> > Now I layout what I want in full colour
> > and take it up to the local copy shop. They print it onto heavy
> > stock, laminate it and cut to size. All much faster and better than
> > I can do it.
>
> Do you take it there on disk or do you do a colour inkjet print out
> first and get it copied? The laser print / enamel paint / transparency
> has the advantages of being very rugged, waterproof and lightfast.

I take a disk up as their laser can do a much better job than my
inkjet. I expect I could be up there and back with the finished item
before my clunky old inkjet would have finished printing the page.
The laminate is going to be just as rugged and the toner just as
lightfast (don't know about the paper though). Waterproof - true,
although I have some laminated paper that I take diving and that
has about 5mm of water ingress after a dozen dives and max depth
of 39m.

My main use for these techniques is for one-of prototypes for
clients, rather than a finish for a final product. It only has to last
long enough for them to get all excited about seeing a product with
blinking lights and their logo on it and being presented with the bill.

Another front panel method I haven't got round to trying yet is to get
it cut out on one of those gerber things the sign-writers use.
I'm not sure how small they can do but the colours would be nice
and bold.

Other methods are getting your PCB maker to put a silkscreen on
your front panel. They are setup to do it for PCB's already and the
one's here will do other stuff as well.

If you have a place locally that makes those name plates on office
doors by engraving/milling plastic laminate, they can do neat
panels too. They use a laminate that has an opaque, coloured
layer and a clear layer. They mill it in mirror form from the opaque
side and then put paint in the milled out letters, etc. Really good for
larger instruments and things like switchboards.

Steve.



======================================================
Steve Baldwin                Electronic Product Design
TLA Microsystems Ltd         Microcontroller Specialists
PO Box 15-680, New Lynn      http://www.tla.co.nz
Auckland, New Zealand        ph  +64 9 820-2221
email: steveb@tla.co.nz      fax +64 9 820-1929
======================================================

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