• The Outside Is Reflective of What’s Inside
• Legend Types Best Defined
• Legend Types Best Defined (cont'd)
• Characteristics in Developing

A.

In house graphic capabilities: In dealing with the development or transfer of graphic information it is important to have a graphics department at least at the receiving end to sort out the needs of the customer, make suggestions and final finish of the product.

B.

Color: Working with industry standard color references (Pantone / Munsell) and working with the final design testing criteria to match colors to specific end requirements – are necessary to correct color matching. This also applies to working with customer samples, where the color needs to be pulled from the part provided, and matching to peripherals where your part will have to match the background surface that it is applied to.

C.

Wear: Probably the most serious characteristic affecting the product – this is the issue that determines long term customer satisfaction. Extra care needs to be given to provide not only the correct type of legend process but determine needed wear characteristics based upon the environment that it will be used in. This is so that the legibility characteristics can be kept in near original condition for the expected life of the project.

D.

Transparency: For backlighting purposes, legends are made transparent by processes that vary according to the material involved.

E.

Environmental considerations: A factor in selecting the correct type of marking process, this must be derived from customer conversations and engineering requirements specifically stated in the project.

F.

Matte finish: A factor not only in protecting the legend already put on the surface but in also determining how that same legend is viewed – from a glossy surface to a knock down type of non-reflective matte finish.