Project Panel Labels

julianE

Senior Member
I'm sure I have seen this question posted before but am having difficulties finding it on the forum. Every so often I like to finish a project by installing it in an enclosure, lately i have been making front panels from thick aluminium, comes out very nice, I would like to label the switches and lights and leave the aluminium visible. Have tried the heat transfer of toner from a laser jet printer and it's not working all too well for me. What methods do the forum members use to label front panels. Thanks.
 

julianE

Senior Member
Hello mikeyBoo,
i'm a bit confused (does not take much) are you printing onto the 3M transfer tape or do you print on paper and then use the transfer tape to laminate. Thanks for sharing your methods.
 

Aries

New Member

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julianE

Senior Member
Aries.
I do use Velleman plastic project boxes and your method would work great, I'm thinking it would work just as well on aluminium. Thanks for sharing, I very much appreciate it.
 

mikeyBoo

Senior Member
Hello mikeyBoo,
i'm a bit confused (does not take much) are you printing onto the 3M transfer tape or do you print on paper and then use the transfer tape to laminate. Thanks for sharing your methods.
hi Julian,
Read https://picaxeforum.co.uk/threads/picaxe-chip-labels.28164/ post 1
“Why Labeling is a Good Thing.pdf “ for a brief explanation of how to make decal-type labels & what tape to use.
The method shown by Aries is also very workable.

The reason I use the 3M transfer tape is that it won’t dry out & holds very well over large temperature changes.
(Many of my projects get used outdoors.) Sorry my explanation wasn’t very clear.
Take a look at the pic below & see if that clears it up for you.
Removing label:
Although the 3M glue holds very well, a label can be removed by pulling up on an edge & using a cotton swap to apply isopropyl alcohol under the label as you pull up on it.

23525
 
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Technoman

Senior Member
Since laser cutter/engraver is becoming more popular, prices have dropped. In my area, a next superstore has a corner for DIY project where you pay for the time the machine is being used. For a public fab lab, you usually pay for an annual fee and maybe an extra if you are using some specific machines or tools.

An other way, also used by pros, is to engrave your panel with a CNC then fill with paint. I did it years ago, but on plastic panels. It will last a very long time.
 

Circuit

Senior Member
The Brother range of P-Touch label printers are excellent for labelling control panels. The simplest models of the printers are hand-held with built-in keyboards; the top of the range machines connect via USB to your computer and print on tapes up to 36mm wide and of effectively unlimited length. The tapes are laminated within the machine during the printing process so that the print is fully protected and extremely durable. The tapes are available in a very wide range of colours including black, white, red or blue on a transparent background. These can be applied very neatly to an underlying metal surface. When the transparent tapes are burnished down onto the substrate they really look excellent. Gold type on a black background is also very striking.

I use the Brother P-Touch PT-P750 which allows me to design my own graphics and uses the full range of Windows fonts on my computer; the basic machines have a limited number of built-in typefaces but also have graphics such as electronic symbols etc. on some of the range.
 

julianE

Senior Member
I completely forgot about P-touch, I used one all the time when I worked. I only used the white labels but transparent would be ideal. PT-P750 is a little dear but might be a worthwhile purchase.
 

geezer88

Senior Member
I, too, recommend the Brother PT printers that can use the P-touch editor. It is a "what you see is what you get" editor that makes it easy to get the font, spacing, and orientation you want.

tom
 
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