Injection molding is something hobbyists do once in a while. Plans for the machines are not hard to find (Vince gingery wrote the book most use). Unlike 3d.printing though, you can't go from CAD to a part directly, instead you need to build the mold and that is not easy makes the process a lot more difficult and it needs more tools (a milling machine) and skill.
Still the results are a lot better than 3d printing and it isn't as hard as you might think. It is worth looking into, to see if maybe it is for you.
You can make injection molding blanks with 3D printed parts but it’s still not an easy process from what I’ve seen. It’d be better/cheaper/easier just to make your own external protective case.
You are right that the metal backs are usually laser etched. The plastic ones on the other hand are usually injection molded then screen printed.
The injection molding is well outside what most would consider “hobby grade”, however there are many guides on how to diy screen print (though running it on curved surfaces is an extra challenge). So your best bet would probably be to buy a clone back cover with little or no writing on the back, then screen print on your own custom stuff.
Oh yeah, injection moulding is definitely well outside of my scope of capabilities and budget, haha. I’ll look into diy screen printing! Thanks for the help <3
I found that foil transfer like stamping or printing is more likely to be the method they used. Screen print metallic ink is either too flaky or too shimmery, not reflective smooth.
I found some examples, the key caps you mentioned, made with two-shot injection moulding but the text on them looks imprecise and has rounded corners. The iPhone back cover has really precise and sharp text. The small text is also probably too small for that method.
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