Label design software for dimmer board?

[moody07747]

So heres the deal, I needed a small light dimmer board for 3 lights for my videos and so I came up with the idea of using some light dimmers and enclosed it all in a box and it works great but now I want some type of label to mark each knob from 1 - 10.

Images of the dimmer board:
**broken link removed**

What I'm looking for are any software programs that will allow me to easily create a label for each of these dimmers. Since I'm not so great at label design I would like it to be a fairly easy to use program...

These knobs have a stop point which is fairly standard for your every day turning dimmer, they don't start and stop at the same point...theres a small gap which is not used since the main component is a standard turning POT in these dimmers.

 

[Marks256]

why not just use a sticky note and put tape around the edges? I do it all the time.

When i need something a bit more "professional" of a job, i just use my inkjet printer to print a label out of M$ paint, Pain.NET, or something else. I haven't had to make a nice board label since i started using linux, so i dont' know of any linux program, yet.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Front Panel Designer

 

[Marks256]

that looks expensive....

 

[Torben]

that looks expensive....

It says 39.90 Euros right at the top of the page. Looks like a steal to me.


Torben

[Edit: Google thinks that's about $58]

 

[Marks256]

that is $58 more than i have...

 

[Torben]

that is $58 more than i have...

Well, yep. That would make it expensive then. I was thinking in terms of what I'd normally expect to pay for niche software which seems as complete as that claims to be.

Me, I just use one of those old-school labelers. You know, the ones with the strip of stiff adhesive tape, a wheel with letters, numbers, and symbols on it, and a big trigger for punching the characters into the tape. When I spend 58 bucks on something, it's components or enclosures or board or something like that.

Then again, I don't sell my designs.


Torben

 

[3v0]

You can do a toner transfer. Pulsar has a method to make backer less decals using a color laser printer. But that is not free.


You can do it for free (or next to free) if black lettering is OK.

Do a toner transfer to a thin sheet of ALU and glue it to the case.

Or try transferring the toner directly to the case.

Either way use clear acrylic spray over the toner to protect it. Make the first coat a light one or the acrylic will melt the toner and cause it to run.

I paint my PCBs with fusion paint and then apply the toner over the paint. The same should work for a case.

 

[Torben]

Actually I've done the toner transfer method before too. Take 3v0's advice and be careful with that first coat of spray--it's really easy to make a mess.

Another thing I've done is just printed the design on paper, made cutouts for switches and jacks etc, and then used a glue stick to adhere that to the faceplate. Then I bolted a sheet of Lexan (or something like it) over that so that the design showed through. It actually looked pretty good.


Torben

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Just use a desktop publishing program, you can easily make really nice panels.

 

[KMoffett]

One quick label method, once you have your graphic layout, is to print it on overhead transparency film and bond the the whole thing to the panel with 3M #77 spray art adhesive. The #77 isn't totally transparent, so it gives sort of a pebbly appearance to the background aluminum. The layout for this (attached) was done in Autodesk's QuickCAD.

The smooth surface allows easy clean off of finger smudges, and I haven't had a situation where the printing wore off...yet. If your graphics program would allow reversing the graphic, you could have the toner on the protected, panel side of the film.

Ken.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You can simply print on normal paper, then laminate it and cut it out - works really well, and is dead easy to do.

 

[Marks256]

Like i said before, i usually just it off on normal paper, and use clear tape and cover the whole sheet of paper (i don't have a laminator... so the tape doubles as a laminate, as well as an adhesive)

The wider the tape, the easier it is.

 

[moody07747]

Another thing I've done is just printed the design on paper, made cutouts for switches and jacks etc, and then used a glue stick to adhere that to the faceplate. Then I bolted a sheet of Lexan (or something like it) over that so that the design showed through. It actually looked pretty good.


Torben

I'm fine with doing a whole sheet but I'm not even sure where to start with making all the marking...I'm not that great at photoshop.........yet.

 

[jpanhalt]

Why not use one of the simple draw or CAD programs and clear Avery label material. If you use inkjet, you can use a color that stands out from a dark panel. John

 

[moody07747]

I only have two laser printers which use the toner, I'm not sure if I can use overhead sheets with them yet...

As for any CAD programs, I've never learned how to use any so I wouldn't know where to start with the design.

 

[KMoffett]

Dave,

Can you post a "rough pencil sketch" of what you have in mind? No points lost for design of presentation.

Ken

 

[moody07747]

Sure I'll draw something up and post images on and off the board of what I want printed.
I'll also post measurements of the case.

I'll have that up some time later today.

edit:
change of plans, I'll have it up in a day or two.