Making Placards

Charlie wrote:
Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the
materials?

Charlie

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey Charlie - this worked well for me:

I created all the placards I wanted in Coral Draw, including warnings,
limitations, labels, check lists etc. ( I guess any similar software
that has the required font and font sizes will be Ok including MS word.
I set things up to print a mirror image in reverse (negative) format -
then printed the sheet(s) on clear plastic (over-head projector sheets)
in a regular ink-jet (bubble jet?) printer. This obviously consumes
more ink than normal so try it out in draft (or wire-frame) mode on
normal paper until you are happy with everything.

Now we have the actual lettering in the clear part of the plastic (all
else is black ink) and reads correctly when viewed from the plastic
side. I guess this print colour could be selected to suite your panel
colour. I tried different things from this point, including a coat of
white paint over the printed part in order to make the writing white
(not clear). I suppose different colours could be used over some
placards if needed. I also tied pasting a sheet of white paper over
the "back" to create the white letters. I honestly cannot remember
what I ended up doing, but I do remember that the solvent in the paint
and glue was inititially a problem (disolving the ink, but I managed to
find a way around that.

The final "lamination" of clear plastic, printed ink, white paint (or
paper) is very thin and readily cut to shape with scissors (round or 45
degree corners) and cemented in position on the panel or wherever.
Test all the glues and paints including the final adhesive on a test
strip placed in sunlight for a few days. My final product was mounted
with super glue (the thicker one) dabbed very carefully onto the
placard to avoid unsightly ooze-out.

Tip - the ink washes off the plastic so any foul-up can be washed off
for another attempt.

Good luck

Steve J

Isn't there a special kind of printer paper for making iron on transfers to
t-shirts and sweatshirts? Wonder if that would work then use a clearcoat
finish. I never tried it. It's just a possibility.


Ebby


"Steve J" wrote in message
ups.com...

Charlie wrote:
Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a source for the
materials?

Charlie

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey Charlie - this worked well for me:

I created all the placards I wanted in Coral Draw, including warnings,
limitations, labels, check lists etc. ( I guess any similar software
that has the required font and font sizes will be Ok including MS word.
I set things up to print a mirror image in reverse (negative) format -
then printed the sheet(s) on clear plastic (over-head projector sheets)
in a regular ink-jet (bubble jet?) printer. This obviously consumes
more ink than normal so try it out in draft (or wire-frame) mode on
normal paper until you are happy with everything.

Now we have the actual lettering in the clear part of the plastic (all
else is black ink) and reads correctly when viewed from the plastic
side. I guess this print colour could be selected to suite your panel
colour. I tried different things from this point, including a coat of
white paint over the printed part in order to make the writing white
(not clear). I suppose different colours could be used over some
placards if needed. I also tied pasting a sheet of white paper over
the "back" to create the white letters. I honestly cannot remember
what I ended up doing, but I do remember that the solvent in the paint
and glue was inititially a problem (disolving the ink, but I managed to
find a way around that.

The final "lamination" of clear plastic, printed ink, white paint (or
paper) is very thin and readily cut to shape with scissors (round or 45
degree corners) and cemented in position on the panel or wherever.
Test all the glues and paints including the final adhesive on a test
strip placed in sunlight for a few days. My final product was mounted
with super glue (the thicker one) dabbed very carefully onto the
placard to avoid unsightly ooze-out.

Tip - the ink washes off the plastic so any foul-up can be washed off
for another attempt.

Good luck

Steve J

You may try a electronics specialty store. I forget the name of the
product but about thirty years ago I marked panel with a product that
uses a process similar to ones described here earlier but the letters
come on sheet of wax paper ready to rub onto the surface. A form of
"Decoposh" which I believe was part of the product name such as
Decoletter or Decoseal or something. I'll bet the RST guy knows about
this stuff. I think with the advent of the Brother label makers these
letters have become extinct perhaps.


"Charlie" wrote in message
...
Hi, I would like to make professional looking placards for the
switches and circuit breakes in my homebuilt. I have searched the 3M
web pages for a product I heard they have, but have not been able to
locate it. Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a
source for the materials?

Charlie

I remember those, IIRC, the letters and numbers were always black, they
came on 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets, and they were available in a number of fonts
and point sizes. They worked faily well when applied to aluminum or
paper--within the rather crude limits of aligning them visually--but I never
tried them on paper. They were available (and probably still are) from
office supply, drafting supply, and art supply stores.

Obviously the result will be a legal placard, and better looking than Dymo,
but not nearly as nice as an engraved placard.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: For far less effort and very
little more money, your firendly local engraver will make you placards which
Cessna, Beech, and Boeing would be proud to use. That's if you don't make
any mistakes and don't creat any scrap--which is a big "if"!

Peter

"RPE" wrote in message
t...

You may try a electronics specialty store. I forget the name of the
product but about thirty years ago I marked panel with a product that
uses a process similar to ones described here earlier but the letters
come on sheet of wax paper ready to rub onto the surface. A form of
"Decoposh" which I believe was part of the product name such as
Decoletter or Decoseal or something. I'll bet the RST guy knows about
this stuff. I think with the advent of the Brother label makers these
letters have become extinct perhaps.


"Charlie" wrote in message
...
Hi, I would like to make professional looking placards for the
switches and circuit breakes in my homebuilt. I have searched the 3M
web pages for a product I heard they have, but have not been able to
locate it. Does anyone have any ideas for making the placards and a
source for the materials?

Charlie