I would like to label some doors with letters. The idea I have is to have red circles with white sans serifs capitals in them. But that is not a must, I just want them to be well made and clear. I have looked for something that is pre-made like this but with not much luck so far. Maybe this is always a bespoke product. Still, I thought maybe someone here knows a good vendor that has nice pre made ones. Thanks!
How many of these will you need? You process can be pretty labor-intensive if you're doing a half-dozen, not if you're doing a hundred.
Will they be indoors or outdoors? What material are the doors made of (wood/metal/glass)? Are they going in a public space where they need to be vandal- and theft-proof? How long do they need to last? Affects your choice of materials, inks/paints, and method of attaching them to the doors.
Off the top of my head I'm thinking red colored plexiglass CNC cut and sandwiched on a white layer (or the reverse for raised type).
Having thought of hand-lettering? Quick and dirty??
If it's wood: what about cuneiform?
All you'd need is a chisel and mallet. :-)
hhp
Can't you get decals made?
ChrisL
All good points! The doors are inexpensive standard american painted lightweight wood laminate office doors. The are inside, not in the weather. They are the letters: A B C D E. I thought about hand lettering but in this context I think that like a UI on a web page fancy or interesting is not what is called for. In fact the opposite. I don't think that vandalism is a big concern in this case. I think in some ways the ideal thing would be for them to be made from plastic or vitreous glass on metal. They should be simple and clean looking but not attention getting. Darrel, you are right. CNC may be the way it has to be. I will look a little more before deciding.
Cheap version: Buy a bag of little squares of whatever material, and compile bitmapped glyphs. :)
Visit a local sign shop that specializes in interior graphics. You have an entire range of possibility including cnc routed letters and backgrounds, photo etched plastics and metals, vinyl letters on acrylic, etc. There are also some nice two layer plastics for use with engraving machines. I'm certain that they will find something to meet your aesthetic and monetary requirements.
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You can also get vinyl letters cut out on a plotter in sign shops.
ChrisL
Does the interior signage need to conform to ADA guidelines?
BTW, does chocolate melt when it's plaster-cast?
hhp
@hrant: I would guess it would. The reaction gets pretty warm. Also the fats in the chocolate may cause issues... why do you ask?
Because:
- They make nice, affordable, and large chocolate letters.
- AFAIK having plaster casts made is not prohibitively expensive.
Now, if the moulds for chocolate letters are affordable...
hhp
Vinyl graphics are a possibility, but some finishes, specifically flat or satin finish latex or acrylic paints have adverse effects on the adhesive used for vinyl.
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OK Eben, maybe you can find a larger version of something like this
http://www.cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk/acatalog/Alphabet-Letters-Mou...
and fill it with some kind of resin, and paint it after it dries.
Or use a colored resin.
hhp
@hrant: Ah, I see. I'm in Australia, and the chocolate letter thing has not as yet caught on, for reasons unknown. My wife is Belgian and can offer no insight as to why this is.
Lucky for me living in the Netherlands, and being able to buy chocolate letters in every second store! Would be nice to have a wider range of typefaces though, instead of the kind of clarendon usually used. A chocolate Caslon ampersand would be SO good!! :P
greetings Jeffrey
infraordinaire
Gotta be better than the American M&Ms :-)
ChrisL
Or, commission this lady?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frecklefaced/4157054541/
hhp
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