Originally Posted by
unworthy1
BITD we used these "rub-downs" a lot for what we called "comps" (not for complimentary but for comprehensive) and by a brand name "Cromatec". They were made with a process that shared some aspects of screen-printing but also different, and the finished product was too. But liquid inks used were said to be lacquers and adhesives could be a sticky wax (default) or something more aggressive if you spec'd that.
My coworkers did our own informal "weather test" by applying rubdowns to a Honda Civic the owner promised to never wash. We were surprised with how well and long they held up to wind, rain and direct sunshine but NOT to abrasion.
What you refer to as "rub-downs" are really nice, because they apply without the typical carrier film used in decals. And yes, they're pretty robust, and even have a bit of a raised surface, so the "Phil" logos on the example hubs felt similar to Braille letters. Never had them long enough to know if they'd hold up against UV or repeated wet-weather riding, but I'm pretty sure the use of anything abrasive would wipe them out double-quick.
Btw, my photo represents the newly-applied "Phil" logo on the rear hub in the foreground, and the front hub beyond just prior to addling its replacement logo.
My intention was to show how boring the hub shells appear when logo-less - and how cool they look with a bright, shiny, and new logo
DD