Mike50
DIY Senior Member
I've concluded that I was too quick to judge this product I'd confused it with
other similar looking products. And I thought I would share from my graphic arts POV why that is.
Beginning in 1994--Laminates are apparently the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry. And for good reason--the quality available is remarkable and I will explain what I mean by that.
In the grapic arts field we deal with a number of duplication processes regularly for different applications.
You work with a spectrum of cheap cardboard advertisements to expensive limited edition prints on acid free papers.
The methods of Lithography and Seriography(silk screen) can both be reduced to and use a dot matrix to form images-as do photographs.
If you use a magnifying glass on an inexpensive "poster" or ad you will easily
see the dot matrix. (lower quality)
Conversly the dot matrix is not as easily seen on higher quality reproductions.
The reason why some computer printers can produce professional results is because they use new ink jet (giclee) technology. The ink is blasted out at such speed that the matrix actually can fuse as it hits the paper at very high speed.
Wood Laminates images are a photograph of wood grain on film which is coated with protective sealant. Higher end brands feature imprinted texture.
That is not cheap to do.
I guess what I'm saying is that using this elementary test, I've found (on Dupont samples) the duplication is very good.
You could say that the higher end products will approach fine art standards
in the coming years imo.
The wood grain patterns are now complex--and that is a whole different animal from the old wood paneling many of us are familiar with.
I could not understand how some companies could justify charging up to 4 dollars per square foot for a laminate--I get it now.
Even some purists who have only used real wood flooring for years, are now praising laminates.
Anyway, after examining all these samples--I'm a new convert. (so far)
http://www.flooring.dupont.com/en/design/designchoices.shtml
Any experiences/opinions about selection or installation is much appreciated. I plan to install a simple (plastic roll) vapor barrier first.
other similar looking products. And I thought I would share from my graphic arts POV why that is.
Beginning in 1994--Laminates are apparently the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry. And for good reason--the quality available is remarkable and I will explain what I mean by that.
In the grapic arts field we deal with a number of duplication processes regularly for different applications.
You work with a spectrum of cheap cardboard advertisements to expensive limited edition prints on acid free papers.
The methods of Lithography and Seriography(silk screen) can both be reduced to and use a dot matrix to form images-as do photographs.
If you use a magnifying glass on an inexpensive "poster" or ad you will easily
see the dot matrix. (lower quality)
Conversly the dot matrix is not as easily seen on higher quality reproductions.
The reason why some computer printers can produce professional results is because they use new ink jet (giclee) technology. The ink is blasted out at such speed that the matrix actually can fuse as it hits the paper at very high speed.
Wood Laminates images are a photograph of wood grain on film which is coated with protective sealant. Higher end brands feature imprinted texture.
That is not cheap to do.
I guess what I'm saying is that using this elementary test, I've found (on Dupont samples) the duplication is very good.
You could say that the higher end products will approach fine art standards
in the coming years imo.
The wood grain patterns are now complex--and that is a whole different animal from the old wood paneling many of us are familiar with.
I could not understand how some companies could justify charging up to 4 dollars per square foot for a laminate--I get it now.
Even some purists who have only used real wood flooring for years, are now praising laminates.
Anyway, after examining all these samples--I'm a new convert. (so far)
http://www.flooring.dupont.com/en/design/designchoices.shtml
Any experiences/opinions about selection or installation is much appreciated. I plan to install a simple (plastic roll) vapor barrier first.