The story of the process is documented elsewhere on my website. This will allow the curious reader to learn whatever it is they want to know about it.
Not discussed is the production of the graphics. The LCARS screen see on this particular piece was drawn by me a couple of years ago when I was deeply interested in animated trek panels. I swiped a bunch of graphics files from “The Captains Chair” cd, and re-created them in Adobe Illustrator.
Over the years, I have experimented at length with output techniques. A while back, I sunk a bunch of money into a really high end inkjet printer. Though this printer is now long out of date, it still produces fabulous results when you know how to coax it. I had previously pioneered the technique of printing in reverse onto transparency then backing with vinyl, but am now leaning more towards a more traditional technique. I managed to find online some really wide, high quality packing tape this is incredibly clear and durable. I print my graphics on high quality glossy photo paper, and then put a layer of packing tape over the top. The process is a little cumbersome, and is quite error prone, but it is less so than the vinyl technique discussed elsewhere on my website. The cost is also a little higher per unit, but it’s worth it for the time it saves.
The silver button on this padd was cut by a friend of mine who works at a sign making outfit. He has at his company one of the most precise plotter cutters I have ever seen in action. The plotter follows every line exactly, and always mates up the end points. I’m very pleased to have Casey on board for my efforts. I think he is a great asset to the community, and will no doubt prove his worth over time.
I should say in closing that this padd was not made to the exacting standards that I usually employ. I think it looks great, but I know I could do better. The neat thing about this build up is that it literally took me under one hour to do. I think if I had spent another twenty minutes, I could have gotten a better paint job. As it is, this was painted at night, and held up to a light bulb to dry. Not exactly “optimal” conditions.
Related Links:
The One Hour Padd project.
Vinyl Backed Graphics Tutorial.
Working With Vinyl.
What's a bevel?.