Protection of a surface by partially subjecting it to an electrochemical treatment

A method of forming a wear and scratch resistant protective layer on a surface of a support, wherein said surface comprises at least a first surface area (2) and a second surface area (1), which surface areas (1, 2) are distinguishable by virtue of the fact that said surface areas (1, 2) differ from each other in at least one visual property, which method comprises:

• masking at least parts of said surface outside said first surface area (2) with a mask layer which covers at least all of said second surface area of the support, and
• subjecting said support to an anodizing treatment (14, 20),
• characterized in that a protective layer is formed on non-masked parts of said support,
• a sol-gel lacquer forming a wear and scratch resistant layer is provided as said mask layer, which forms a protective layer on said second surface area (1) of said surface, and
• said second surface area is free from additional protective layers.

A method of forming a wear and scratch resistant layer on a surface of a support, wherein said surface comprises at least a first surface area (2) and a second surface area (1), which surface areas (1, 2) are distinguishable by virtue of the fact that said surface areas (1, 2) differ from each other in at least one visual property, which method comprises:

• masking at least parts of said surface outside said first surface area (2) with a mask layer which covers at least all of said second surface area of the support, and
• subjecting said support to an electrochemical treatment (14, 20), whereby a protective layer is formed as an electrochemically treated area on non-masked parts of said support,
• characterized in that a sol-gel lacquer forming said wear and scratch resistant layer is provided as said mask layer, which forms a protective layer on at least said second surface area (1) of said surface, said second surface area thereby being covered with said sol-gel lacquer layer,
• and the method further comprises engraving (17) said surface in both said electrochemically treated first surface area (2) and said second surface area (1) covered with the sol-gel lacquer layer.