Reproducing a dial?

[nasadowsk]

Actually, not a dial, but a clock face. Old GE wall clock - the original face has cracked/faded/ yellowed, so I scanned it in. Decided to recreate it in Autocad, with the scan as a template (among the more interesting things - it stretched slightly from years of heat and being on a wall...)

Anyway, when time comes to actually, uh, put it on plastic... How on earth can i do this? It's black with cyan, and I figured someone's gotta make think white translucent plastic sheets that won't die in a laser (matte, not gloss), but I'm at a loss as to where to look.

Anyone got any ideas? You radio guys get awfully creative at times, someone's gotta have a good idea...

Thanks!

[Reece]

Someone may answer here with what you're looking for, but I recently reproduced a radio dial, printed it on photo paper, then sandwiched it between two layers of thin plastic, in the "Restoring Firestone 4-A-20" thread farther down this page. Might work for you.

[VintagePC]

Another thing to try might be to print it on T-shirt transfer paper and then transfer it on to a piece of material the same size as the face plate.

It would probably not adhere as well as on cloth, but if it's behind some glass, it shouldn't be damaged that easily. You'd have to experiment with the type of surface you're putting it on to see what works best- smooth, rough, thin cotton stretched over a plate, etc.

This might work better than photo paper with regards to fade/yellowing/heat resistance, especially if there isn't enough room to sandwich the end product between pieces of glass.

Remember to flip the image horizontally before you print, and also that some printer software does this automatically if you select T-shirt transfer as the media type.

A third option is to use the "poor man's PCB masking" method, where you print the design on photo paper with a laser printer at the most intense color setting. (toner won't adhere as well to the glossy paper).
Then, rough up the backing with some fine-grit sand paper, and just like the transfer, "iron" the design on to the plate. Google will explain the full process.

[VintagePC]

Idea #4: Print it on a clear label (check your office supply store) and attach it to a white plastic backing.

[Reece]

I tried printing on clear labels and the color didn't come out right and the large label was very difficult to handle, to get on straight, with bubbles and such. Some of the photo papers are listed as good for decades, especially if protected from air. Another idea would be to print on a transparency such as for an overhead projector, and then put that over a piece of translucent (if necessary) or just white plastic, or whatever other color your background has to be.