What is the exterior printed part of a motarbike helmet which has the graphics made of?

Question

I found really cool helmets from lazer and schuberth - some have glossy graphics on them, some cool matt ones. What material is used for this (for matt and glossy), what kind of printing technology and how is it finally stretched onto the helmet?

Answer 1

Amazingly, those cool graphics are decals. The decals are applied normally, then a special clear coat goes on over them. Usually a gloss coat, but some have matte.

There's also a few helmets that have a pebbled surface, this is a plastic that's sprayed on the helmet as a finish coat.

The actual decal material and the process that's used are sort of proprietary for each manufacturer.

In the '80's and '90's helmet painting and custom one-offs were the rage - now that even inexpensive brands like Lazer have stepped up and have some extremely cool graphic options.

Some of the most expensive helmets do have a some details done by hand - but this is relatively rare. The new decals look so good, there's not much need for it.

The one-off hand painted helmets are still definitely the sweetest though - but after paying $700+ for a really good street bike helmet, another $300 or more for custom paint make for a pretty expensive lid!

Answer 2

I looked at the helmets and they look awesome! Those types of graphics are usually paints much similar to that of car paints or whatever that won't wear off. They are normally air brushed to get the smooth consistentcy. Those aren't printed on I believe. Most likely its the work of the artist. As for the glossy and matte, those are just clear coat finishes that protect the artwork. You can get glossy or matte. It dries up differently.

Answer 3

Expensive helmets like Arai or AGV use some type of carbon fiber or kevlar composite for lighter weight and strength, while less pricey ones like Icon or HJC use a thermoplastic.

The graphics are most often applied as decals and then given several layers of clear coat in whatever finish to protect them.