DIY self-adhesive aperture scales

[John Schneider]

I've bought a few lenses which have had homemade but very nice aperture scales, with a clear plastic on top of a piece of thick paper (with the printing) with self-adhesive backing. How do I make one of these/find the materials?

I'm sure there's a previous post or ten asking for the same info, but it's so hard to do a detailed search. I wish Boolean operators were allowed...

[Taran of Caer Dallnem]

Go to modeling supplies. Aircraft or ship model builders often decorate their vehicles with transparent plastic that can be run through an ink-jet or laser printer and then glued to the model - I think there are also self-adhesive ones. They're said to be water-resistant.

[Jim C.]

Is it a Brother P-Touch label ?

[ic-racer]

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?29267-Here-we-go-Century-8x10-Restoration&p=285641&viewfull=1#post285641

[John Schneider]

Thanks! That was the post I remembered -- has it been 7 years?!?


http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?29267-Here-we-go-Century-8x10-Restoration&p=285641&viewfull=1#post285641

[Sal Santamaura]

...but it's so hard to do a detailed search. I wish Boolean operators were allowed...Just go to Google, enter any combination of search terms you wish, then limit results by adding


site:largeformatphotography.info

Easy peasy. :)

[AtlantaTerry]

I had the same problem with my Schneider 300mm f/5.6 lens on a Cambo lens board. Because the aperture numbers are on the side of the lens I could not see the aperture numbers if the lens was at eye level or above.

My solution was to make a set of numbers with my Brother label printer, then I cut them out and stuck them on the lens board. As I moved around the #3 shutter, I angled where I stuck the labels. Yeah it looks unprofessional but at least I can see the numbers to set my aperture. Now I understand why the Sinar shutter is such a great design because a plunger sets the aperture.

Maybe at some point I will take the above suggestion to print a more professional curved set of aperture numbers using self-adhesive transparent plastic.

Hobby Lobby has this self-adhesive clear film to use in an ink-jet printer:
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/8-1/2-x-11-adhesive-ink-jet-film-417162/

As I was typing this it came into my head that I can use the software designed to print CD/DVD labels to print a label that follows an arc. Just don't use DVD label sheets, but the self-adhesive film from Hobby Lobby. The other possibility would be to use Photoshop to print numbers that follow an arc. I once saw a video on how to do that, now I will experiment with the procedure to make a professional-looking set of aperture numbers. (Another rainy day project for this winter...)

[Taran of Caer Dallnem]

Youi can also use Micrsoft Word to arrange your text in an arc. Use the feature "WordArt" on Word. It may take some fiddling and a lot of test prints on normal paper. But you will get there. Important: Use a font where all letters always are spaced at the same distance, e.g. Courier.

[AtlantaTerry]

Youi can also use Micrsoft Word to arrange your text in an arc. Use the feature "WordArt" on Word. It may take some fiddling and a lot of test prints on normal paper. But you will get there. Important: Use a font where all letters always are spaced at the same distance, e.g. Courier.
You are right. But I used Excel to do it. For some reason I could not find that feature in Word.
Hmmm... maybe I didn't install it.

Anyhow, thank you for the suggestion!

[Bob Salomon]

I had the same problem with my Schneider 300mm f/5.6 lens on a Cambo lens board. Because the aperture numbers are on the side of the lens I could not see the aperture numbers if the lens was at eye level or above.

My solution was to make a set of numbers with my Brother label printer, then I cut them out and stuck them on the lens board. As I moved around the #3 shutter, I angled where I stuck the labels. Yeah it looks unprofessional but at least I can see the numbers to set my aperture. Now I understand why the Sinar shutter is such a great design because a plunger sets the aperture.

Maybe at some point I will take the above suggestion to print a more professional curved set of aperture numbers using self-adhesive transparent plastic.

Hobby Lobby has this self-adhesive clear film to use in an ink-jet printer:
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/8-1/2-x-11-adhesive-ink-jet-film-417162/

As I was typing this it came into my head that I can use the software designed to print CD/DVD labels to print a label that follows an arc. Just don't use DVD label sheets, but the self-adhesive film from Hobby Lobby. The other possibility would be to use Photoshop to print numbers that follow an arc. I once saw a video on how to do that, now I will experiment with the procedure to make a professional-looking set of aperture numbers. (Another rainy day project for this winter...)

OK, I'll bite.

Why not just rotate the lens on the board so the numbers would then be on the top and on the bottom rather then the sides?

[Old-N-Feeble]

^^^ Because he wants to be able to see the scales both from all angles.:)