Thank you to the National Taiwan University Press for granting permission to share the product manufacturing process.
If you are interested in these 3 products, you can purchase them through the following link: National Taiwan University Campus 3D Magnets (with gift box)。
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The client this time is the National Taiwan University Press. They want to create 3 magnet designs with an illustration style.
The client is already familiar with the process of clay mold and silicone mold casting, as well as the production process of polyresin products. During our discussions, we were aware that they are very concerned about the color presentation of the products. They prefer subdued colors and require us to match the colors as closely as possible to a color swatch.
Furthermore, to minimize communication errors and expedite sample process smoothly, the client not only provided us with various Pantone color codes, but also sent design drafts with corrected colors. This enables us to match the colors accurately. It’s clear that the client has very high standards for color accuracy.
Main Entrance
This design is very clear, and for our clay mold process, we need to figure out how to create the illusion of depth, incorporating distant, mid-range, and close-up elements to give it a 3D effect.
If the customer provides Pantone color codes, we will take photos of the painted sample alongside the color chart. With different cameras, lighting conditions, and screens may cause variations in how the colors appear. If we have the Pantone color codes for reference, it helps us minimize color discrepancies.
With the exception of special colors, most of the paints we use are mixed in our factory, so they may not be an exact match to Pantone color codes, but can come very close in terms of color similarity.
The packaging boxes were provided by the clients, and we assembled the packaging materials accordingly.
Fu Bell
For this Fu Bell magnet, there’s a small detail to note – the bottom needs to be flat. This way, it can not only be used as a magnet but can also stand upright on a table.
The clay mold is made from oil clay, it is easy to get squeeze and lose the shape, so we are not able to sent to the client for physical inspection. Instead, we will take photographs from various angles for confirmation, including the front, left, right, top, bottom, and different perspectives.
After reviewed the clay model, they requested to make the background trees a bit more 3D to give the overall design a fuller appearance. Once the clay mold style is confirmed, we proceed to create silicon mold and replicate the design through hand-painted samples.
It’s essential to note that during the silicon mold making process, the clay model may become damaged, so once the clay model style is confirmed, there’s no further option to modify the design.
After the painting sample is completed, we will take photographs from different angles again, and then send to client for confirmation.
If color sample is approved, we provide 2 pieces as reference samples for the customer. These reference samples serve as the basis for mass production of the painted items.
Library
The last design is a bit more challenging to create due to its intricate architectural details and numerous lines. The painting process requires us to achieve an illustrative style.
The clay mold stage typically requires more back-and-forth discussions compared to the painting stage. Once the design is confirmed during this modeling phase and the mold is made, further changes to the design are not possible.
When we provide photos from different angles for confirmation, we also ask the customer to view the photos at the actual size to assess the overall design. In the case of this library magnet, the size is 5×7 centimeters, and it’s important to evaluate the overall design rather than focusing on extreme zoomed-in details.
Based on the Pantone color codes and printing materials, we only need to follow the instructions to mix and paint these colors.
The paper boxes and stickers are provided by the customer. We assemble the products, package them, and then ship the finished items.