I did a search and though there's one old thread on text marking aluminium enclosures there isn't anything more recent, and it didn't really cover graphics. So I'm starting this one as a place to collect methods for producing designs on finished project boxes - I always find the mechanical design of the enclosure the most challenging part of completing a really satisfactory build. As the other thread was last updated in 2014 I'm hoping that things have moved on and the cost of one-off or short run laser cut / engraved parts has fallen. Maybe that's wishful thinking....
As a starter, and to summarise the older thread:
As a starter, and to summarise the older thread:
- Reverse laser printing, then transferring on to aluminium. Cheap, can be DIYed, quality varies (apparently works best if you print onto baking parchment).
- UV printing. Professional services required but provides a very durable result. (Is this the same as dye sub printing? Dye sub on aluminium looks amazing, but I'm not sure whether many places will print on user-provided parts, most seem set up to do photo printing.)
- Screen printing. Can be DIY but not necessarily within most DIYers' toolsets and a new skill to learn. Commercial services available.
- Vinyl labels. Cheap for standard stuff like numbers, but cheap-looking, and expensive to use for custom designs owing to setup fees to produce the labels.
- Letraset.
- CNC engraving / paint fill. Expensive (is it as expensive as it used to be?) There are options for CNC engraving on the enclosures available on the DIYaudio shop. For simple designs / letters a general engravers or sports trophy shop may be able to help, but you would need to discuss options for how to get the design in the right place.
- For wood front panels there are other options: paint, pyrography.
Some marketing shops in my place can do laser engraving. I gave a nearby shop a black anodized back panel for my diy amp and USB stick with the image in PDF and described, what I needed. They were not surprised, result looked really nice and professional, no wear, ca 8 bucks for the whole story ;-).
Attachments
Sign shops. These days they do a lot of vinyl stickers on PVC sheets for signs, but many more techniques are available.
Bowling-trophy shops are classic for engraved metals. Most of the local ones closed. Some of their work can be had at sign shops. You can also order custom engraved metal plates on-line.
Bowling-trophy shops are classic for engraved metals. Most of the local ones closed. Some of their work can be had at sign shops. You can also order custom engraved metal plates on-line.
Use a pcb single sided , use solder mask in combination with silk screen color.
.09" thick if structural, blue boards? Red? what else is out there now?
plated un-plated, gold omg. maybe no solder mask and use Rit with copper text.
etched "silk screen" like bottom sides use.
Translucent thin fr4 with backlighting.
Front panel holes delivered finished. so no drilling.
2mil copper text , etched feel?
Routing shapes possible too. Routed Graphics.
The idea is pcb house builds the front panel and is delivered ready to use.
-
.09" thick if structural, blue boards? Red? what else is out there now?
plated un-plated, gold omg. maybe no solder mask and use Rit with copper text.
etched "silk screen" like bottom sides use.
Translucent thin fr4 with backlighting.
Front panel holes delivered finished. so no drilling.
2mil copper text , etched feel?
Routing shapes possible too. Routed Graphics.
The idea is pcb house builds the front panel and is delivered ready to use.
-
Its an old post, but ive only just seen it... someone from the uk asking about panels, so how could i resist...
I made the (silk screen printed) panel in this youtube clip for someone earlier this year -
YouTube
...which was quite cool.
I do a lot of cnc engraving also. Both have pros and cons really. Setup for engraving is much quicker, but the jobs dont scale (the 100th takes just as much machine time as the 10th or the 1st) and its not good for large blocks of colour on control surfaces.
Silk screen print is way more setup, but scales better, and, in some instances, just looks better. If the design calls for a lot of solid colours, or differing line widths etc.
You can manipulate engraving work by clever layout (ie placing two lines close to one another to create a thicker line, rather than paying for a tool change) so theres loads of cross over.
For comparison, these two are engraved -
whilst this one is printed -
And then you get things like this -
I mean, from the photo, you probably couldnt tell either way! (its engraved)
So you can get similar finishes with either - but not on every part - some designs favour one over the other.
Now this isnt a sales pitch, but just advice - if you go to a printer with metal work, make sure that theyre used to printing metal. Silk screen is used for all sorts, even now, but most of it is solvent based onto plastics. Printing aluminium is somwhat more involved, and requires catalysed inks, with a heat cure, otherwise they will just chip off again.
The only reason i got into this, years back, was that i could never get "factory" style finishes with the water slide decals. I could never find a varnish that did not break up the surface slightly, and make it look a bit like the palm of your hand. I mean it wasnt terrible, and i suspect it was down to my product choice, but i just couldnt get beyond a slightly DIY looking finish, which irritated me for my own builds.
I dont know much about uv print, but ive seen some examples with pretty fuzzy edges - i dont know why, as its certainly not all like that?
I made the (silk screen printed) panel in this youtube clip for someone earlier this year -
YouTube
...which was quite cool.
I do a lot of cnc engraving also. Both have pros and cons really. Setup for engraving is much quicker, but the jobs dont scale (the 100th takes just as much machine time as the 10th or the 1st) and its not good for large blocks of colour on control surfaces.
Silk screen print is way more setup, but scales better, and, in some instances, just looks better. If the design calls for a lot of solid colours, or differing line widths etc.
You can manipulate engraving work by clever layout (ie placing two lines close to one another to create a thicker line, rather than paying for a tool change) so theres loads of cross over.
For comparison, these two are engraved -
whilst this one is printed -
And then you get things like this -
I mean, from the photo, you probably couldnt tell either way! (its engraved)
So you can get similar finishes with either - but not on every part - some designs favour one over the other.
Now this isnt a sales pitch, but just advice - if you go to a printer with metal work, make sure that theyre used to printing metal. Silk screen is used for all sorts, even now, but most of it is solvent based onto plastics. Printing aluminium is somwhat more involved, and requires catalysed inks, with a heat cure, otherwise they will just chip off again.
The only reason i got into this, years back, was that i could never get "factory" style finishes with the water slide decals. I could never find a varnish that did not break up the surface slightly, and make it look a bit like the palm of your hand. I mean it wasnt terrible, and i suspect it was down to my product choice, but i just couldnt get beyond a slightly DIY looking finish, which irritated me for my own builds.
I dont know much about uv print, but ive seen some examples with pretty fuzzy edges - i dont know why, as its certainly not all like that?
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