How do you make white artwork ?

[scottjge]

I don't pretend to be stupid because I think I am but I can not for the life of me figure out how you make a white decal or lettering for my stomp box. Would someone enlighten me on how you do it ? I never thought about it before I painted my box but now I need white lettering because my stomp box is dark colored.

Tnx,
Glenn

[biggy boy]

you can buy white or coloresd decal sheets.
So the back ground would be white ......


Glen

[scottjge]

Were would you get this ?  I would imagine at an office supply but I don't have one in the area. Where could I order them on line?

[Mark Hammer]

Once upon a time, it was easy to buy white rub-on lettering.  I labelled lots of projects with it in the 70's and 80's.  Then came those bloody laser printers, and rub-on lettering went the way of the dodo bird.  You can still find it now and then (I found a small stash at a place in Berkeley), but even when a place carries it, it won't be the font size or style you need.

Of course, laser toner only comes in colours.  While it is true that white light is comprised of all colours, light is additive and toner is subtractive, meaning that you can't make white by adding equal parts red blue and green, whether on a laser or inkjet printer.  So what some people do is start out with some kind of stock that is white, and reverse print, leaving the artwork as the "white negative".

While those who have used photo-paper for etching might stop and think: "Hey, if the traces come off the paper and stick to the board as white patterns, maybe I cold just print my artwork backwards and iron it on!".  Nice in theory, but the problem is that ironing on an aluminum box would take an industrial-strength heat source.  Remember that the box will sink away more of the heat, compared to a copper board, so the toner won't stick unless you sear that sucker.

Personally, I've taken to using a white paint pen.  Less headache.

[scottjge]

Thanks for the input, I will try to find a white paint pen.

[biggy boy]

here's an online store.
http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/2.htm

I got mine on EBay, it came from Hawaii

[Sody54]

If you want just plain block style white letters go check out the mailbox letters at True Value hardware.  They usually have 6 or 7 different sizes available in black and white.  I've used them before and they don't look half bad.  Just make sure you strike a line on the box so you can keep them straight.

If you want to go the white decal paper route check out any of the scale modelling supply places on line. 
http://www.bare-metal.com/decals/decal_paper2.html
http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Detailing_and_Display/BMF00000120/product.php
http://www.decal-paper.net/

I've found that a lot of my scale modelling skills have come in handy with finishing enclosures.  Even my soldering has improved.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=448897417&albumID=658863&imageID=7942278

Brian

[scottjge]

Thanks !

[Sody54]

Check the craft dept at Walmart as well.  They have a boatload of different stick on letters.  Once you hit them with a couple coats of clear they don't looke half bad either.

Brian

[scottjge]

Hey nice work Sody54. I wouldn't have the patients for that.

[Sody54]

Thanks, it's really not so bad.  No more time consuming than populating a  board.  Just a slightly different medium.  The first dragster I made had just under 90pcs in it.  Was about 7" long.  Everything but the engine and rear wheels/tires were scratch built/ soldered from brass tubing, brass rod, piano wire, and brass sheet.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

[mth5044]

I saw a pedal that was made by Pushtone that was red with white lettering and white in the design. I ask how he did it and this is what he said (hopefully he's ok with me sharing  )

"Hey Matt,

That is plain old color laser output from Office Depots copy center.
I used the "thinnest" paper they had, 70lb text they call it.
I cal it magazine paper as it's coated with a satin varnish.
The coated paper makes the laser colors "pop".

It was printed on a sheet of paper and I trimmed it down to size by hand. That part sucks.
I apply the paper decal during the clear coat process (powder coated box).
The decal is "glued on" with the clear coat spray.
like this,
Spray the box with a light coat.
Stick on the label. There's plenty of time to get it straight.
Let dry for 24 hours (important!).
Continue with clear coating the box with paper decal.

I tryed the "sticker paper" that the copy center could color laser but it's just stupid thick. Look dumb.
The 70lb text paper is thin enough to hide the edge durng the final clear coating.

About the color match....
Once I had the art done I made four copies and fit them all onto a single sheet to be output by the color laser.
I altered the background red of three. Then I pick the one that was closest.
Low tech.

Thanks for your message.

Dave S.
Vancouver"

Hope that helps, wasn't my idea though 

[chi_boy]

I tried this and was pretty happy with the result.





The top is a full face decal printed on an inkjet.  (Canon i560)  Paper came from here:  http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/2.htm

After sanding and priming,  the entire top of the box was painted white.  I masked off the area I wanted white and painted the sides red.  This picture shows where the white was, but is from a different box, so it's not red.




The line between the red and white paint is under the black line that is part of the decal.  The color match could be better.  I tried matching by printing different shades of red on paper and holding it up to the box.  If i did it again I would print the color matching test on the decal paper and actually wet it and put it on.  Color matching like that is a PITA by the way.

For the record, none of the technique is really mine.  It all came frome here.  Even the artwork isn't really mine.  My daughter drew it when she was 3.  Of course she drew it on a huge peice of paper first and I just took a pic and imported.

Good luck!

George

[R.G.]

For simple, have stamp pads made of your words. Roll a thin coating of ink onto a sheet of glass with a rubber roller, stamp the pad onto it, then stamp the box.

[Andi]

I use this:

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=162&CatID=16

They also have the Decal Pro stuff which lets you do white but requires a laser printer, laminator and hot air gun.

[solderman]

There are hobby screen printing stuff to buy but they are quite expensive where I live. You can then use a decal or paint or whatever and just screen print the white. Quite a challenge if the white goes in to parts of a picture but for text and all white stuff it will work fine then just clear coat at usual.


//Solderman

[SteveB]

Scroll down for a how-to.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=51467.0

Steve