Anographics is a Silicon Valley, Ca. based company
dedicated to the art of anodized aluminum. What are
Anographics, simple put, Anographics is a thin plate
of aluminum prepared to absorb dyes much like a piece
of paper but with much more diversity of coloring
techniques and brilliance of color, not to mention
longevity. Humidity and temperature will not effect
Anographics. All traditional artist techniques are
employed with many inherent only to the anodizing
process, plus a number of surface finishes can be used.
The combinations are endless. For the artist who likes
to be on the edge, there is nothing quite like it.
Technically speaking Anographics are anodized aluminum.
Anodized aluminum is an electrochemical process that
converts the metal surface into an anodic aluminum oxide
finish. This finish is not on the surface like paint or
plating, but actually becomes fully integrated with the
aluminum substrate. It has a highly porous surface that
allows for the absorption of many different types of dyes.
Anodizing occurs by immersing the aluminum into a sulfuric
acid electrolyte bath and passing an electric current
through the metal. A cathode is mounted on the inside of
the tank, the aluminum becomes the anode, the opposite is
true for plating. Oxygen ions are released from the elec-
trolyte to combine with the aluminum atoms at the surface.
Anodizing is therefore a highly controlled aluminum oxide
coating, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon with aluminum.