Printing Insteon Buttons for clear button covers

[stillwater]

@captainc  What is your method for producing nice customized buttons with the clear covers?  Years ago I bought a supply of the clear covers but never hit on a way of using them satisfactorily.  

[oskrypuch]

Easy way is with a label maker, using a clear background tape.

Otherwise, you can laser etch them, but more trouble, and one time only on the cover -- and those are going to be in short supply now.

* Orest

[Ross]

3 hours ago, stillwater said:

@captainc  What is your method for producing nice customized buttons with the clear covers?  Years ago I bought a supply of the clear covers but never hit on a way of using them satisfactorily.  

Just FYI, I've downloaded pictures, shrunk them to size and cut them to fit the buttons.  Examples are a light, spa, fan, snowflake (for A/C), flame (for heat), dinner bell, gate, xmas tree, door lock, stairs, bedtime, off/on stupid router, musical note, etc.  Maybe not as professional as etching, but it only takes a glance to know what the button does and it passed the critical wife approval test. 

I made the cells in an Excel sheet just bigger than the button (rows 25 pixels and columns 40 pixels for the 8 button keypad) and inserted the picture into the cell (resizing, of course).  I usually use either white or #FDF0BF for the background color.  Here are some examples:

 

[stillwater]

@Ross  Clever, thanks.    I have black KPLs and many Smarthome custom-etched buttons from when they still offered that but have a few additions I wanted to make.   Compared to the black buttons your solution would also allow the LEDs to be seen (the geniuses at Smarthome never figured out how to let the LEDs show through).   Have to experiment with how this might look 

[MrBill]

12 hours ago, Ross said:

Just FYI, I've downloaded pictures, shrunk them to size and cut them to fit the buttons.  Examples are a light, spa, fan, snowflake (for A/C), flame (for heat), dinner bell, gate, xmas tree, door lock, stairs, bedtime, off/on stupid router, musical note, etc.  Maybe not as professional as etching, but it only takes a glance to know what the button does and it passed the critical wife approval test. 

I made the cells in an Excel sheet just bigger than the button (rows 25 pixels and columns 40 pixels for the 8 button keypad) and inserted the picture into the cell (resizing, of course).  I usually use either white or #FDF0BF for the background color.  Here are some examples:

 

What did you print them on?

[Ross]

11 hours ago, MrBill said:

What did you print them on?

I print them on white, 98 brightness, 32 pound paper.  A normal printer can handle it and it's thick enough to see what's printed on them even when the LED behind it is on. I've only played with regular copy paper (not thick enough) and this.  

I use MS Paint to color in the backgrounds - a sometime tedious process.  Cutting just inside the lines and a trim or two makes a good fit inside the button.  I print more than one because my eyesight isn't all that great and I don't get the cut right sometimes.  Just drop it in the button and put it on the keypad - it stays in place.  Nothing sticky necessary.

 

The spa button doesn't turn the spa on (but it could, I guess).  It just lights up when the spa > 95 degrees.  I don't like stepping into a spa not realizing the heater didn't work.

 

By the way, Excel columns need to be 44 pixels (and 2 cells merged together) for the 2 wide buttons on a 6-button keypad.

 

I'm afraid we're about to get in trouble for hijacking this topic...

[Athlon]

I wonder if photo paper would work as well - either matt or glossy depending on the look you are going for.

Great idea @Ross!

[MrBill]

12 hours ago, Ross said:

I print them on white, 98 brightness, 32 pound paper.  A normal printer can handle it and it's thick enough to see what's printed on them even when the LED behind it is on. I've only played with regular copy paper (not thick enough) and this.  

I use MS Paint to color in the backgrounds - a sometime tedious process.  Cutting just inside the lines and a trim or two makes a good fit inside the button.  I print more than one because my eyesight isn't all that great and I don't get the cut right sometimes.  Just drop it in the button and put it on the keypad - it stays in place.  Nothing sticky necessary.

 

The spa button doesn't turn the spa on (but it could, I guess).  It just lights up when the spa > 95 degrees.  I don't like stepping into a spa not realizing the heater didn't work.

 

By the way, Excel columns need to be 44 pixels (and 2 cells merged together) for the 2 wide buttons on a 6-button keypad.

 

I'm afraid we're about to get in trouble for hijacking this topic...

Ahhh I didn't catch the clear button comment.  Although I do have one package of those, I could use for special cases since SH isn't laser printing the gold gilded custom buttons anymore ("Gold gilded" is the price they charged, not an actual product feature.)

[Ross]

@stillwater

@Athlon

@MrBill

Here is my Excel file.  You need decent scissors (and eyesight) - you'll get it right on your 6th attempt.  Don't laugh at my designs, please!

Athlon - since it's behind the acrylic button pane, the type of paper may not matter much.  The acrylic gives it a nice pop.  The thickness was more important for me to control the amount of LED light that bleeds through.  Regular copy paper is too thin and the light washed out the design.  I had some 32 weight paper in my drawer and that's as far as I got as it looked fine to me.

Finally, when you pop off a normal button, you can see - behind where it was - there's a clear acrylic pane on the keypad.  Make sure that stays on there (they can fall out) as that is what keeps the paper snug between it and the clear button.

Ross

Keypad Buttons - UDI.xlsx

[Athlon]

I suggested photo paper because of it's thickness.

Also - try using a hobby knife or razor blade with a straight-edge ruler to cut them out.

https://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X3201-N0-Precision-Knife/dp/B00004Z2TQ/

[Athlon]

2 hours ago, Ross said:

Here is my Excel file.

Thank you!

[captainc]

On 5/19/2022 at 1:11 AM, Ross said:

Just FYI, I've downloaded pictures, shrunk them to size and cut them to fit the buttons.  Examples are a light, spa, fan, snowflake (for A/C), flame (for heat), dinner bell, gate, xmas tree, door lock, stairs, bedtime, off/on stupid router, musical note, etc.  Maybe not as professional as etching, but it only takes a glance to know what the button does and it passed the critical wife approval test. 

I made the cells in an Excel sheet just bigger than the button (rows 25 pixels and columns 40 pixels for the 8 button keypad) and inserted the picture into the cell (resizing, of course).  I usually use either white or #FDF0BF for the background color.  Here are some examples:

 

 

[captainc]

i used the keypad template from smarthome that was available for the keypads.  I will try to find one and post it if i can, it's on a cloud drive of mine somewhere.

on the template i type and use a font (bold is best) and print on paper.  Use a really good paper for clarity.

I print out a couple of sheets and cut the little squares so they fit in the clear plastic key and pop it back on.  the template has lines on where to cut.

i have about 12 of these around the house and if i were to take them all out today the pain i would endure from the family would be immeasurable as they wander around the house aimlessly trying each switch not knowing what is happening.

i just ordered a few of the z-wave zooz with 1 switch and 4 scene keypads, building out another house and preparing the main one for the inevitable.

[JCBond]

I do similar but I prefer to keep the font sizes consistent. I have 30+ of these all around the house. Attached is the word template I use.Keypad Templates Kitchen.doc

Keypad Templates Kitchen.doc

[DaveF]

 

On 5/20/2022 at 1:10 PM, Athlon said:

I suggested photo paper because of it's thickness.

Also - try using a hobby knife or razor blade with a straight-edge ruler to cut them out.

https://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X3201-N0-Precision-Knife/dp/B00004Z2TQ/

I used photo paper for my KeypadLinc with the clear buttons and it works great.  Just the right amount of light passes through but it's also think enough to give a nice solid white background.