[sdiy] Front Panel Graphics at Home? `~~`

[Tim Ressel]

My newest modules are 2-3 years old, the oldest about
4-5 years. The first ones yellowed because of paper
choice and the fact that I used clear shelf paper as
the coating. The latter modules made with HP photo
paper, 3M spray adhesive, and Krylon UV clear spray
are as nice as the day they were made. There is a
tendency for the corners of the paper to come up if
the spray was weak in that area. 

I've also used this method at work for test equipment
front panels. It works very well. It is my method of
choice now. I recommend it highly.

--TimR



--- Casio Rapman <casiorapman at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I'd be nervous about using this method because I'd
> worry that the paper or 
> contact paper will lift off the front panel after a
> few years.  How long's 
> it been since you started doing this?
> 
> 
> >From: Paul Higgins <higg0008 at tc.umn.edu>
> >To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> >Subject: Re: [sdiy] Front Panel Graphics at Home?
> `~~`
> >Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:26:03 -0500
> >
> >Well, maybe this isn't so fast and easy, but it
> *is* pretty cheap...
> >
> >I've had luck with printing on good-quality
> artists' paper using an Epson
> >large-format inkjet (though probably any inkjet
> would work fine).  The
> >advantage of the large format is that you can use
> the larger sizes of
> >artists' paper, which makes laying out artwork for
> big projects more
> >convenient, and you don't have to worry about any
> seams showing.
> >
> >Glue the paper to the metal surface with some kind
> of contact cement
> >(3M/Scotch "77" spray adhesive seems to be popular
> on the list), cover with
> >clear plastic contact paper, and clearcoat.  I've
> found that since the
> >contact paper already has a matte finish, a gloss
> clearcoat actually looks
> >better than a more diffuse topcoat like satin or
> flat.
> >
> >The hardest finish that I've found safe for
> everyday use is an epoxy 
> >clearcoat
> >made by Krylon.  Unfortunately, it looks like this
> may no longer be
> >available, which is really too bad, as it had
> exceptional durability not
> >unlike the autobody clearcoats.  Also unlike the
> autobody clearcoats, which
> >are really quite dangerous even with the proper
> safety equipment, the 
> >Krylon
> >epoxy was safe to use with just a standard
> respirator.  The alternatives to
> >the Krylon epoxy are the many brands of spray
> polyurethane, which are quite
> >durable but prone to ambering over time--this looks
> good on natural wood 
> >but
> >not so hot on the kinds of colors you can get from
> an inkjet printer.
> >
> >HTH
> >
> >-PRH
> >
> >On Saturday 22 July 2006 12:19, you wrote:
> > >    > From: "Casio Rapman"
> <casiorapman at hotmail.com>
> > >    > Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 07:15:29 -0700
> > >    >
> > >    > Is there a cheap, fast and easy way to do
> professional looking
> > >    > front panel graphics at home using a
> standard injet printer?
> >
> 
>
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