PolyGFX EZ Apply Caseskin and Ratpadz Skin Review
Date : Wednesday, 03 December 2003
Author : Wolfman
Provided by : PolyGFX
Introduction
A few months back, we take our first look at PolyGFX's Caseskin, a product that helps you turn your boring beige box into a work of art. It gives your case a whole new look, like a custom airbrush job, just without all the hassles of the actual work. I had a custom artwork done up and actually enjoyed installing it onto my case. It was a great product and I never thought that they could do anything else to improve it but PolyGFX thought otherwise. They got to work printing on a new vinyl material that's even easier to apply than it's predecessor. PolyGFX call this the EZ Apply Material and it has micro air-channels on the adhesive side so that air could pass thru the channels and prevent it from being trapped under the vinyl, thus preventing any ugly air bubbles. And since air could easily pass thru, you'll no longer need the applicator or squeegee and the new skin also does not have the protective layer over it as well. Well, I wouldn't know until I try it myself so let's move on and take a closer look at the new skin material.
Features
Here's a quick rundown of the features, direct from PolyGFX.
The Package
The packaging this time was a bit different. Instead of being place IN a cardboard tube, the skin was rolled AROUND one and held in place with masking tape and then sealed with in polybag. The polybag was then placed in a long cardboard box, along with an excellent, full-colour instruction manual and the applicator. Hhmm... wait a minute, didn't you just said you don't need one? Well, you won't need it for most part of the skin but for difficult areas like around case handles and rivets, it's much easier to use the applicator. I'll get to that later. Just in case you didn't read the first review, you can also find the instruction manual in PDF format or check out the instructional videos. Even if you already knew how to go about installing the skin, the videos are fun to watch! :O)
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OK then, let's move on and go ahead and apply the skin!
Closer Look
Like its' predecessor, you'll need to take measurements of your case. You can refer to PolyGFX's site or our review of their previous caseskin. My advice, add an inch or two to your case dimensions to allow for any mistakes that you might make. You can always cut the excess material but if you order too small, then it would not fully cover your case, which will suck too! :OP Here you see the skin rolled out and ready for application. You'll notice the absence of the application tape or protective layer on the skin. Busting out my macro lens, I took a close up of the adhesive side to show you the air channels. You'll see that there's some kind of a textured look on the adhesive side... that's the micro air channels folks! With the new material, you can also easily peel the skin off in case you made a mistake while applying it or if you wanna change to a different skin design. The new skin material has a smooth matt finish, unlike the old one which had a semi-gloss finish.
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Installation
Once again, I'll be applying the caseskin on the Chieftec BX Series. This time though, I would leave the case handle on and show you how to get the skin over and around the handle. As you can see from the picture above, the Fusion 18 Abstract Design on the case is not symmetrical, so that makes it easier as I do not have to plan to have the same amount of graphics showing on both side of the case. I just start to apply the skin from the part where there's more graphics on the skin. If you remember from the previous skin review, I got my buddy to help me with the installation but this time, I'll be showing you how easy it is to do this on your own. First of all, it's important that you clean your case panels thoroughly to remove any dirt or grime so that the skin will stick better to the case. Windex or a mild detergent/water mixture would do just fine. Lay the case down with the side on which you wanna start applying the skin facing up.
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Fold about an inch or so of the adhesive backing of the skin to get started. Turn the skin downwards and place it on the case panel. Get the alignment right before actually applying pressure to the skin. Once you've confirmed the alignment, use your fingers and press down on the skin to get started.
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Let a portion of the case skin hang out of the bottom edge of the case so you can fold it down and have that consistent and continuos look. Use your fingers and make sure to mark out the area where the bottom and side panel meets. You'll need to cut these areas later. Once the skin is firmly adhered to the case, you can start covering the rest of the case. Peel off the adhesive covering about and inch or two at a time and make sure the edges are lined up properly before applying pressure again to stick the skin to the case. Having worked with the old material before, I was really pleased at how easy this new material adheres to the case without the need of the applicator. Even on the edges, you'll just need to apply pressure with your hands to make sure the skin goes over it. Continue to reveal the adhesive side little by little and applying the skin to the case.
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Here you see the skin being applied over the case handle. You'll see that the skin bulges over the handle but no worries here. I'll show you how to finish up this area a little later. Once you're passed the handle, it's smooth sailing from here on. Continue to work your way round until you reach the other end of the case. Cut off the excess skin material and you're almost done!
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Installation - Cont'd
Once the skin has covered all 3 sides of the case, fold it over to the rear of the case and remove the excess material with a sharp knife using the method I used with the old skin material. Don't forget about the areas between the top, bottom and side panels. Use the knife to cut the skin away and make sure the side panels can be easily removed without any problems at all. Once you've passed all these areas, it's time to work on that handle!
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The skin material doesn't really stick close to the handle edges here and this is where the applicator or squeegee comes into play. Using a hair dryer or a heat gun, heat up the area around the case handle. The heat helps makes the skin softer and thus easily conforms to the shape of the handle. Of course, immediately after heating the area, use the supplied squeegee and press on the skin against the edge of the handle. Do this a few times to make sure the skin forms a tight seal around the edges, like in the last picture below.
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Next, carefully cut around the adge of the handle with a sharp knife and any other areas that needs cutting. Make sure the case handle operates properly after the excess skin materials around it had been removed. The final piece would be to remove the skin material covering the keylock area and you're done! Doing this step ensures that there's no obvious break in the printed graphic and gives the side of the case a consistent look without the beige handle sticking out like a sore thumb! From afar, it's hard to tell if there's even a handle there!
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Here's a few more shots of the finished case. Now the front bezel is screaming for a matching skin as well! LOL! The original Caseskin was easy to apply and I had a great time installing it but the new EZ Apply Material Caseskin was even better! The large part of the skin was applied onto the case by hand only and the only time I needed the squeegee was for the rivets and the case handle! It took me only 20 minutes (not counting the time needed to work on the rivets and handle) to get the whole skin on the case. PolyGFX succeeded in making an already awesome product even better! But wait! There's more!
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RatPadz Skin
PolyGFX can even skin your fridge so it's no surprise if they have one for your mousepad! The mousepad skins are pre-cut for the the ultra-slick Ratpadz or you can order it uncut for your own choice of pad. Now you would be worried what the skin would do the the ultra-slick surface of the pad, wouldn't you? Well, the mousepad skin had been designed with a textured feel for accurate mousing and fragging! Anyway, my aging Ratpadz could do with a facelift too after the years of abuse! :O) Sorry Kyle!
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It doesn't have the micro air channels underneath it but it applies and removes easily as well. I chose the same Fusion 18 Design as with the caseskin so that the two match. Installation was straight forward... peel off one side of the skin (doesn't matter which side you wanna start with) and stick it on the mousepad. Check the alignment and then proceed on to apply it to the whole pad. Since it doesn't have the micro air channels, I strongly advice you to use the squeegee to press out any air bubbles. Work your way till the skin covers your whole mousepad. The skin will extend a little out of the Ratpadz so use the squeegee again to press it over the sides.
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Now you have a matching case and mousepad! If you're looking into matching anything and everything in your rig, check out the Mod Skins Section on PolyGFX's Site! The mousepad skin surface really works out great for everyday use and it handles gaming like a charm too!
Conclusion
PolyGFX brought to the modding table an easy way for you to have awesome graphics on your case without all the hassles and the cost of airbrushing. And now with the new EZ Apply Material, it's even easier to apply the skin on the case. The Micro Air-Channels helps to allow air to pass thru, preventing air bubbles from forming under the case skin. This also eliminates the need for the squeegee during installation, except in difficult areas like rivets and case handles. The digital graphics printouts are clear and crisp and there's tons of design to choose from. And now PolyGFX also accepts custom art work if you have a particular design you want on your case. What more can I say that I haven't said in my first look at the caseskin from PolyGFX? Oh yeah, did I mention that the skin now costs only US$49.99? Well, I have now! Heheh! Grab one for your beige box today!
Thanks to Garry from PolyGFX for working with us again on this review and thanks to you too for reading! Over and out!
Contest Time!!
It's been a long time since we had any kind of contest here and PolyGFX was kind enough to provide stuff to giveaway for you folks! Since it's the holiday season, the Santa's over at PolyGFX is giving away 10 Caseskins with matching Ratpadz GS gaming surfaces (skin and Ratpadz!!!). That's right! You stand a chance to win a PolyGFX CaseSkin with a design of your choice and a matching Ratpadz Skin with the Ratpadz underneath it! LOL! Why the hell are you still reading this??? Head on to the Contest Page for details!!!