[sdiy] Weird Serge front panel overlap material

[David G. Dixon]

> > Has anyone tried to print images in reverse on transparency film
> > with a colour laserjet, and then cement the film, image-side
> > down, onto aluminum?  That would be pretty durable, I'd think.
> 
> Ooh, good idea, will have to try that. Only problems I foresee is
> that transparency film is often glossier than one might like and
> that the glue could smear the legending as it dissolves the
> plastic.

I think it might look pretty cheesy unless the plastic sheet is stuck down.
Back in the old days when I was just getting started with synth diy (we're
talking, like, mid-2008 here!) I made a couple of MFOS Weird Sound
Generators (modified, of course), and put them in black plastic VHS cases.
For those, I printed out labels from FPD on pink and lime green paper and
had them laminated.  They were held on with the pot and switch nuts.  They
looked nice, but the edges and corners present a problem.  And yes, cutting
the holes was a problem.  I actually used a coring tool at school which is
intended for cutting holes in rubber stoppers.  It wasn't perfect, to say
the least.

I have to say that, even given all the trouble I've had, I really do like
the "idea" of the DecalPro system, and on those rare occasions when I get
everything right, it does look pretty professional.  I just wish it worked a
little more flawlessly.  I think I might try not using the black metallic
foil overlay, but simply transfering the unadorned laserjet printing
directly onto aluminum.  It seems that the process goes wrong when the
metallic foil is laminated onto the original laserjet image, as it lifts
little bits of the printed image off of the transfer paper.