Transfering Unit Symbols for Non-Artists?

[Shrike Fletcher]

A few other fighters and myself are currently undergoing the labor-intensive process of creating a new unit. Naturally, we have plenty of equipment to transfer our unit symbol onto, the most difficult of which is a bracer for every full member. The bracers are made by each petitioner as their last requirement, so there is a fair degree of variation in them. Also, the unit symbol is quite intricate, making it difficult for most people to "eyeball".

I can simply paint the bracers by hand with some patience (and will be doing so for the officers at least), but it is very time consuming. More importantly, I will be graduating at the end of this semester and our realm is not exactly known for its artisan skills; I need to come up with a simple process where non-artists can produce a decent-looking symbol on their bracers. I'd like to hear any suggestions you might have.

Just a note: we tried making a stencil, but the complexity of the symbol caused some problems. I can probably simplify it a little, but it will still be very thin and difficult to cut on that scale.

[Derian]

Well, if it's onto leather, printing out the design and tracing it with a stylus or dry ballpoint pen onto wetted leather will imprint the pattern.

If it's anything else, you can get charcoal or graphite or something, cover the backside of the image, then trace over the borders. The charcoal/graphite will come off and be imprinted well enough to serve as a guide for painting or what have you.

[Cib]

Is your avatar image the symbol in question?

[Shrike Fletcher]

Well, if it's onto leather, printing out the design and tracing it with a stylus or dry ballpoint pen onto wetted leather will imprint the pattern.

If it's anything else, you can get charcoal or graphite or something, cover the backside of the image, then trace over the borders. The charcoal/graphite will come off and be imprinted well enough to serve as a guide for painting or what have you.

The bracers are leather, but they've already been hardened and in some cases dyed. That pretty much puts tracing onto wetted leather out of the equation for now. I might try that on some scrap leather for future reference.

I'll try out that second technique with some chalk-like stuff I have laying around, since the bracers are black. Thanks for the ideas!

Is your avatar image the symbol in question?

Nope, my avatar is my shield which has my personal symbol on it.

The unit symbol is a variation of the White Tree/Tree of Gondor with the center star being a Star of Numenor. The numerous curly branches are what's causing the problems.

[Cib]

Hmmm. I was going to recommend simplifying it for mass-produced stuff, but that is not so simple for a tree...

Is there any way to make stamp of some sort, ether out of a block of wood with a scroll saw or a peace of foam? Coat it in acrylic paint and play what way?

[Beck]

For bracers, ugh. See if you can get patches made and sew them on there. That is what I'm doing and I like to think it looks pretty good. another way to transfer your symbol onto anything but leather really would be simple single colored screenprinting. set up shop for the day and just screenprint the heck outa your units gear.

[Saria]

Most quilting or fabric stores have fabric sheets which are designed to go into your printer, and let you print any image you want onto a sheet of white cotton.

You can print out the most intricate designs onto fabric and then stitch them to garb, they are machine washable, and easy to apply!

[No'Vak]

And the printer ink doesn't wash off?

Or are you talking about instead of tracing/drawing lines?

[HesinRaca]

Depending on your budget if you get the in contact with a 2D CAD printing company you could get the thing cut out of steel or brass, and then either had cut a rubber back, or get one CAD cut as well, and then mount it on a wooden block. THis could be used for ink stamping if the steel is slightly textured (sand blasted for example) and for leather stamping with wet leather and some clamps.

I have a few professionally made ones from my grandpa and they're made this way. I've made simplier versions myself and it seems to work fairly well.

Metal is about 1mm thick, leather is about 2mm, wood block is an inch thick.

I use gorilla brand epoxy and it is definitely on there for good.

Depending on the cost you could get a smaller size for stamping weapons/bracers/etc and a big one for shield... but depending on the size and company it could get expensive. Then again, it would be around forever, relatively speaking.

[Kyrian]

One technique I've read about for transferring patterns to leather is to print the design on a laser printer and then to use mineral spirits to get the ink to transfer over. I have no idea as to whether that makes the lines permanent or not.

Another one I've seen is to use plastic transparency sheets that are printed on inkjet printers. You can then use the transparencies and a stylus to transfer the design onto the leather. This is also useful because the plastic won't get damp and ruined when used on cased leather.

When doing applique on garb or shield covers, I normally will use stuff like Wonder Under applied to the fabric to be used for the applique. I then use a pencil to draw the design onto the white paper. After that, you cut the applique out and attach it to the fabric you're making. Keep in mind that your design has to be backwards on the paper backing. Once the applique is attached, you would go around all of the edges with a satin stitch to anchor the applique in place.

[Arrakis]

When doing applique on garb or shield covers, I normally will use stuff like Wonder Under applied to the fabric to be used for the applique. I then use a pencil to draw the design onto the white paper. After that, you cut the applique out and attach it to the fabric you're making. Keep in mind that your design has to be backwards on the paper backing. Once the applique is attached, you would go around all of the edges with a satin stitch to anchor the applique in place.

And it looks SEXY and lasts for forever:

[Jcollins]

nice shield covers!

Im a huge proponent of Applique on your garb for units and such. Painting is fine for mass production of maybe a big realm but applique is were its at.

leather is simple,
once you have the pattern transfer it to a computer
make it a line art picture (black and white, only the lines)
print it out
take an Inkless bic pen to go over the lines until you have an outline
swivel knife the rest of the lines in

then do whatever else you plan on doing to it

[Derian]

A neat trick I picked up somewhere for imprinting tooling patterns into leather:

If you're printing it off onto regular printer paper, obviously pressing against the wet leather will **** it up. If you need to use it again or if it's a big pattern, taping over the entire thing with packing tape helps a lot. It's essentially impermeable to water (at least in this sense) and won't rip through when you use your pen/stylus/whatever.

[Skaara]

...fabric sheets which are designed to go into your printer...

...they are machine washable...

I used this to put a symbol on some tabards for spring wars. It worked great, but got ruined after one trip through the washer. YMMV.

[Nev the Deranged]

...fabric sheets which are designed to go into your printer...

...they are machine washable...

I used this to put a symbol on some tabards for spring wars. It worked great, but got ruined after one trip through the washer. YMMV.

I've been reading reviews on the printable dark color fabric transfers, and the consensus seems to be that they don't hold up well under washing.

However, I'm wondering about Saria's comment:

Most quilting or fabric stores have fabric sheets which are designed to go into your printer, and let you print any image you want onto a sheet of white cotton.

You can print out the most intricate designs onto fabric and then stitch them to garb, they are machine washable, and easy to apply!

If one were to print the design onto white fabric, to make an applique to apply to the tabards or covers, I wonder how well that would hold up? Saria, have you had any experience with that?

Thanks!

[The Lost Celt]

Carbon paper or somesuch could be used to transfer designs for a one time type deal, or at least a rough outline.

As far as stamp making, the easiest would be a good chunk of styrofoam, same idea as leather, make an indent and follow the lines, except you're making a negative, course that wouldn't last very long, foamies on an acrylic or wooden backing would probably do okay...

[HesinRaca]

If paint-on designs is something you want to try...

Obviously this is heavily contingent on where you are and the staff at the location, but a lot of campuses with any sort of architecture department will have a laser printer that can cut out card stock or even bass wood. When I was at UofO I got them to let me print out stencils for unit symbols for some friends of mine. Lets just say the grad. tech was a little unsure about "God Squad" and the winged spike ensignia.... hahah

But if you can finangle into that position, they hold up a long while if taken care of. You'd just have to make sure the design compensates for any inclusions, so that when you take your stensil out it doesn't just fall apart into the sillouette of a tree with no branches...

[tyorl]

one idea is taking a bunch of thin pieces of leather(think apolstery leather) and acrilic painting it the way you want. You could have your petitioners do that. Then when that is done you DAP it onto the leather where you want it. Obviously its not perfect and variatin will be pretty large with each indivual doing it, but it will stay on forever, look cool (in my opinion), and is a cheap alternative to using other methods. Its not perfect,b ut it will get the job done.