Front Panel Ceation

[Hydroid]

Front Panel Creation

Hi,

I've made many projects over the years and the hardest part always seems to be making a quality front panel. Usually, I default to permanent markers and a steady hand, and while they're OK, they lack that 'professional' aspect.

For my latest project - a pool solar panel temperature monitor - i tried using my laser printer printing onto Press 'N Peel paper, transferring to the inside of the plastic front panel and then spraying the inside of the panel with white spray paint. It looks good, but I'm limited to black text (unless I put out for a colour laser printer) and a limited number of background colours - since the black text has to be visible on top of the background.

I've read about Letraset 'Safmat', and similar products for making transparencies, but haven't been able to find anything local.

So, I'm wondering what other people have done to make nice looking panels. I know there's companies that make them, but I prefer to make my own if for nothing other than the fun and satisfaction...

Any ideas?

Thanks, John.

 

[geoff07]

I gave up on front panels when I discovered that I could not get a bezel for the displays that I use. I now use boxes with transparent lids. I put the display(s) in the box, and if I need legends I use a menu structure on the display, with an IR remote and dedicated 08M2 for keypad input.

 

[Pongo]

3M used to have a great product for panels, a thin, photosensitive, aluminum sheet called "Dynamark II" but it's gone now and I haven't made a really good panel for years <sob>. I found http://www.dalesway.co.uk/imaging.htm but don't know anything about it. I have used positive and negative laser print on quality paper under a thin acrylic oversheet, or run through a laminator and glued down, and those have worked OK.

 

[WHITEKNUCKLES]

Perhaps?

http://www.megauk.com/quickmark-digital.php

Or Perhaps?

http://www.pulsarprofx.com/

I have used products from both sources with good results.

Dave

 

[rq3]

3M used to have a great product for panels, a thin, photosensitive, aluminum sheet called "Dynamark II" but it's gone now and I haven't made a really good panel for years <sob>. I found http://www.dalesway.co.uk/imaging.htm but don't know anything about it. I have used positive and negative laser print on quality paper under a thin acrylic oversheet, or run through a laminator and glued down, and those have worked OK.

Pongo, I miss that 3M stuff too!. There's another product called alumajet, which is a self-adhesive inkjet printable aluminum. Works great, especially with archival ink in an Epson printer.

 

[Pongo]

Pongo, I miss that 3M stuff too!. There's another product called alumajet, which is a self-adhesive inkjet printable aluminum. Works great, especially with archival ink in an Epson printer.

Alumajet looks very interesting, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[techElder]

I wonder how durable the inkjet ink is on a front panel? Perhaps a clear coat over it all would be satisfactory? We used to do that with rub-on lettering in the old days.

Alumajet looks very interesting, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BeanieBots]

I use a colour laser printer on transparency foils.
Do the design in Visio and then mirror image so that the foil can be viewed from the non printed side thus offering protection to the print.

 

[SAborn]

I just print the panel onto plain or coloured paper, cut it out and laminate it, trim the laminate to size and glue or double side tape it to the front of the box.

You can use bubble jet or laser printers, even do cut outs in the paper to make clear windows for leds etc to show through.
It do pay to make the paper a fraction smaller than the laminate so when its trimmed to size the edges remain sealed on the laminate.

 

[womai]

I use regular printed circuit boards to create my front panels. Shop made though, not hand etched / drilled. Since I do them as part of my "real" PCB (which carries the actual circuitry) the additional cost is very small because I have already paid t setup fee - the increment is just the increased size. That way I can get panels with precision drilled holes and machine made cutouts, in quite a few color schemes (even the cheaper PCB houses nowadays offer soldermasks and silk screens in several different colors). No way to get similar precision etc. for that price and with almost no extra effort any other way I know of.

As an example, see the panels of my DPScope oscilloscope:

 

[wapo54001]

I use regular printed circuit boards to create my front panels. Shop made though, not hand etched / drilled. Since I do them as part of my "real" PCB (which carries the actual circuitry) the additional cost is very small because I have already paid t setup fee - the increment is just the increased size. That way I can get panels with precision drilled holes and machine made cutouts, in quite a few color schemes (even the cheaper PCB houses nowadays offer soldermasks and silk screens in several different colors). No way to get similar precision etc. for that price and with almost no extra effort any other way I know of.

As an example, see the panels of my DPScope oscilloscope:

Interesting approach! I wonder if the PCB material will allow light through if lit from behind with LEDs? You could put the lettering in large font on the inside in unetched copper and have an interesting effect . . .