrate, finish, and quantity.

## Applications
- Control panel faceplates, with operating legends printed around each switch and knob opening.
- Machine housings, with an identification label pressed onto a flat face.
- Kiosk cabinets, with brand artwork and user instructions printed on the front face.
- Operator console panels, with legends and labels applied beside each control.

## Process
- Set the part: We lay the part flat with the marked face up and set the stencil to the edges, holes, or bend lines the drawing dimensions from.
- Print or apply: We draw a squeegee across the screen so ink passes through the stencil onto the face, or press the label or decal onto the face at the same position.
- Assemble and pack: We fit the hardware and assemble the marked parts, or pack them with the marked face protected.

## Design considerations
Ink and film do not cross a bend, a hole edge, or a fastener seat cleanly, and a knob or bezel covers whatever sits inside its footprint. Dimension each graphic from one datum, the edge, hole, or bend line every other dimension starts from, and we place it on the flat face outside all of them. A heavy powder texture softens fine printed type. Note the texture in the finish callout, and we put small type on a label wherever that texture is heavy.

## FAQ
**What marking methods are available?**
The approved agency scope includes labels, decals, graphic transfers, part marking, and silk-screened graphics. The appropriate method depends on the artwork, surface, finish, quantity, and use.

**What artwork should I send?**
Send the current vector artwork when available, color and size requirements, placement dimensions, orientation, surface specification, revision, and quantity.

**Can marking be coordinated with powder coating and assembly?**
Yes. Marking requirements can be reviewed with fabrication, powder coating, installed hardware, assembly, and packaging so placement and sequence remain controlled.

## Related pages
- [Powder Coating](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/powder-coating)
- [Assembly & Value-Added Services](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/finishing/assembly)
- [Single-Source Metal Fabrication](https://kdisplay.com/capabilities/services/single-source-metal-fabrication)
- [Custom Front Panels & Bezels](https://kdisplay.com/products/panels-covers/front-panels-bezels)
- [Custom Operator Consoles & HMI Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/electrical-enclosures/operator-consoles)
- [Custom Kiosk Enclosures](https://kdisplay.com/products/retail-displays/kiosk-enclosures)
- [Custom Metal Point-of-Purchase Displays](https://kdisplay.com/products/retail-displays/point-of-purchase-displays)