Foilcals

[Guido]

I'm still looking for some of you who want 4343 levelplates in silk screen printing.
I need a batch of 10 pairs. See my offer in "Marketplace"

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...&threadid=2160

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...&threadid=2159

Nameplates are still available!

[Mr. Widget]

Originally posted by Hofmannhp
hi Giskard,

the scans are great.....and usable to copy them for silk screening.



HP

I have taken Guido's 4343 scan at full resolution, (thanks for sending it to me Guido) and created the artwork and fonts as new vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator to create a "replica" 4355 foilcal. Recently I noticed on Bo's 4345 foilcals that the design of the foilcals is slightly different in this later generation than the earlier 4343s so I will need to make some additional changes. There are subtle font and text changes, but the principal change is the 0dB location.

My concern about using the scans directly is that the original printing process softened the edges a bit, then the scan softens it a bit, then the next printing will soften it a bit. It is kind of like making cassette copies of cassettes, remember when? Anyway in recreating the artwork it is possible to get exactly the results of the original. It is especially helpful to have an original example to copy however. My 4355 foilcal is purely a guess. As I mentioned above the dB indications are certainly incorrect.

This image still looks soft because I have posted a jpeg, but the original is tack sharp at any magnification.

[Mr. Widget]

Still soft but you get the idea.

[Hofmannhp]

Originally posted by Mr. Widget (edited by HP)
.....and created the artwork and fonts as new vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator to create a "replica" 4355 foilcal. .......

Hi Widget,

I try it in the same way like you (but for 4333B).
I use Adobe Photoshop 7 and tried several fonts for the different positions.
Hoping you are a step further.....which fonts do you use?

HP

[Mr. Widget]

Photoshop is still only bit mapped images. To get good results you will need to work large and reduce it. The beauty of AI or Corel Draw or Freehand is that they are vector based so you can work with actual dimensions and really nail it. You can also take your final JBL logo for example and change it's scale for other foilcals and there is no degradation.

As for the fonts, they are mostly a variety of different Helveticas, but then I have to modify them. These foilcals were done before the advent of desktop publishing so every printer used slightly different fonts. The graphic designer would specify Helvetica or Futura or whatever, but different printers would have slightly different versions of type. Also all of the letter spacing, kerning and leading were done differently so to make a flawless copy requires a bit of work.

To get the parts I wanted for my 4355, I have done about half of the 4343. If I get bored one night I may finish it and give it out like I did with the 4343 Grille logo plaque.

Widget

[John Nebel]

Widget is right about the wisdom of using vector graphics, however, last week, I scanned a 4435 foilcal at 600dpi and today cleaned it up in Photoshop. This is a photog's approach and photogs are slow, especially me.

The tiff is about 30mb and the jpg is 350kb

ftp://atlas.csd.net/jbl/4435_foilcal.jpg or .tiff

A 3x enlargement of a detail of the image shows it is at least not terrible.



John

[Mr. Widget]

Can't tell from your jpeg, but looks like the tops of the 4s, M, d, and l are all kind of puffy (have crown to them). I suppose I obsess a bit too much though. I bet it will be fine at scale on your speakers.

Widget

[John Nebel]

Widget,

You are right, of course. Illustrator is just a different and foreign world for me!

John

[Hofmannhp]

Originally posted by Mr. Widget (edited by HP)
.........they are mostly a variety of different Helveticas....... The graphic designer would specify Helvetica or Futura or whatever, but different printers would have slightly different versions of type. Also all of the letter spacing, kerning and leading were done differently so to make a flawless copy requires a bit of work.
Widget

thanks Widget and John,

I will try it also with Illustrator......till now I was able to work out the details of scanned foilcals very fine in Photoshop.
Widget-> for the spacing and kerning I used the "free scaling" tool in PS7.

HP

[boputnam]

As requested...

Dims:

Imperial =
2-3/4 in x 9-5/8 in

Metric =
7 cm x 24.4 cm

Label area, at top is:
2-3/4 in x 1-23/32 in
7 cm x 4.35 cm

One image with flash, the other without. The ruler positioning is approx. Measurements taken after-the-fact from the foilcal directly.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hey Dude,

Where have I seen those things before!!

[rjtimmerman]

Hello, I can reproduce all lables, including VOX and Fender. Made of same thickness of aluminum and multi printed, rear is 3M 468mp back adhesive -press and stick.
Also front grill badges for the 4300 series and much more..
foilcalRus
[email protected]

[BMWCCA]

Also front grill badges for the 4300 series and much more..

Rudy,

I know your work is excellent, and we've done business before, but what is your suggested method for attaching your badges to the 4300 speaker grilles?

[rjtimmerman]

Hello,
I make 2 types of mounts. pin with a clutch type as factory did mount,
and I also use magnets. This will not harm the grill cloth.

**Forgot to mention:I also serialize the on JBL foilcal labels-by stamping.
I hope this helps..
Regards, R.j

[BMWCCA]

Hello,
I make 2 types of mounts. pin with a clutch type as factory did mount,
and I also use magnets. This will not harm the grill cloth.

Thanks but I was talking about the nearly-full-width badges for the big 43xx studio monitors. I have some of your stick-pin and magnet "JBL" badges but my 4345 plates have no threaded studs to fit on the "stock" L-brackets. Thanks for the reply.