DIFOPLEX — MUSEUM PLEXI SANDWICH DISPLAY
DIFOPlex is DIFOART's own acrylic sandwich display system. The photographic print is marouflaged between acrylic and Dibond (aluminium composite panel) using acid-free, optically clear materials. There is no frame and no glass; the surface of the work is seen directly through the acrylic. Printing and mounting are done under one roof in our Seyrantepe workshop in Istanbul.
How DIFOPlex is built
Three layers:
1. Front — clear acrylic. The colour print is protected beneath a transparent acrylic layer. The acrylic gives the surface depth and a glass-like gloss; colours read more saturated than they do behind glass.
2. Print — marouflaged between the two layers with acid-free, optically clear materials. Marouflage means the print is bonded across its entire surface: no air is trapped, so no bubbles or waves form, and reflection drops.
3. Back — Dibond aluminium composite panel. The panel gives the work a flat, stable base. An aluminium subframe is attached behind it: the subframe carries the work on the wall, adds support, and sets the piece slightly off the wall for a modern look.
Two options
DIFOPlex — Dibond aluminium composite panel at the back. More rigid and heavier. Chosen for large sizes and permanent installations.
DIFOPlex with Forex — 5 mm Forex (acid-free PVC) at the back with an aluminium subframe over it. Lighter. Chosen for touring exhibitions, works that are moved often, and walls with limited load capacity.
The front is the same in both: clear acrylic. Only the back panel differs.
Acrylic thickness and maximum size
Acrylic thickness options: 2 mm · 3 mm · 5 mm · 10 mm.
Thin acrylic is enough at small and medium sizes and keeps the work light. Thick acrylic gives a more pronounced depth when seen from the edge and keeps the surface flat at large sizes. Thickness goes up with size.
Maximum DIFOPlex size: 150 × 300 cm. Standard turnaround: 3 working days.
Print width is a separate limit: C-print 127 cm, pigment print 150 cm. Larger works are planned against the single-piece print width, not by joining panels — we do not make seamed presentations.
Why a glazing-free presentation
Glass puts a layer of reflection between the work and the viewer. In a plexi sandwich the print is marouflaged to the back of the acrylic across its whole surface, so there is no air gap: reflection drops, blacks deepen, colours saturate.
Glass also breaks. In exhibition transport, hotel corridors and busy corporate spaces, a plexi sandwich is safer than a glazed frame.
One limit: we do not use matte or anti-reflective acrylic in DIFOPlex — the front is always clear acrylic. Where reflection has to be broken completely, such as exhibition halls with strong overhead lighting or walls facing a window, we move to a framed presentation instead: there we have Tru Vue museum glass, Matobel anti-reflective glass and anti-reflective acrylic. Details are on the Custom Framing and Display page.
Which print it combines with
DIFOPlex is a display system; the printing technique is chosen separately.
C-print (chromogenic) — Durst Lambda 131 laser exposure, up to 127 cm, on Fujifilm photographic paper. For work that needs photographic depth and continuous tone.
Archival pigment print, also called fine art or giclée — Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-6100, up to 150 cm, on Hahnemühle fine art papers.
Metallic C-print — metallic emulsion photographic paper. Combined with acrylic, the contrast is stronger again.
Diasec, plexi sandwich, face-mounting — which is which
This form of presentation is searched for under several names, and the names get confused.
Diasec® is a registered trademark. The method was invented by Heinz Sovilla-Brulhart in 1969 and patented by the Swiss company Alrane Inventing AG. The genuine process is carried out only by official licensees. The patent has expired, so similar processes are now common, but they cannot use the brand's own gels and machinery.
Plexi sandwich, acrylic sandwich, face-mounting and museum plexi sandwich are the brand-independent names for the same principle: bonding the print to the back of a clear acrylic sheet across its entire surface.
DIFOPlex is DIFOART's own system built on that principle. We do not produce under a Diasec licence; DIFOPlex is made under our own name, with our own materials and method.
Who it is for
Museums and exhibition institutions · galleries · photographers · collectors · hotels and corporate spaces.
Frequently asked questions
Is DIFOPlex the same as Diasec?
Same principle, different production. Diasec is a registered trademark and a licensed process; we do not produce under that licence. DIFOPlex is DIFOART's own plexi sandwich system and gives the same result: the print is marouflaged to the back of the acrylic across its full surface with acid-free, optically clear materials.
Do you make matte acrylic?
Not in DIFOPlex — the front is always clear acrylic. If an anti-reflective surface is needed, we move to a framed presentation, where museum glass, Matobel and anti-reflective acrylic are available.
Does acrylic scratch?
Acrylic is softer than glass and can pick up surface scratches. Never clean it with a dry or coarse cloth; use a microfibre cloth and a cleaner made for acrylic. In exchange, it does not break.
Can I bring my own print to be mounted?
Yes. The print does not have to have been made by us. We do need to see the paper type and surface first — not every surface is suitable for full-surface marouflage.
Can the work be taken apart and framed later?
No. Marouflage is permanent; the print cannot be separated from the acrylic without damage. DIFOPlex is a permanent presentation decision.
How is it hung?
The subframe on the back is also the hanging system. No separate frame or hanging hardware is needed. For heavy pieces the wall type and fixings are planned together.
+90 212 278 78 47 · info@difoart.net
