Labelling Prototypes
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From: mpm on 5 Jul 2010 17:32 On Jul 5, 3:12 pm, StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt <Zarathus...(a)thusspoke.org> wrote: > On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:57:15 -0700, Charlie E. <edmond...(a)ieee.org> > wrote: > > > > > > >On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:47:19 -0400, "Martin Riddle" > ><martin_...(a)verizon.net> wrote: > > >>"John Larkin" <jjlar...(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in > >>messagenews:vl7436de1hnp42vtgssfvor6va15d8ee2a(a)4ax.com... > >>> On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 10:15:22 -0700 (PDT), mpm <mpmill...(a)aol.com> > >>> wrote: > > >>>>On Jul 5, 10:51 am, Ian Bell <ruffreco...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >>>>> What do you guys use for labelling prototypes? I am thinking > >>>>> particularly of control panels (19 in rack mounting for example) > >>>>> containing pots, toggle and rotary switched all of which need > >>>>> labelling. > >>>>> So far I have looked at iron on T shirt printer paper, special > >>>>> transparent overhead projector type film with built in adhesive and > >>>>> contacted a company that does custom stick-on vinyl decals. I need > >>>>> something I can design easily myself on a PC and either produce > >>>>> myself > >>>>> or have produced at reasonable cost. Any one of more of the above > >>>>> might > >>>>> work but before I take the plunge I thought I would ask what others > >>>>> use??? > > >>>>> Cheers > > >>>>> Ian > > >>>>Silkscreening. Even if a one-off. > >>>>Cheap, easy, professional-looking results. > > >>>>The setup I use (Speedball, I think), has reusable screens, so once > >>>>you get going, you can change as often as your mind does. > >>>>The only major investment for me was the light stand, though you could > >>>>probably DIY roll your own. > >>>>The lightbulb is about $10, and at least here, available locally. > >>>>5000K, I think. A Photo-Flood #12, IIRC. > > >>>>Good luck. > >>>>- mpm > > >>> We make nice looking labels with an inkjet color printer and some sort > >>> of adhesive paper stuff. They're good enough to use for product > >>> photos, or to put on eval loaners for customers to play with. For > >>> production, we just send the same file to a label company. > > >>> These photos used fake labels: > > >>>http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/T750DS.html > > >>>http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P730DS.html > > >>> You can even include little translucent windows for LED indications. > >>> They are a little denser on the paper protos than the real polycarb > >>> labels. > > >>> John > > >>You can make labels with some Avery stuff, they have a clear label thats > >>good for covering the top of a finished Avery label. > > >>Cheers > > >I usually print on the 8x11 clear Avery lables using my color ink jet. > >If you let the colors set, you get good life out of it. If paranoid, > >the old technique was to print reversed on an overhead transparency > >film, and then glue the colored side down. Lets you do a proto for > >less than $10! > > >For a full size rack, you might need to split the graphics, and have a > >seam somewhere... > > >I have also printed all the labels on smaller avery type clear lables, > >and then xacto cut them out and attached just over the appropo button > >or LED. > > >Charlie > > Printing on clear stock does not protect the printed media. > > Print on white label stock and COVER it with a clear over-sheet. > > Labels with direct exposed print, especially from a laser or ink jet, > do not usually last very long. Clear laminate on top of such labels > makes them appear more professional, and retains the integrity of the > print without smears or other undesirable happenstance.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - Another idea I've used with good success: You can make your own stick-on lables - 1) Create in PhotoShop or [software of your choosing] 2) Get an 8-1/2"x11" full size white label (the kind you peel the back off of to stick. 3) Print lable to color printer. 4) Get a laminating machine 5) Take a laminating pouch, tear in half across the top or side seam. Now you have (2) pieces, Each piece has the slick outside, and the glue inside (which would normally get stuck to whatever you are laminating when you put it through the machine. I hope that made sense....!! 6) Put one of those pieces back in the box for next time. We won't need it now. 7) Cut down the remaining piece so that it overlaps your artwork by 1/2" or so. 8) Now, sandwich it like this: TOP - Laminating that you tore in half, shiney side up, glue side down. MIDDLE - Your artwork BOTTOM - Then a big piece of paper on the bottom. 9) Run this through the laminator, placing the whole sandwhich in the "pouch" that sometimes comes with some machines. Me, I just run them through without a pouch - never had a problem. Use enough heat. 110-120 ought to do fine! 10) Now, get a razor knife and cut out your decal. (Obviously, those areas of the sandwich that were not covered by the artwork got glued together!) 11) Done! Now, just peel and stick your custom-made laminated decal. -mpm
From: StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt on 5 Jul 2010 18:17 On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:32:29 -0700 (PDT), mpm <mpmillard(a)aol.com> wrote: >On Jul 5, 3:12�pm, StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt ><Zarathus...(a)thusspoke.org> wrote: >> On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:57:15 -0700, Charlie E. <edmond...(a)ieee.org> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:47:19 -0400, "Martin Riddle" >> ><martin_...(a)verizon.net> wrote: >> >> >>"John Larkin" <jjlar...(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in >> >>messagenews:vl7436de1hnp42vtgssfvor6va15d8ee2a(a)4ax.com... >> >>> On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 10:15:22 -0700 (PDT), mpm <mpmill...(a)aol.com> >> >>> wrote: >> >> >>>>On Jul 5, 10:51 am, Ian Bell <ruffreco...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >>>>> What do you guys use for labelling prototypes? I am thinking >> >>>>> particularly of control panels (19 in rack mounting for example) >> >>>>> containing pots, toggle and rotary switched all of which need >> >>>>> labelling. >> >>>>> So far I have looked at iron on T shirt printer paper, special >> >>>>> transparent overhead projector type film with built in adhesive and >> >>>>> contacted a company that does custom stick-on vinyl decals. I need >> >>>>> something I can design easily myself on a PC and either produce >> >>>>> myself >> >>>>> or have produced at reasonable cost. Any one of more of the above >> >>>>> might >> >>>>> work but before I take the plunge I thought I would ask what others >> >>>>> use??? >> >> >>>>> Cheers >> >> >>>>> Ian >> >> >>>>Silkscreening. �Even if a one-off. >> >>>>Cheap, easy, professional-looking results. >> >> >>>>The setup I use (Speedball, I think), has reusable screens, so once >> >>>>you get going, you can change as often as your mind does. >> >>>>The only major investment for me was the light stand, though you could >> >>>>probably DIY roll your own. >> >>>>The lightbulb is about $10, and at least here, available locally. >> >>>>5000K, I think. �A Photo-Flood #12, IIRC. >> >> >>>>Good luck. >> >>>>- mpm >> >> >>> We make nice looking labels with an inkjet color printer and some sort >> >>> of adhesive paper stuff. They're good enough to use for product >> >>> photos, or to put on eval loaners for customers to play with. For >> >>> production, we just send the same file to a label company. >> >> >>> These photos used fake labels: >> >> >>>http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/T750DS.html >> >> >>>http://www.highlandtechnology.com/DSS/P730DS.html >> >> >>> You can even include little translucent windows for LED indications. >> >>> They are a little denser on the paper protos than the real polycarb >> >>> labels. >> >> >>> John >> >> >>You can make labels with some Avery stuff, they have a clear label thats >> >>good for covering the top of a finished Avery label. >> >> >>Cheers >> >> >I usually print on the 8x11 clear Avery lables using my color ink jet. >> >If you let the colors set, you get good life out of it. �If paranoid, >> >the old technique was to print reversed on an overhead transparency >> >film, and then glue the colored side down. �Lets you do a proto for >> >less than $10! >> >> >For a full size rack, you might need to split the graphics, and have a >> >seam somewhere... >> >> >I have also printed all the labels on smaller avery type clear lables, >> >and then xacto cut them out and attached just over the appropo button >> >or LED. >> >> >Charlie >> >> � Printing on clear stock does not protect the printed media. >> >> � Print on white label stock and COVER it with a clear over-sheet. >> >> � Labels with direct exposed print, especially from a laser or ink jet, >> do not usually last very long. �Clear laminate on top of such labels >> makes them appear more professional, and retains the integrity of the >> print without smears or other undesirable happenstance.- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > >Another idea I've used with good success: > >You can make your own stick-on lables - > >1) Create in PhotoShop or [software of your choosing] >2) Get an 8-1/2"x11" full size white label (the kind you peel the back >off of to stick. >3) Print lable to color printer. >4) Get a laminating machine >5) Take a laminating pouch, tear in half across the top or side seam. >Now you have (2) pieces, Each piece has the slick outside, and the >glue inside (which would normally get stuck to whatever you are >laminating when you put it through the machine. > >I hope that made sense....!! > >6) Put one of those pieces back in the box for next time. We won't >need it now. >7) Cut down the remaining piece so that it overlaps your artwork by >1/2" or so. > >8) Now, sandwich it like this: > >TOP - Laminating that you tore in half, shiney side up, glue side >down. >MIDDLE - Your artwork >BOTTOM - Then a big piece of paper on the bottom. > >9) Run this through the laminator, placing the whole sandwhich in the >"pouch" that sometimes comes with some machines. >Me, I just run them through without a pouch - never had a problem. >Use enough heat. 110-120 ought to do fine! > >10) Now, get a razor knife and cut out your decal. (Obviously, those >areas of the sandwich that were not covered by the artwork got glued >together!) > >11) Done! Now, just peel and stick your custom-made laminated decal. > >-mpm You reminded me of the way I used to make some of one company I worked for's product labels. We bought the $3.50 per sheet 3M matte finish metal backed adhesive sheets. They are silver with a matte print surface. I printed really nice labels on the color laser printer, then ran them through the laminator 2 times (inside card stock) to dry the sheet, and fix the laser print job better. This keeps bubbles out of the laminated finished product. THEN, I laminate them with the thicker lamination stock which is available. The ONLY drawback is the cut edges, and the prospect of delamination at those fringe edges. They stick great, and this stock is specifically made for permanence, so the adhesive is real good. The price is one drawback, but having them on hand for the next project is always nice as well. http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?66666UuZjcFSLXTtoXf_ M8z6EVuQEcuZgVs6EVs6E666666-- http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/oil_gas/-/node_RT5F7Q6KXRbe/root _Q5FPBNFWN9gv/vroot_CSKM8L762Mge/gvel_FWB4BM70HKgl/theme_en_US_oilgas_ market/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html
From: Rich Webb on 5 Jul 2010 18:22 On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:51:26 +0100, Ian Bell <ruffrecords(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >What do you guys use for labelling prototypes? I am thinking >particularly of control panels (19 in rack mounting for example) >containing pots, toggle and rotary switched all of which need labelling. >So far I have looked at iron on T shirt printer paper, special >transparent overhead projector type film with built in adhesive and >contacted a company that does custom stick-on vinyl decals. I need >something I can design easily myself on a PC and either produce myself >or have produced at reasonable cost. Any one of more of the above might >work but before I take the plunge I thought I would ask what others use??? Try some of the water-slide decal paper, from places like http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/productlist.asp?catid=14&RootCatID=14 For use on a dark background, you would probably want the "white" decal paper. Silk screening onto the panel directly would probably give the best results but there is some "NRE" involved. -- Rich Webb Norfolk, VA
From: Ian Bell on 5 Jul 2010 18:38 On 05/07/10 22:19, StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt wrote: > On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:11:23 +0100, Ian Bell<ruffrecords(a)yahoo.com> > wrote: > >> >> I should alos have said I am aware of Front Panel Designer - the only >> thing that puts me off is I think the resolution of their engraving will >> not be fine enough for what I require. >> >> I am also aware of protocase and may well use them in the future. >> >> Thanks again for all the ideas. >> >> Cheers >> >> Ian > > Then, a local decorative engraver would be the choice for that. > I already tried that - unfortunately none of them can handle a 3U high 19inch panel. Cheers Ian > I think that FPE does engraving at a higher degree of precision than > you apparently think they can.
From: StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt on 5 Jul 2010 19:40
On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:38:20 +0100, Ian Bell <ruffrecords(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >On 05/07/10 22:19, StickThatInYourPipeAndSmokeIt wrote: >> On Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:11:23 +0100, Ian Bell<ruffrecords(a)yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> >>> >>> I should alos have said I am aware of Front Panel Designer - the only >>> thing that puts me off is I think the resolution of their engraving will >>> not be fine enough for what I require. >>> >>> I am also aware of protocase and may well use them in the future. >>> >>> Thanks again for all the ideas. >>> >>> Cheers >>> >>> Ian >> >> Then, a local decorative engraver would be the choice for that. >> > >I already tried that - unfortunately none of them can handle a 3U high >19inch panel. > Then they would only qualify as decorative engraver wanna bes. Try a good gunsmith. They can usually refer you to the right guy if they do not perform such things themselves. |