does anybody have any suggestions for panel labelling after the synth is built? Stickers? Paint? Masking Tape? :-\
Actually, all jokes aside, I am looking for a permanent and aesthetic solution without having to dissemble everything and send it to a shop.
thanks.
I’m in the same boat as you are!! I have completed my MBSEQ, but still deciding on to what enclosure, front panel, & panel labelling to go about.
So far, I have been reading about silkscreening labelling. Do a search in this forum about silkscreen, maybe this can give you an idea.
The reason why I might go about silkscreen method, because you can print the labels on almost any surface.
Don’t forget about overheads guys. If you’re thinking about silkscreening anything less than a half-dozen or so midiboxes, it’s probably cheaper to have them screened professionally, or you’ll end up paying more, to setup a screenprint lab that you’ll never use again 
I think it was pay_c or artesia who swears by the adhesive transparency paper you can buy (either way, both of these guys make great cases and should be an inspiration to us all)… that’s what I think I’ll be using. Print, stick, done. Sounds just right to me 
These guys have a lot of different kinds of injet and laser printable adhesive media… vinyl, water slide decal, film, etc. Probably the greatest range and most exotic types I’ve seen anywhere, with a lot more flexibility than Lazertran. I haven’t used their stuff though, so can’t testify how good it is (I will probably get my front panel etched and filled now).
Some month ago I saw on ebay some plastic sheet called ezprint if I remember well. This some sheet that can be used for silkscreen, quite cheap, an d can be light up with a “classic” light (maybe with a pcb light box too). They are not as reusable as real silkscreen is, but it could be a solution for small project like midibox.
I’ll look for it.
/edit
oups it’s PhotoEZ! not EZprint…
more info here : http://www.photoez.itcstore.com/
Don’t forget about overheads guys. If you’re thinking about silkscreening anything less than a half-dozen or so midiboxes, it’s probably cheaper to have them screened professionally, or you’ll end up paying more, to setup a screenprint lab that you’ll never use again
I think it was pay_c or artesia who swears by the adhesive transparency paper you can buy (either way, both of these guys make great cases and should be an inspiration to us all)… that’s what I think I’ll be using. Print, stick, done. Sounds just right to me
After searching the web in regards to silkscreening, you’re right this method is expensive! Unless you are doing the same panel in batches.
I’m about to decide if I’m going into silkscreening, because if I had the stuff available, there are lots of other possibilities how to use it (T-Shirts, CDs, Artworks, Cups, Merchandising, MidiBox-Shawls ;D )…
Another one of my favorites is working with stamps… You get a (simple wooden) stamp with your own motive for about 5 to 10 EUR, and there are some stamps that you can setup with letters… but maybe this is more for the [EXPORT GOODS] look…
One more idea: plotted foils (with a cut-plotter): it is available in sticky and very sticky; I know the font-sizes are restricted and it’s hell removing the unused outer parts of a tiny plot’s foil without damaging the foil that should be used… :-\ …but if you’ll do this by yourself (I mean removing the overhead-foil), I’m sure this isn’t too expensive.
I started working with translucent plexi; cut my own holes and you can always stick anything from behind… I scratch the parts that should be opaque with sandpaper – and can then put any other material above or underneath (I’ll post pics of my new sensorizer next week when I’m back from a gig)!
But I think silkscreening may really be the most professional looking option.
Besides you can lay it out in an computer-program… I don’t think that it’s toooo expensive if you go to a printing house near you 
Cheers,
Michael
Well… Being a veteran silkscreener (that is, I used to work in a silk-screen print shop) I can tell you that for small runs it will be easier to do it on your own. A lot of shops won’t bother with small orders at all (that is, less than 50 pieces), and the ones that do are likely to charge you a righteous set-up fee, and probably charge you to double-check your artwork as well. Doing your own silkscreening is not rocket science. Just remember- use silk screen ink, use an appropriate thread count, for printing on plastics use an epoxy type ink, for your sanity, use a single color, and make sure that it is significantly darker than whatever you’re printing on.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think silkscreening would probably end in disaster 90% of the time for the guy at home.
I hear that the decal plus gloss clear-coat looks pretty good.
I hear that the decal plus gloss clear-coat looks pretty good.
Do you guys know what material that he used?
thanks..
That’s the one I was referring to: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=2517.msg16679#msg16679
I’ve often wondered why nobody ever airbrushes panels? It would be pretty much like silkscreening, but the tricky bit is the screen/stencil…how are you supposed to make those things?
thanks for the link Styrd..
you can use the printable pages, that are used fot t-shirt transfer on dark material..
Noone has any clues on how to make the stencils for silkscreening then?
I have used the photo EZ. It exposes really poorly and is too much work. I would look at the inkjet printed dry transfer or laser tran. Laser tran is a snap to do and the results are quite good
Noone has any clues on how to make the stencils for silkscreening then?
it’s not that hard. stretch suitable material across a frame. fill in the ‘white’ spaces (areas you don’t want coloured) with some kind of non water soluble glue. wait for that to dry, and then lightly stipple screen printing ink through the cloth in the areas you haven’t blocked with the glue, and voila.
Maybe I’m a bit daft (OK definitely )but… How do you get intricate fine lines doing that? I mean, looking at some of the CS’s I’ve seen, it’s about half a millimetre line thickness for the lettering… And there are sharp points on the ends and angles… I don’t see how the above method would work… Not to mention that carefully filling all the squares in a sheet of silk(or similar) the size of an *RU rack could take weeks!
Clearly, I’m missing something… Can anyone lend some advice?
i think there may be a process whereby you print out your design using a special ink. this then gets transferred to the silk screen. you then chuck the masking material over the whole lot, then when that’s dry, you wash off the special ink, which will take the masking material with it, i think that way you can get finer designs.
Ahhh! Thanks random!
From what I know the sieve has to be developed similary to a photography or PCBs. You can print your design to a film (or a special thick foil with a laser printer; that’s sufficient for most cases) and then the sieve has to be exposed on light by overlaying that film. I’m not sure what happens next, but if it’s done, you have a perfect sieve to start printing
I want to get into this and get some knowledge from my college mates, but I don’t know when and where, but if I’ll learn it, I’ll post it here
Cheers,
Michael
heres a foil with that you can transfer on metal, glas, keramik, etc…
2 foils… one on that you can print…
you arrange it with water… and additional you can heat it on 150°c so you can wash it
http://www.pearl.de/pearl.jsp?redir=yes&screenX=1280&screenY=1024