Labelling plastic boxes

Joseph Legris · Feb 1, 2006

Jim said:
Not this one. It BURNS an image... not your usual heat sensitive
paper.

...Jim Thompson

That sounds nice. My lousy BROTHER labeler uses the stuff I described.
What make is yours?

Alan · Feb 1, 2006

You mean printing on the sticky side? Is that possible? I fear for my
printer.

I've used standard paper labels with sticky backs (ie address labels),
from Avery or whoever, then cover the label with the clear plastic
sticky book covering material that kids use for their schoolbooks.

Works quite well for just panel lables.

Alan

Sjouke Burry · Feb 1, 2006

Jason said:
Hi guys,

I have a few plastic (mainly ABS type) boxes that I put my completed PCB's
into. I want to label all the LED's and switches etc. somehow onto the box
itself without making a stick-on "label" as such. Is there some sort of
lettering you can buy that you can do yourself instead of getting
silk-screened professionally? I want it to look professional but don't want
to spend a lot of money.

P.S. I have tried the "clear inkjet labels" that you can print on, but find
it's not very transparent and rubs off easily.

Any ideas?
Please provide web links if relevant.

Thanks in advance.

Jason.

Very old ,called "LETRASET" and also came with a
clear finishing spray to protect the rub-on
letters.

Peter Jakacki · Feb 1, 2006

Jason,

There are two ways I might suggest. One is to print the label with a
dye-sub photo printer. That way the finish is durable and you can spray
glue the reverse or use the 3M double-sided film to stick it down
smoothly. These printers are very cheap and you end up paying around 50c
to a $1 per print. Alternatively, print them at your local digital photo
booth.

The other way involves laser printing on the reverse side of transparent
film but with a difference. The lettering is transparent, that is you
print a negative image of the artwork so that you end up with a black
background. Now you can use those bright colored labels and dots (or
print it) and place them on the box behind the lettering. Use the thin
3M double-sided to hold it down.

The effect is very satisfying, I recently replaced the front screen
label on an old TI-34 calculator this way and it actually looked better
than the original.(I had bought a new calc but wasn't happy with it).

*Peter*
http://www.pbjtech.com/

Adrian Tuddenham · Feb 1, 2006

Jason S said:
Hi guys,

I have a few plastic (mainly ABS type) boxes that I put my completed PCB's
into. I want to label all the LED's and switches etc. somehow onto the box
itself without making a stick-on "label" as such. Is there some sort of
lettering you can buy that you can do yourself instead of getting
silk-screened professionally? I want it to look professional but don't want
to spend a lot of money.

P.S. I have tried the "clear inkjet labels" that you can print on, but find
it's not very transparent and rubs off easily.

Any ideas?
Please provide web links if relevant.

Overhead projector acetate film, laser printed in mirror-image. Stick
it on with double-sided carpet tape so that the printing is on the back
(and now reads the correct way around) and cannot be rubbed off.

It is also quite acceptable for front-panel labels on non-commercial
equipment.

The ony disadvantage is that the carpet tape provides a very dull white
background. You cannot use clear liquid adhesives because the solvent
will dissolve the lettering.

Pooh Bear · Feb 1, 2006

Adrian said:
Overhead projector acetate film, laser printed in mirror-image.

Yes, I've done this.

Stick
it on with double-sided carpet tape so that the printing is on the back
(and now reads the correct way around) and cannot be rubbed off.

It is also quite acceptable for front-panel labels on non-commercial
equipment.

The ony disadvantage is that the carpet tape provides a very dull white
background. You cannot use clear liquid adhesives because the solvent
will dissolve the lettering.

There *is* clear double-sided tape around.

Spray adhesive works too. Look for the Scotch brand spray adhesive sold in art
shops.

Graham

Jim Thompson · Feb 1, 2006

That sounds nice. My lousy BROTHER labeler uses the stuff I described.
What make is yours?

480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax

Winfield Hill · Feb 1, 2006

Joseph Legris wrote...

... My lousy BROTHER ...

What's wrong with your brother? You two don't get along?
Maybe he thinks you're a lousy brother?

Chris Carlen · Feb 1, 2006

If you can live with a white decal, use polyester stickers from
Avery/Zweckform, type 4776. You can print on them with a laseprinter and the
result looks very good.
Look at http://www.shipmodul.com/en/miniplex-41.html for an example.

Meindert

"4776" doesn't find anything on Avery's catalog search. Is that the
correct number?

--
Good day!

________________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser&Electronics Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected]
NOTE, delete texts: "RemoveThis" and
"BOGUS" from email address to reply.

Adrian Tuddenham · Feb 1, 2006

Pooh Bear said:
Yes, I've done this.

There *is* clear double-sided tape around.

That's worth knowing, have you any idea what it's called?

Is it as sticky as carpet tape?

Spray adhesive works too. Look for the Scotch brand spray adhesive sold in art
shops.

I's be a little uneasy about that, I thought it was for mounting paper
and card and didn't stick particularly well to plastic or metal panels.

Pooh Bear · Feb 1, 2006

Adrian said:
That's worth knowing, have you any idea what it's called?

Not being funny - 'double sided tape'.

Is it as sticky as carpet tape?

It's pretty tenacious. We used it to stick 'leatherette' to wooden trim for example.

I's be a little uneasy about that, I thought it was for mounting paper
and card and didn't stick particularly well to plastic or metal panels.

It's acceptable.

Graham

Meindert Sprang · Feb 1, 2006

Chris Carlen said:
"4776" doesn't find anything on Avery's catalog search. Is that the
correct number?

It is. But it seems that Avery Europe has a different set of products
compared to Avery USA. If you go to www.europe.avery.com, you'll find them
in the Identification section.

Meindert

Adrian Tuddenham · Feb 1, 2006

Pooh Bear said:
Not being funny - 'double sided tape'.

It raised a laugh, nevertheless.

It's pretty tenacious. We used it to stick 'leatherette' to wooden trim for
example.

OK, thanks. I'll try to find a source of it.

It could be very handy for making up better-looking front panels than
the ones I have recently concocted.

Richard H. · Feb 2, 2006

Adrian said:
OK, thanks. I'll try to find a source of it.

Try 3M Super 77 (http://tinyurl.com/43eqc). Very sticky, bonds to most
stuff, and holds strong. Buy it at the hardware store. It's different
from their Artist's Adhesive, which I haven't used.

Full URL:
<http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/...unting_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html>
(Someone needs to educate their web developers about easy-to-forward
URLs...)

Cheers,
Richard

ehsjr · Feb 2, 2006

Chris said:
"4776" doesn't find anything on Avery's catalog search. Is that the
correct number?

http://avery.com/us/Main?action=product.HierarchyList&node=10211066&catalogcode=WEB01

6575 through 6579

Meindert will have to verify that its the same thing -
I just assume it is.

Ed

Meindert Sprang · Feb 2, 2006

ehsjr said:
http://avery.com/us/Main?action=product.HierarchyList&node=10211066&catalogcode=WEB01

6575 through 6579

Meindert will have to verify that its the same thing -
I just assume it is.

Yes they are. The sizes are different, but the material (polyester) is the
same.

Meindert

Adrian Tuddenham · Feb 2, 2006

Richard H. said:
Try 3M Super 77 (http://tinyurl.com/43eqc). Very sticky, bonds to most
stuff, and holds strong. Buy it at the hardware store. It's different
from their Artist's Adhesive, which I haven't used.

It says it is banned in California, which makes it looks as though it
might be an organic solvent-based adhesive (does anyone know whether it
is?).

Most of the comon organic solvents will attack polystyrene, which is the
basis of laser toner, and will dissolve the printing. Some will even
attack the acetate film itself. That as why I originally used
non-solvent carpet tape.

Mike · Feb 2, 2006

Try 3M Super 77 (http://tinyurl.com/43eqc). Very sticky, bonds to most
stuff, and holds strong. Buy it at the hardware store. It's different
from their Artist's Adhesive, which I haven't used.

Full URL:
<http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/...unting_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html>
(Someone needs to educate their web developers about easy-to-forward
URLs...)

Cheers,
Richard

I used this adhesive to bond some 10mil mylar overlays that I had
printed and had a very hard time getting the overlays on without a
lumpy looking finsh. It looked nice and even after spraying it, but I
still got little lumps that showed through. It didn't make much
difference how light the coat of adhesive was until it got so light
that it wanted to come off at the corners. I never did figure out what
I was doing wrong. Maybe I needed something a little stiffer than
mylar.

Mike

Charlie Edmondson · Feb 2, 2006

You mean printing on the sticky side? Is that possible? I fear for my
printer.

Pooh Bear wrote:

Second technique is to first, print it on one sheet, place the sheet on
the panel, and then place a SECOND clear sheet over it...

Charlie

Sjouke Burry · Feb 2, 2006

Used Paint ,you can just flip the image left/right,
and printed to overhead sheets.
This was for a rush project,took about aan hour.
I used this system to put on corporation logos etc.
You can get double sided transparent sticky tape
one foot wide,just try to avoid airbubbles when
applying it.

Moore's Lobby Podcast

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Labelling plastic boxes

Labelling plastic boxes

Joseph Legris

Alan

Sjouke Burry

Peter Jakacki

Adrian Tuddenham

Pooh Bear

Jim Thompson

Winfield Hill

Chris Carlen

Adrian Tuddenham

Pooh Bear

Meindert Sprang

Adrian Tuddenham

Richard H.

ehsjr

Meindert Sprang

Adrian Tuddenham

Mike

Charlie Edmondson

Sjouke Burry

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