Using Clear sticky labels

[DryRoasted]

I bought a pack of clear inkjet labels with the idea of printing the controls and stuff on then sticking to the top of my boxes.  Has anyone had any experience with these?  If I spray a laquer layer over the top will the ink run?  how durable are they?  Any experiences gratefully received.


Jim

[darron]

ive seen this done by people in the pictures thread. paying attention to the sonicofuzz and the recent octavia. it was very obvious where the clear sticker began and ended, but that may have just been due to the flash. results were actually quite good, but not what you would expect to see on a commercial model. try spraying the clear coat and post some pic! everyone loves pics

[gez]

I use 'clear' labels.  The ones I use aren't actually transparent but opaque.  This annoyed me when I first bought them, but now I take advantage of this quirk.  If you print using inkjet and place them on a plain aluminium box, the pattern of the metal shows through and you get 'marbling'.  If you use yellow backing then you can get pseudo copper/brass effects.  I tend to use pink, which comes out as purple.  I like the effect, though it probably isn't to everyone's taste.

[MartyMart]

Looks good Gez

MM

[bdog57]

http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/boxinaday.html

This guy posts as dano12.  You can see some of his handiwork if you explore the rest of his site - or just look for some of his handiwork on the "Pictures!" thread.  I have yet to even build my own box, but this will probably be the method I choose.  It looks good and doesn't take long.

[gez]

...or boxinanhour:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=35648.0

[DryRoasted]

cheers guys!

[Pushtone]

quote author=DryRoasted

"If I spray a laquer layer over the top will the ink run?  "

Yes it is possible the ink will run if you spray too much at one time.
Lite coats are the key. I do 3-4 lite coats of clear while the decals are taped down flat.



Its important to let the ink completely dry before spraying.
Dry times will depend on how much surface area is covered with ink and to what saturation.
Up to twenty minutes dry time for a high saturation color print is a good guide line.

quote author=DryRoasted

"how durable are they?  Any experiences gratefully received."

They can be very durable. I have had no lifting of edges or anything like that. The problem is laminated decals are hard to do well. Problems occur during the application. Once dry they are very stable. No you won't see this on a commercial pedal because screen printing is faster and better for manufacturing. Laminated color art is for the one-off pedal.

A lot depends on the application of the decal to the surface and the clear coat too. I have learned much by messing up and starting over. Something went wrong either during application of the decal or during spraying of clear or the drying. Some of the pit falls are bubbles under the decal, bubbles in the clear coat, shrinking, finger printing, separation.

I have moved away from the sticky backing type papers as I found they can bubble up when drying.

The newest material I've used for laminated graphics that Works great and is cheap!!! is...

Color Laser print on Staples magazine paper. You can't buy this paper. AFAIK it's only available at the business copy center in Staples. Thats where I found it when looking through their paper samples at the counter.  It's very thin and can be smoothed super easy with 4 coats of clear. It also has a semi-gloss surface that makes for excellent color saturation with the color laser output.

I prepared artwork in Adobe Illustrator, saved it as a pdf, and brought it to Staple copy center on CD-ROM. I ordered 4 color laser copies on "magazine" paper for 0.70 cents each.
I clear coat the decals before cutting them. To glue them down I use the same clear coat spray as on the decal. I spray the top of the box with a lite coat and stick the decal down rubbing it with my finger to smooth out. The decal will slide around long enough to let you push it into perfect alignment. Let that dry 8-24 hours. Then clear coat the box and decal on all sides for 4-6 coats. I think using the clear spray as the glue embeds the decal.

I did two identical boxes. One had a problem with bubbles after drying, but thats my bad application. The other box turned out perfect.

I like this process the best for laminated art. I don't have to buy a whole box of specialty paper, only 70 cents for an 8x10, it is very very thin media and IT'S IN COLOR!

Well I can't let you read that much and not give you a photo. Here is the laminated Magazine paper. I don't want to show the whole thing as I want to unveil it in a build report post. I can not feel the papers edge when I run my finger over the box.



Only problem is that the finish is so perfect I'm afraid I'll mess it up while loading in the electronics.

[markm]

What about actual "roadwear" from actual use......scrapes & scratches etc. 
I must say, your artwork looks Very Good!! 

[DryRoasted]

Damn that looks good!

[Pushtone]

What about actual "roadwear" from actual use......scrapes & scratches etc. 

Same as a painted pedal. Pedals get chipped finishes. Thats all there is to it.
I like to think of them as love marks for a pedal that gets used.

The clear coat will bear the brunt of the damage. The decal should be OK.
If the surface with the decal gets scratched deep enough to tear the decal I might look at clear nail polish to make a repair.

[Pushtone]

I've been searching my photo dump for this picture...

A laminated decal done with "sticker paper". Staples brand I think, made for ink jets. 25 sheets 8.5x11 for 20 bucks!

It printed with good results.
I clear coated the print with good results.
I glued it down to the box with the clear coat as the "glue" with good results. Let it dry for 24 hours.
I applied several clear coats over the course of the afternoon with good results.
At 9:00PM, when the clear was "dry to the touch" it looked perfect. I was stoked. Went to bed a happy pedal guy.

Eight hours later in the morning it looked like this!



What went wrong? Shock : Horror : Were did the bubbles come from?
All I can figure is the clear shrunk and crinkled the sticker.

[Barcode80]

if the clear isn't too thick, you can probably pole the bubbles with a needle, smooth them out, then recoat. if the clear shrunk it, it won't do it twice.

[markm]

Yes, shrinkage is a problem with any paint but it seems clearcoat is the worst.