Creating Your Enclosure Decal Graphics:

As far as the actual creation of the graphics file that I use for printing the decal on the paper, I rely on that most capable and sophisticated of graphics programs: MS Paint!! Yeah, I know--hard to believe! So if you're handy with Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw or Jasc Paint Shop Pro, by all means, use those! They'll probably do a faster & better job. But since (1) I'm familiar with Paint, and (2) it has the fairly simple functionality I need for this task, that's what I've used up to now.

Anyway, I first measure and layout the basic enclosure dimensions. For the pedal I just built, the enclosure is 3 5/8" x 4 5/8". The resolution I'm using in MS Paint is 102 pixels per inch, so that works out to 371 pxl x 473 pxl (I always use odd numbers, so that there's a discreet center point; an even number puts the center point between two pixels!). Next is the process of measuring the precise locations & dimensions (diameters, usually) of all the hardware populating the enclosure face, and "drawing" those onto the enclosure template in the correct locations. At this point, I also fill in the color of the enclosure face as accurately as I can, giving me an accurate graphic representation of the assembled pedal. See the examples below of this graphic for my Fuzz Farm pedal compared to a photo of "the real thing":



Next, it's time to create the graphics. Here, you can use whatever sources of fonts and graphics you like. If I need a picture or drawing of a particular object, I generally poke around on the internet or check various clipart collections. For fonts, there are many, many sources of distinctive/ornate/artistic fonts available on the web. I've downloaded and installed some types to work in Windows programs, and I've made some with online font generators and downloaded the output files. Use whatever works for you. I recommend just doing the whole thing in BMP file format. Though the files end up bigger, by doing this, you avoid any unwanted effects generated by file compression techniques. The colors and appearance stay just as you create them, pixel for pixel.

Some important tips about the pedal color itself. First, if you're using standard clear decal media, I strongly recommend a light-to-medium enclosure color choice, and a dark font or graphic. This is because the way standard PC printing works (and I assume the same goes for Macs), the lighter the color, the more transparent the print. That's because white isn't white when printing--it's clear, i.e. the absence of color/pigment. So don't try printing white lettering on decals for a black pedal, 'cuz when you're done you'll have....a black pedal. I learned this the hard way when I tried printing chartreuse decals for a dark purple pedal. Once applied, they were nearly invisible. Dark purple graphics on a chartreuse pedal would have worked great, though. If you want to do light graphics on a dark background, you're better off with paints or opaque inks, not decals. You can also get white-film decal media, but then you're back to cutting out the individual graphics. No thanks.

Secondly, whenever possible, create your graphics--lettering especially--right on the same color background as your enclosure. That's because when you create the lettering, the font edges are smoothed into the background color by a process called "dithering". If you create them on a blank, white background, that's what color they'll blend into. Then when you paste them onto your enclosure template, they'll have these awful looking light "auras" outlining them. Do it on the correct color background, and they'll blend right in. Here's a sample of what I mean:



The "correct" graphic was created right on the red background using the MS Paint font tool. The "wrong" one was created on the white background and then copy/pasted onto the red. You can see what I mean about the "aura" effect. Though the lightest colors won't show up on the actual decal (they're transparent, remember?), you'll get a smoother looking graphic if you create them on the correct color background to begin with.

BTW, for those occasions when you do create a shape or graphic on a white background and then paste it onto your enclosure template, be sure to set up your graphics program to treat white as transparent, not opaque. This makes the process of positioning & pasting infinitely easier to do!

So when you get all done creating and positioning your graphics onto your template, you may have something along these lines:



Now comes the actual printing of the decals and preparation for applying them....