How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post your advice, tips, suggestions, etc...
Post Reply
w22
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:52 am

How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by w22 » Sat Oct 15, 2016 4:49 pm

Is there a way I can sign my name on the prints that I do?

Instead, I've been using a Benzomatic to burn my initials in them and it smells!

User avatar
jimc
Posts: 2888
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:30 pm
Location: mullica, nj
Contact:

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by jimc » Sun Oct 16, 2016 3:17 am

you would need to do that in your cad software. only issue is that a printer can only print lettering so fine. your signature you need to be fairly large. lettering can be tough.

w22
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:52 am

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by w22 » Sun Oct 16, 2016 12:45 pm

What would be the easiest software to use for this purpose? I probably don't want to place the letters one by one via TinkerCard. Maybe I would create the signature in a picture and then combine the picture and the print via SVG export and then .STL convert?

Hugs
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:16 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by Hugs » Sun Oct 16, 2016 1:38 pm

w22 wrote:What would be the easiest software to use for this purpose? [...] Maybe I would create the signature in a picture and then combine the picture and the print via SVG export and then .STL convert?
Here's a quick demo I just did using the Paths to OpenSCAD plugin for Inkscape, and OpenSCAD:

Scan my signature:
scan.PNG
Open and trace it in Inkscape:
Inkscape01.png
Tweak settings to your liking
Inkscape02.png
Export using the "Paths to OpenSCAD" extension:
Export.png
Tweak in OpenSCAD:
OpenSCAD.png
From this point, I could load the STL of the model I want to sign and use OpenSCAD "union()" to merge the "signature" with it. It would take a bit of fiddling with scaling/rotating/translating but I've used this process on a bunch of prints to add logos and such.

User avatar
Jules
Posts: 3144
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:36 am

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by Jules » Sun Oct 16, 2016 1:45 pm

Nice tutorial Hugs! :D

ZachC
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:44 pm

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by ZachC » Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:02 pm

What if you put a thin stencil of your signature on the build plate and printed the part on top of it?

User avatar
ednisley
Posts: 1188
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 5:34 pm
Location: Halfway up the Hudson
Contact:

Re: How to Inscribe Signature on Custom Made Print?

Post by ednisley » Mon Feb 27, 2017 2:06 pm

ZachC wrote:a thin stencil
Perhaps laser-cut Kapton tape?

The difference between good adhesion and a bird's nest tangle is about ±0.1 mm = 4 mil, the extruded thread must have excellent adhesion to both the platform and the stencil, and the edges of the letters wouldn't be particularly crisp. I don't know if you could make out half-layer-thick letters against the usual 3D printed infill pattern.

I'd print a test piece over a few strips of tape and complexicate from that…

Post Reply