Right - this forum hasn't yet failed to find a solution for other peoples' problems, so here's the ultimate challenge!

I have just spun an aluminium disc into a nice insert for my new horn button. Now that it's been painted a nice bright yellow to match my car, I want put a logo onto it before I give it its final clear protective coat... something like this (but very small)...



I may also include a fun image to reflect my wife's nickname for the car (The Frog):



So my question is - how could I get a computer image onto something like a water-slide transfer?

UPDATE: Is that water-slide transfer paper for inkjet printers any good?

[Edited on 16/5/11 by David Jenkins]

How about a self adhesive one? Any high street graphics/sign maker will be able to make one up if you have a .jpeg image (or similar).

Peel off the backing, stick it on, peel off the cover sheet and Bobs your Aunty Mary!

Probably cost very little to do and you will almost certainly get a few spares too.

Just a thought.

Cheers.

these do ink jet printable transfers which you then soak in water and apply.

linky


hope thats the thing you mean.....

You could vinyl cut a teeny weeny vinyl cut horn I suppose but teeny tiny vinyl cut things sometimes can be a bit funny and the vinyl is very easy to deform being as it so small. The logos will be bent out of shape when applying but it could be done with a few attempts. I would recommend cheap vinyl over good quality as it tends to be more brittle and therefor less likely to deform.

You could also digitally print a horn onto clear vinyl and shape cut it to the exact size of the button. So in essence a small clear disc with a horn printed on it that stick over the whole button.

[Edited on 16/5/11 by Irony]

You could have the whole image pinted onto an aluminium disc (has to be coated with polyester) by dye sublimation then if necessary for stregth stick it to a thicker bit of plate underneath. I 'd offer to doit here but the printer is foo kd and can't afford a new one this week. If you are interested in the process have a look onthe Mega (electronics) website and they have videos and examples etc, we have some offcuts of the ali which would easily go in a steering wheel centre.
Your frog along withy our wife's name could be done in same way.

The black horn sticker is straight forward although you could make a stencil then paint it on with enamel which might be more durable than vinyl, if there's no one local we could cut either option ,
atb
Mike

inkjet water will normally run if it gets wet, which it almost definitely will

2nd picture or cartoon would have been better if it was a frog blowing a horn/bugle.











A Frog-horn.

Could you not get the Aluminum laser-etched? Would be very very cool.

Get it engraved, buy a kiln and then enamel it.....













Only joking

quote:

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Originally posted by blakep82
inkjet water will normally run if it gets wet, which it almost definitely will

---

How about printing the image, laminating it, gluing it to the disc, finally plasticote the whole thing to seal it.

Print the picture to the size you want, on normal paper
then paint clear nail varnish over the piccy, 3-4 coats
allow to dry
immerse in water and allow to soak, for a while
remove and rub the paper off the nail varnish, most will come anyway
you now have a perfect image in colour to mount were ever you want

It always worked when i did it to "custom" my motor bikes!!

I agree with the Frog blowing a bugle idea. Also, when you've done th epicture, why not use some of that resin stuff that folks use to make paperweights?

The button badge is already made - spun out of aluminium this afternoon. It's also painted to match the car!

So it's just the picture/artwork/logo, then a coat of clear stuff.

You could have the image printed straight on using the 'hot metal foil' system or whatever the name is. They use it to print your own images onto cups and similar.

There's p[eople advertise on ebay who do it.

Cheers,
Nev.

Just to round this topic off - here's what I ended up doing (I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I thought I might as well give info here as well)


Horn logo

This is an aluminium button cover spun out of 1.5mm sheet, sprayed with aluminium primer, white primer, yellow cellulose paint and clear lacquer.

The design was printed onto lazertran water-slide transfer paper using my HP inkjet printer. The advantage of this brand of inkjet transfer paper is that you don't have to spray it with varnish before cutting the images out and applying them - the transfers are waterproof if allowed to dry for at least 30 minutes.

The oddity with this brand is that the applied transfers end up with a white background once they dry. If you want a white background then you have to finish off with a water-based spray varnish, but if you want a transparent background then you must use an oil or spirit based varnish (which is what I did). Other brands come with white or clear backgrounds from the start - but they require a coating of varnish before cutting out and applying.

I'm very happy with the result - with the added bonus that if I get bored with the image I can sand it all off and do something else!

So not that different to my idea of clear nail varnish?

oopps, and it does look good

[Edited on 23/5/11 by steve m]

Came out really well

My next plan is to do a similar logo for a nose badge (that's the car's nose, not mine! )

...without the horn symbol, of course...