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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: Plexi on March 21, 2017, 06:18:24 PM

Title: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 21, 2017, 06:18:24 PM
I like a lot how Spaceman pedals are presented.
Simple, distinctive and functional.
Anyone knows with which method/material they're made?
Plotter over pvc? or some plastic printed?

(https://reverb-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/s---TNmUGeP--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1483885258/ydgmyn8anri9caxc81g0.jpg)
(http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx150/dmacrone/saturn%20v%20jacks_zpsw5kqx6ep.jpg)
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: lukewarm58 on March 21, 2017, 07:17:30 PM
I'm not certain of the exact method/material shown in your pictures, but it looks like it could be a laser engraveable acrylic.
There are lots of sources for the stuff... just to give you an idea, here's a link to the Inventables site (no affiliation):
https://www.inventables.com/technologies/black-on-bright-white-laserable-acrylic-sheet

Hope that helps.
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 21, 2017, 08:11:04 PM
The acrylic recordable laser is what I thought at first glance.
But it's more like printing, and I can not see any relief/form letter, like the "bilayer" laser recordable acrylic.
It's what you mean to?
It's possible that the color layer be thinner?

Thanks for your help
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: thermionix on March 21, 2017, 09:46:19 PM
I'm gonna guess that's screen printed.  And maybe they have a machine that will do thin flat materials, but they can't fit a pedal enclosure in.  But then again I know nothing about screen printing.
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: PRR on March 21, 2017, 11:52:45 PM
It sure could be silk-screen.

And the world is full of T-shirt screen-frames which would fit thin sheet but not a big box (without major adjustment, which the screen-printer may not want to do for a few pedals).
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: stallik on March 22, 2017, 12:08:08 AM
It does look like silk screen but could also be directly digitally printed. UV curable inks will adhere well to these kind of products. Silk has a high setup cost for the screen which may make the process too expensive for a small run whereas direct printing can be used for a one off with no setup cost at all
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 22, 2017, 10:16:45 AM
Yes... it seems to be direct print over pcv layers.
Let me know if I'm wrong: but in some photos there is a bit of relief, like a toner print.
I'll find the pic, that I don't remember where it was, and post it.
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 22, 2017, 11:05:41 AM
Update!
I don't find the pick I was looking for, but, found another that solve my doubt partially:
http://gearguychris.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/spacemanIII1.jpg

If you make zoom over the pic, clearly the one of the left is bilayer laser print.
But the one of the right?
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: tonyharker on March 22, 2017, 12:02:49 PM
That looks like a material called traffolyte which is a multi-layered plastic sheet meant for engraving either by a revolving cutter or a laser. see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffolyte and http://www.traffolytelabels.co.uk/
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: lukewarm58 on March 22, 2017, 12:52:38 PM
QuoteIf you make zoom over the pic, clearly the one of the left is bilayer laser print.
But the one of the right?
I'm by no means an expert on this stuff, but when I look at that picture, I tend to think the one on the left was rotary engraved (thicker lettering, horizontal striations in the Roman numerals indicating a cutter not perfectly perpendicular to the material) and that the one on the right was laser engraved (finer lettering).
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 22, 2017, 02:26:41 PM
Thanks guys!
Reading about it
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: EBK on March 22, 2017, 03:13:03 PM
I'd say those look printed on paper and dry mounted onto thin mdf.Just now saw those close-up pics....
Title: Re: Plastic / esthetics: board printed over enclosure
Post by: Plexi on March 22, 2017, 07:48:52 PM
Quote from: EBK on March 22, 2017, 03:13:03 PM
I'd say those look printed on paper and dry mounted onto thin mdf.Just now saw those close-up pics....

Yes, I don't discard your observation.
I saw a few ones that looks like plotter over pvc.