Hi Robert, Fletcher and I use Photoshop as our basic design tool for Control Panels. Fletcher has created most all of the Tinplate Control Panel Icons that we use from scratch, also in Photoshop, and all of the photographic images are scanned or digitally moved into Photoshop as well. The Control Panels are printed on our 44 inch Epson Large Format printer on adhesive-backed Fabric or Vinyl, depending on the particular situation. They are then coated with a UV-Proof coating called "Frog Juice", commercially available online in Spray Cans. The artwork is then adhered to eighth or quarter inch Sintra (a soft plastic sheet material similar to Plexiglas) and then drilled for the Control Panel Dials and Switches. The Sintra is backed by the half inch plywood Control Panel face, which also must be drilled and also cut to allow the attachment of the switch bodies (which are much larger than the switches). We generally leave the Control Panel face itself tightly fit within the confines of the Control Panel frame without further attachment so that revisions can be easily made. I have also often printed smaller Control Panels on my Epson 13 X 19 inch printer using Epson Inks instead of the custom ink that we use in our Large Format Epson. Images printed in this fashion will print darker on the identical fabric, so must be lightened in the Photoshop Image area, usually using the Levels Control. Hope this helps. Clarke
