Instrument panel labeling

On Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 6:26:27 PM UTC-8, wrote:
I'm looking for ideas on how to make professional looking placards/labels for a instrument panel rebuild I'm doing. I need to make tiny labels for fuses, and switches and I hate, hate, hate the look of the continuous strip label maker "sticker" stuck to the panel. It looks tacky, but they never seem to stay stuck. Know what I mean?
I think a stencil might be too small, has any one ever used a pressure transfer and clear top coat? What else have you tried?

Signed,
Working till spring

I used thin black anodized aluminum which is sold for making placards and such (McMaster-Carr has it). I then engraved the lettering and cut out the outline and holes required on the CNC milling machine. These are typically held on by the switch or device they are labeling. I suppose not everyone has a CNC machine at home, but any labeling service (locally usually available at a sports trophy shop) can do this. It does not require a smooth surface, is as durable as the glider, and should needs change is easily changed without having to remove adhesive or paint.

Here are a couple of snaps of what it looks like:

https://i.imgur.com/2v472VV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZlCKdRr.jpg

One word of warning about fonts to use. Don't make the font too fancy - you need the label to easily READABLE during flight. Arial is great. Brush Script is definitely NOT (especially so in all caps).

Case in point are some of the contest IDs I have seen on the vertical stab that are cool but truly UNREADABLE. What's the point?

My $0.02.

John DeRosa OHM Ω

John DeRosa OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net wrote on 1/10/2020 8:59 AM:
One word of warning about fonts to use. Don't make the font too fancy - you need the label to easily READABLE during flight. Arial is great. Brush Script is definitely NOT (especially so in all caps).

Case in point are some of the contest IDs I have seen on the vertical stab that are cool but truly UNREADABLE. What's the point?

Just look at your Flarm: it tells you the contest ID way before you can read it
off the glider, and really, that's too late to be useful.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

There is a great study by Nasa of label and checklist font readability. It recommends a good font which I used. Google finds it easily.

Problem with engraved or "plasticied" labels is that there are a lot of fuses and switches in panel that requires very small labels. These can be done only with printable sheets. This way you get exactly same look and feel of factory new glider.

On Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 12:55:03 AM UTC-5, krasw wrote:
There is a great study by Nasa of label and checklist font readability. It recommends a good font which I used. Google finds it easily.

Problem with engraved or "plasticied" labels is that there are a lot of fuses and switches in panel that requires very small labels. These can be done only with printable sheets. This way you get exactly same look and feel of factory new glider.

I believe it is https://ti.arc.nasa.gov/m/profile/ad...umentation.pdf - "ON THE TYPOGRAPHY OF
FLIGHT-DECK DOCUMENTATION"

Interesting read, thanks for pointing it out.

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/61659249

That's great, but I never got good grades in penmanship...

On 1/10/2020 10:45 AM, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/61659249

--
Dan, 5J

Case in point are some of the contest IDs I have seen on the vertical stab that are cool but truly UNREADABLE. What's the point?



Amen John! As in, "Blue Smear - on your right side"
ROY

I've used a local sign shop for vinyl transfer lettering for contest ID and registrations. Very simple to apply – lots of options.

Instrument panel labels are of course a much smaller font. Check with the sign shop.

On Friday, January 10, 2020 at 12:00:14 PM UTC-6, George Haeh wrote:
I've used a local sign shop for vinyl transfer lettering for contest ID and registrations. Very simple to apply – lots of options.

Instrument panel labels are of course a much smaller font. Check with the sign shop.

Vinyl lettering is great for large lettering (1/2" minimum and above, *MAYBE* 1/4"). But the very small lettering you might use on a panel is almost impossible getting the letters to release from the transfer tape and onto the panel without loosing a few in the process. Been there, done that.