If you have been case modding for an extended amount of time, or have just been browsing galleries thinking about modding your own case, you have undoubtedly noticed that the most common mod is painting. You may have also noticed that plastic isn't exactly the best surface to paint. There all those little nooks and crannies that paint likes to fill up and plastic is incredibly difficult to sand. Even if you manage to get your paint job to work, it just never seems to last. A dropped pen here, a scuff there…

   Since leaving the plastic bare just screams ugly, many people just resigned themselves to a long and difficult process of painting, knowing it will eventually fade, crack and chip.

   Low and behold, a product to cure the dilemma of "ugly case syndrome"! Vinyl dye.

Vinyl Dye Background

   Vinyl dye is a type of paint that is used primarily on plastics. The theory is that the dye is thin enough to seep into the plastic and color it, rather than covering over its surface. The benefits of this are that it won't chip, scratch, or peel. It also means that you do not need to sand, or to use a primer. This is because you are staining the plastic, rather than hiding it.

   This method will also leave surface impressions visible, such as lettering cut in cd-rom drives, and deep scratches. It won't fill them like paint.

   Another nice feature is that some colors will allow printed markings to show through. Such as the lettering on a drive bezel or markings you've made yourself. The key is to be creative. These markings do not always show through, so it's best to test on a scrap piece of plastic. The lighter the color, the more the markings will show. I do know that red and white don't conceal markings, while blue and black will mask said markings.