Homebrew PCBs

Hello,

try  http://www.pulsar.gs , formerly http://www.dynaart.com/

It's not readily apparent on their website, but the instructions 
which come with their dextrin coated paper show how to make decals 
and panel labels...

There's another website, with a tag line like  "We can show you how 
to print on ANYTHING, or your money back!" that also uses toner 
transfer to make panels. I'll try to find the URL, but maybe someone 
else here knows it in the meantime?

Hope this helps,

Ballendo

P.S. You could always engrave the panels with a CNC machine...<G> (Or 
use IT to trim the label and vinyl overlay you're using now...)

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas P. Gootee" <tomg@f...> 
wrote:
> If this is too off-topic, maybe someone could point me to a more-
appropriate group.
> 
> Has anyone got a good way to apply computer-generated artwork to 
instrument panels?
> 
> I currently use the Jameco part number 18876CX cabinets, for the 
kits I sell.  It's an *excellent* cabinet, with a low price.  But the 
front and rear panels are made of soft black plastic, of a type that 
melts easily.  I print the artwork onto sheet-size peel-n-stick 
labels and trim them and stick them onto the panels, AFTER the holes 
have been drilled for the controls, etc, and then stick on a piece of 
peel-n-stick clear plastic laminating sheet.  But THEN the holes have 
to be trimmed out, by hand.  Drilling AFTER the artwork has been 
applied doesn't work, no matter what I sandwich the panels between. 
(I already have 1/2-inch thick steel plates for drill jigs for the 
panels, with all of the holes already there with the correct sizes 
and positions, with bolts to clamp the panels between them. And I've 
tried also clamping things like non-slip sheeting in there with the 
panels, but the artwork sheets are always damaged, anyway.)
> 
> I've tried quite a few other, similar methods.  For example, I used 
to print in reverse, on the back of a piece of overhead-transparency 
sheet, and paint the panels white. But hand-trimming the holes is 
still necessary.
> 
> I'd LIKE to use something like toner transfer.  Otherwise, the only 
options I can think of are screen-printing, or a flatbed x-y plotter 
with a pen or marker, or maybe a CNC engraver or tiny-point router 
that would remove a layer of paint to expose a different color that 
was underneath.
> 
> Obviously, the soft black plastic panels wouldn't work, for toner 
transfer, since they'd melt (and would have to be painted first, 
anyway).  But maybe I could use *another* material.  I'm sure 
aluminum, or some other metal, would work. But I don't really want 
metal. And I don't want the silver (or any metal's) color.  FR4 PCB 
material with no copper would work. But I haven't seen any without 
manufacturer's 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]