Meeting with new overlay manufacturer

The difference is obvious. What we were given by our current supplier is pretty much a sticker, not an overlay.

Overlays are a lot more rigid, and there is a clearly discernible transparent layer of material above the printed surface which gives the overlay that distinct "hardware look".

We figured out and tested the material and thickness from their labeled samples on our real plastic parts, and we're waiting for this manufacturer to update an old quote given to us many months ago and get back to us on whether they can play with us until we get some volume or not.

Their overlays are used for bank hardware and point of sale displays and keypads. The polycarbonate layer is nice and thick. The result is very professional. It is likely that their screen printing resolution is also higher.

Monday, another guy will drive here to meet us and he will go through our requirements. If we can convince one or the other we're back on track with the overlays and this time these guys are local. If the color's off by one percent we'll knock at their door and choose pantone buckets ourselves :)

Tomorrow we should be able to visit the Zhongda market again, and visit the thunder printing guys who didn't print the thunder, and the eyelet gals who make the eyelets that fall off in 1 minute. We'll take pictures of this enormous textile and clothing part market. Forget the terracotta warriors - this market is one of the things to see in China!

Incredible lawlessness on the streets. Cars, pedestrians, bikes, bicycles, man-cart hybrids crossing in all directions oblivious to traffic lights - and all honking, beeping and shouting like a giant orchestra.

A variety of objects including heavy rolls of textile poorly loaded on cheap bicycle carts sometimes dropped on pedestrians. It's the Chinese Far West, and we are in town with a mission: the Body Band!

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