As I'm coming to having to make my dashboard I want to put some labels on the various buttons / lights. I have a symbol sheet from VWP which is £1 well spent IMHO but some stuff is not on there (ejector seat, NOS, SJ caught in prop warning light, etc.) or not quite what I want.

I recently acquired some nice warning light panels from work which were installed back in the 70's and have what looks like painted text on them. The thing is it's so smart / regular that it makes me wonder how they did it - if they had some cunning template or mega-size Letraset or what, and how I could achieve the same effect at home.

Click to view attachment
I still can't decide if the lights would look "right" in a Series or would look like something nicked from the set of Thunderbirds

There's always the label printer but IMHO it always looks a bit low-rent having labels stuck all over the dash, especially when they're a different colour to the dash itself.

Seeing as the letters on the panel look very slightly wonky, they are probably letraset, maybe with a lacquer over the top to protect them.

Letraset used to come with guidelines under the letters which helped with getting the spacing right. It is still available, but not in the range of styles that it used to be.

looks like screen printing to me

Use black on clear label in the printer then

Hmmm, dash was going to be black which would mean I'd need to find a black light to light up black above the black label on the black background

Stealth labels.....Vapour build quality

You laugh but Petal's dash is done like that - I think there's one switch that is labeled in braille because someone wrote on the panel in tippex before it was sprayed black the rest of it is top secret

Cut vinyl lettering with whatever you want. Can't imagine it would cost a gret deal??

Cut vinyl would be really small to the point of disintegrating though - I have a mate with a cutter and having played with it I don't think you could cut anywhere near small enough.

John,

I (think!) I've got a folder full of assorted old letraset at home if its of use. I'll have a looksee if it'd help.

Chers
Jon

Hi, Don't if this is any help.

I got a pack of "Iron on" Tee shirt transfers when I bought my secondhand PC & printer, now long gone, ages ago.

They're made by Hewlett Packard so should be good quality.

I've never used them, I could send you a sheet to try if you like

Maybe they could be used with your PC to print out lables, logos, icons etc and then heat transferred to your dash.

Just a thought,

Bob

ive done signs like this with a computer aided engraver. most sign shops have them and if you wont to use a metal panel then you engrave it then paint fill the leters after. they will even be able to mark out the holes for you.

Just to add to GAF LADS post. You could have the panel made out of Traffolite, which is three layers of plastic sandwiched together, the same colors on the outside with a different color in the middle. When they engrave through the first layer the second layer gives a contrasting color to the text/graphics. This is commonly used for industrial control panels, we used to have ours made by a local (sheffield) Engraving firm. We would just supply them with a 1:1 cad drawing or a 1:1 hand drawn copy and they would do the text and cut out any holes for pushbuttons etc.

Cheers,

Lee

Have a word with my mate Nobby who is a regular poster on Difflock (but drives a small Jap 4x4 for his sins!). He has just gone self employed making signs and vinyls. He can knock up anything you like

http://nobbyssigns.co.uk/

We get all the labels for our truck done by Nobby!

Tell him to finish his site then

He'll get there in the end, hes only set up on his own about 3 weeks ago!

Whilst working for RACAL building FFRs and Portable Earth Stations we used Slik Sceen printing for the repeated jobs and Letraset covered with clear lacquer over the top.
Done right it looks preaty much the same.

Looking at photo it does look like it has been Letraset and lacquered, also looks like you are aquiring bits of old telephone exchange!!

I bought a Dymo label printer when I did mine , Handy bit of kit . http://global.dymo.com/enGB/Home/default.html

good quality photo paper, and good printer.
Use of super glue, to hold said sticker to dash.

My father makes little signs for model railways, and all he uses is photo editing software and something like Print Artist for ornate lettering.
He reduces the size for the correct scale and prints. They're remarkably clear with a magnifying glass, so switch decals should be easy.

Yuo can even do background fill to match the switch colour.

was going to suggest 'Traffolite' but someone beat me to it...

most trophy engraving shops will be able to do it, as the little plaques they stick onto trophy base plates are similar to traffolite..

we use traffolite at work, a sign makers in Cornwall does them for us, its not very expensive...

arond 5" x 7" with a lot of text and logo's costs about £8.........