[Verdoro 68]

I've been futzing around in Illustrator trying to reproduce the emissions label. I've been in the weeds setting kerning, line spacing and manually adjusting the weight of the font to get it as close as possible. It's a little time consuming, but fun.

I overlayed the photo I had to use as a baseline and used guides to get the vertical spacing right. Since I had a 2BBL decal as a reference, the content from the 4BBL label is different (note 5 points for idle setting instead of 4) so I took some artistic license.



Overlayed the photo to ensure the type was the right size and spacing. It's not 100% in all areas, but I could get it there with some more tweaking. The reference photo was kind of skewed as well, but not too bad.




Compared to the current repro:


After an hour or so I'd call this a more correct '68 emissions decal. Using Futura really changes the personality of the decal and give it the right era vibe. It kind of feels like a label or a document from the Apollo program.

[Shiny]

You are good at it! Looks close to a photographic repro.. I suspect you're happy after all that work.

[Verdoro 68]

Just noticed I put the 2BBL idle speeds on the new 4BBL label. Easy fix, but it goes to show the devil is in the details on these things.

While I'm at it, I eyeballed this one.

Originally Posted by Verdoro 68

Here's an example of a '65 tire pressure decal. Not only are the fonts and spacing wrong, the original appears have been a water slide.

Original:


Reproduction:

[dataway]

Would be easy enough to have a forum repository of correct decal graphics created by users. Power of numbers ... hundreds of members vs one guy at some repop shop.

[Verdoro 68]

I'm going to try an experiment. After some further tweaks and proofreading, I ordered 20 clear stickers of the '68 emissions decal from a sticker site I've used before. I've had stickers produced on that material before and I think they may come out close the original glossy decal - maybe a little thicker. We'll see what happens. I just refinished my radiator top plate so this decal is top of mind.

[dataway]

Count me in for one ... as I haven't decorated my engine compartment with ANY of the OEM decals yet. Going to need the air cleaner decal too, well actually, I'll need all of them, just haven't looked up what that means yet.

[Verdoro 68]

The air cleaner decal shouldn't be a decal. I believe it was originally screened on. That one's on my list to solve someday too.

[unruhjonny]

this is a great discussion;
I have often wondered why the decals offered aren't better, err, more authentic myself.

It seems like someone just says "oh, that's close enough" and calls it a day.

I investigated getting a correct decal for my aircleaner, and found that nothing offered was correct;
even one that I got which was privately made from a company who swore it was 100% correct (they made two(?) of them to restore the same air cleaner);
But, thankfully a member here actually made one that was much better...

In the course of the discussion about my air cleaner decal, I believe it was said that making these infringes on GM rights or something - so they have to be authorized;
I would think a small run, or somehow making this as a community thing might skirt this...

I think one of the other issues with the repops, is they are all printed on the same vinyl;
If I recall correctly, some of the original labels (like the 2nd gen Firebird tire pressure label) were printed on more of a paper material than a plastic or vinyl like the rad support mounted emissions label.

[Shiny]

I had the same thought as dataway... that a forum could host shared artwork files. There are online collections of GM marketing brochures so why not label artwork?

Then I also wondered about copyright and trademark laws, licensing, etc.

I can't imagine GM or any of their suppliers enforcing copyrights unless there was a business making money off the designs. I'm no attorney but hobbyists trading label artwork files doesn't seem to threaten anyone's livelihood.

Interesting topic.

And yes, matching materials is another challenge. As I interpret, some of those labels had a plastic film laminated over the base stock. There may be some hot-roll laminator films that would work as overlays?

Speaking of... I layed out a timing tape to put on my damper yesterday (not reproducing anything original, just don't want to spend $15 for a commercial version). Does anyone know if there are "plastic" label stock materials that are sold for use with home ink-jet printers? I'd like to print my tape on a plastic substrate... label stock with adhesive would be a bonus.


Mike

[Verdoro 68]

I got the proof back for the sticker and my experiment failed as the clear stickers won't print the black. I got another connection through the GTOAA that I'm going to try.

[gto4ben]

Originally Posted by Shiny

I had the same thought as dataway... that a forum could host shared artwork files. There are online collections of GM marketing brochures so why not label artwork?

Then I also wondered about copyright and trademark laws, licensing, etc.

I can't imagine GM or any of their suppliers enforcing copyrights unless there was a business making money off the designs. I'm no attorney but hobbyists trading label artwork files doesn't seem to threaten anyone's livelihood.

Interesting topic.

And yes, matching materials is another challenge. As I interpret, some of those labels had a plastic film laminated over the base stock. There may be some hot-roll laminator films that would work as overlays?

Speaking of... I layed out a timing tape to put on my damper yesterday (not reproducing anything original, just don't want to spend $15 for a commercial version). Does anyone know if there are "plastic" label stock materials that are sold for use with home ink-jet printers? I'd like to print my tape on a plastic substrate... label stock with adhesive would be a bonus.


Mike

With regards to plastic materials compatible with injet printers, I've used HTVRont.com . After it drys, I apply a clear coat to lock in the ink. To make it around the circumference of the balancer, you'll need a larger sticker or break it up in segments.

[gto4ben]

Originally Posted by Verdoro 68

The air cleaner decal shouldn't be a decal. I believe it was originally screened on. That one's on my list to solve someday too.

I've seen some videos for vinyl sublimation stickers. After printing on this sticker paper and applying a chemical over the ink, it works like an heat transfer patch. It sounds great but I've never seen an inkjet with white ink. What do you think if I first apply white and then heat transfer the space outside the letters in black and then paint the entire air cleaner in clear after feather sanding the edge?
In the 80's at a car show, a nice guy gave me a air cleaner sticker that looks 97% close to original. I used it to get the spacing on a flat surface. It's a work in progress. I need to figure how to thicker the letters.

[Verdoro 68]

Another case of the reproduction completely ignoring the original fonts. Looks like our trusty friend Futura on the original air cleaner. The part number may be Univers Condensed Bold like you used on the battery label. The AC logo is, well, the AC logo. Notice the notch in the cross bar of the A (it's blurred on the original), that's not a font. I bet you could find a PDF of it online somewhere.

The process for this one has always puzzled me. To me, it looks like it was originally silkscreened on because it appeared to be painted, but I really have no idea. Likewise, not sure of a modern process that duplicates the appearance. I was wondering if you could make a little kit to do these with a burned silkscreen of the label, a jar of paint and a little squeegee.

[dataway]

Yep, I think there should be a whole topic area for member generated art, member produced re-pops, fixes, mods etc. Kind of a "Maker" forum for members that enjoy producing their own solutions to Pontiac problems.

[Verdoro 68]

So I'm finishing up the artwork for the emissions decal before I sent it off to get a quote, and I thought I do a quick round to make sure there isn't already a "correct" one out there. Every single variant I can find for '68 and '69 is using the incorrect fonts except the '68 Ram Air emissions decal. Bizarre.

[dataway]

The RA guys get all the good stuff

[Verdoro 68]

I may have a line on printing the emissions decals. Stay tuned.

I eyeballed the air cleaner. It's not exact, but in the ballpark. PDF attached in case it's useful for anyone. The fonts are outlined so the text isn't editable, but it's all vector artwork so you can scale it up or down without problems.

[gto4ben]

Very impressive. I printed your pdf without scaling to compare with my extra air 67 GTO standard cleaner. Great match. Only the line spacing of the first line appears larger and the font size appears smaller.
SInce the font is the same, and if you have time, can you make a modification for the Heavy Duty cleaner?

[Verdoro 68]

Originally Posted by gto4ben

Very impressive. I printed your pdf without scaling to compare with my extra air 67 GTO standard cleaner. Great match. Only the line spacing of the first line appears larger and the font size appears smaller.
SInce the font is the same, and if you have time, can you make a modification for the Heavy Duty cleaner?

Sure! Straight on pictures are the best. I did that last one by eyeballing the pic you posted above and cross referencing it with the reproductions. I'm surprised it matched as well as it did! I totally guessed on the overall size. Looks like I might have got the title font or weight wrong, I'll tinker with that too.

I was wondering if a dry transfer would work for the air cleaner. It would probably be much more crisp than the original but at least you wouldn't have the boundary of the decal.

https://www.colorvu.com/automotive

[dataway]

All this effort needs to be saved somehow in a central location ... a year from now this thread will be buried and someone will be doing it all over again.