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damaltor · 07-04-2016, 08:38 AM

These cards look like they were printed on, pretty neat. was there a way to print names and labels on the cards, or did someone have a very steady hand there?
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/100-Stueck-gebrau...36;_57.JPG

Harald · 07-04-2016, 08:55 AM

I recon this is how it has been done ;-)

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-04-2016, 09:17 AM

(07-04-2016 08:55 AM)Harald Wrote: I recon this is how it has been done ;-)

Yes, I concur. ;)

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-04-2016, 09:34 AM

Also this is another possibility.

Martin Hepperle · (This post was last modified: 07-04-2016 10:49 AM by Martin Hepperle.)

(07-04-2016 08:38 AM)damaltor Wrote: These cards look like they were printed on, pretty neat. was there a way to print names and labels on the cards, or did someone have a very steady hand there?
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/100-Stueck-gebrau...36;_57.JPG

The font and looks of the cards make me believe that this was done with a pen plotter (HP 7470 or similar).
Either by taping the cards to a piece of paper (with a alignment template plotted on it) or by making a template from two layers of paper with small slots cut into it to hold the cards and leave the printable area open.
Surely not by hand, by Letraset or with a stencil (look at the zero with its diagonal line - impossible with a stencil).

Maybe the printing/plotting program is on one of these cards...

Martin

SlideRule · 07-04-2016, 02:25 PM

(07-04-2016 08:38 AM)damaltor Wrote: These cards look like they were printed ... someone have a very steady hand there?

When I was employed as an Engineering Technician (late '70's) we used:

Code:

  a. Stencils 

  b. Dry Transfer Lettering

  c. Lettering Guides (drafting)

with very fine (4xO - 6xO nib) technical pens for very elegant and legible program cards.

Quite a few articles were written for the old 65 / 67 journals on tools & techniques to apply and preserve this type of programmable card marking.

BEST!
SlideRule

Dieter · 07-04-2016, 06:57 PM

(07-04-2016 10:47 AM)Martin Hepperle Wrote: The font and looks of the cards make me believe that this was done with a pen plotter (HP 7470 or similar).

Might well be.

But what about transfering this idea to current printer hardware? Would it be possible to attach a magnetic card to a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard and feed this sandwich through the printer? Or what about sticking a card with adhesive tape to a CD (!) and use a device that is able to print on CD-ROMs? I have absolutely no idea if this (or something similar) would work at all. I assume that using a laser printer may not be the best idea here. ;-) But maybe there is something that might work...?!

BTW, AFAIR back in the days rub-on lettering like Letraset was not recommended for card labelling as letters may come off and remain in the card reader.

Dieter

damaltor · 07-04-2016, 08:01 PM

The Plotter thing sounds like the most resonable - the letters are far too good for a stencil and dont look rubbed on as they are perfectly in line.

i wonder how i could transfer that to modern technology printers, as dieter wrote. I did just dig out my old technical pens, my smallest nib is 0.18mm. i also found some stencils - no way to make it that accurate Big Grin

Jurgen Keller · 07-05-2016, 10:48 AM

I once tried to use a lettering device, however, it didn't work. Although the foil of the lettering device was very thin, when I put it onto the magnetic card it was not transported anymore. I also did some experiments with a laser printer, again, no luck (I don't remember exactly what the problem was). In my opinion, the most promising solution seems to be either a plotter or rubber letters like Letraset (but they have started to disappear).

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-05-2016, 02:31 PM

Just another idea... :)

damaltor · 07-06-2016, 10:39 AM

oh i have one of those. great idea.

TomC · 07-06-2016, 03:42 PM

I had used rub-on lettering 'back in the day' on my HP65 cards. One would simply avoid the areas where the ball-switches contacted the card. (There was an article in 65 Notes about this). The print side of the card was then sprayed with a clear protectant

TomC

(07-04-2016 06:57 PM)Dieter Wrote:
(07-04-2016 10:47 AM)Martin Hepperle Wrote: The font and looks of the cards make me believe that this was done with a pen plotter (HP 7470 or similar).

Might well be.

But what about transfering this idea to current printer hardware? Would it be possible to attach a magnetic card to a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard and feed this sandwich through the printer? Or what about sticking a card with adhesive tape to a CD (!) and use a device that is able to print on CD-ROMs? I have absolutely no idea if this (or something similar) would work at all. I assume that using a laser printer may not be the best idea here. ;-) But maybe there is something that might work...?!

BTW, AFAIR back in the days rub-on lettering like Letraset was not recommended for card labelling as letters may come off and remain in the card reader.

Dieter

Jurgen Keller · 07-11-2016, 01:37 PM

(07-04-2016 10:47 AM)Martin Hepperle Wrote:
(07-04-2016 08:38 AM)damaltor Wrote: These cards look like they were printed on, pretty neat. was there a way to print names and labels on the cards, or did someone have a very steady hand there?
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/100-Stueck-gebrau...36;_57.JPG

The font and looks of the cards make me believe that this was done with a pen plotter (HP 7470 or similar).

I've just tried to use my 9872C plotter to label magnetic cards. The result is disappointing (and could have been found much faster): the ink of all of my pens does not adhere on the cards, so the labels get smeared already when the letters are drawn. I should have tested a pen on the magnetic card first, before turning on the plotter. It was fun anyway ;-)

Martin Hepperle · (This post was last modified: 07-11-2016 03:32 PM by Martin Hepperle.)

(07-11-2016 01:37 PM)Jurgen Keller Wrote:
(07-04-2016 10:47 AM)Martin Hepperle Wrote: The font and looks of the cards make me believe that this was done with a pen plotter (HP 7470 or similar).

I've just tried to use my 9872C plotter to label magnetic cards. The result is disappointing (and could have been found much faster): the ink of all of my pens does not adhere on the cards, so the labels get smeared already when the letters are drawn. I should have tested a pen on the magnetic card first, before turning on the plotter. It was fun anyway ;-)

Jürgen,

there are pens for paper and there are pens for transparency film.
Maybe the latter are better suited for this purpose?

I bet that the cards in questions were plotted - the character set is characteristic.

Martin

SlideRule · 07-11-2016, 04:10 PM

Here's my fuzzy pics of some cards from the late 1970's using a K&E lettering guide with a 4x0 Technical Pen.

[attachment=3745]

[attachment=3746]

BEST!
SlideRule

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-11-2016, 06:28 PM

(07-11-2016 04:10 PM)SlideRule Wrote: Here's my fuzzy pics of some cards from the late 1970's using a K&E lettering guide with a 4x0 Technical Pen.

Very nice.
OMG! And you also made a ⌀ ! ;)

Dave Shaffer · 07-11-2016, 09:53 PM

(07-11-2016 06:28 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote:
(07-11-2016 04:10 PM)SlideRule Wrote: Here's my fuzzy pics of some cards from the late 1970's using a K&E lettering guide with a 4x0 Technical Pen.

Very nice.
OMG! And you also made a ⌀ !

Those K&E lettering guides were the standard for adding text to the illustrations in scientific papers, certainly back in the 60s and 70s (which is when it was most relevant to me), and I suspect from much longer ago, too. All the Greek letters were available, since math, physics, and astronomy used them all the time.

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-11-2016, 10:30 PM

(07-11-2016 09:53 PM)Dave Shaffer Wrote:
(07-11-2016 06:28 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote: Very nice.
OMG! And you also made a ⌀ ! ;)

Those K&E lettering guides were the standard for adding text to the illustrations in scientific papers, certainly back in the 60s and 70s (which is when it was most relevant to me), and I suspect from much longer ago, too. All the Greek letters were available, since math, physics, and astronomy used them all the time.

Yes, I found many of them while browsing around. Besides K+E there is (was ?) also an italian firm: Tacro.

Dieter · 07-13-2016, 10:39 AM

(07-11-2016 10:30 PM)Massimo Gnerucci Wrote: Yes, I found many of them while browsing around. Besides K+E there is (was ?) also an italian firm: Tacro.

Rotring! If you want to get an impression of what is/was available simply do a Google image search for Rotring Schablone (German for stencil).

Dieter

**rprosperi** · 07-13-2016, 01:51 PM

(07-13-2016 10:39 AM)Dieter Wrote: If you want to get an impression of what is/was available simply do a Google image search for Rotring Schablone

I did just this. The result is pure art to my eyes. It seems I'd like to own just about everything Rotring ever made. I own several pens & pencils, and a few stencils, but always watching for more...