# UV Printing/Drilling/Faceplates through AmplifyFun (Tayda alternative)



## Danbieranowski (Aug 11, 2021)

Hey all,

We've had some seriously long discussions around here about one-off UV printing using Tayda's printing service. While I do like Tayda's service and options, meeting their file requirements and using their drill service options can be difficult and take some time. The need for companies who will do single pedal UV printing is growing, so I think having options is a great thing. 

In researching alternatives, I met Spencer from AmplifyFun (@amplifyfun - https://amplifyfun.com/ - based out of Portland, OR). His prices are pretty similar to Tayda's, but his file requirements are far easier to work around (including working WITH Affinity Designer, not requiring vector artwork, and not requiring coordinates for your drill template), he can print on the SIDES of your 125B enclosures, and he provides other great services such as laser-engraved two-color plastic faceplates (these do require vector art) and milling. I especially like the faceplates to slap on top of mis-drilled or mis-printed pedals, or for pedals I've already built into plain enclosures that I now want to gussy up a bit. 

I'm not associated with Spencer's business in any way (he is a member of this message board), I just honestly believe it's important that we all know what options we have out there, and I recently had a couple enclosures printed up and one of the plastic faceplates made and he did an excellent job and was super friendly and helpful throughout and deserves our business!

Here are 2 samples of his UV prints, a faceplate sample, and what his CNC looks like for drilling/milling:











Here are the basics for how it works (@amplifyfun Spencer, please correct anything if it's inaccurate!):
1) He usually stocks white and black 125B enclosures that he sells for $8, or he can order you just about any other color, size, etc. Otherwise you can have any enclosures drop-shipped directly to him if you already have enclosures or want to order your own. If you want to use the laser-engraved plastic 3M backed toppers (like the Soup or Fuzz above), he prints those starting at $5 a pop and he can do just about any size/shape and offers a BUNCH of color options (including wood grain). You just peel the backing off and stick em on (or get em made without backing). The price is based on material used, so larger pedals = higher cost. 
2) He has templates that he can provide for you to paste or build your design in. They are very organized and include different layers for different items. For example, there's a drill template layer with different hole-size markers. One of the layers he includes matches the PedalPCB Drill Guides, so you just put the hole-size markers over the holes you want on that drill template layer, and that's that. He will drill the holes at the size requested where marked (no coordinates required). Another layer example would be the artwork layer or the gloss layer. Just use his included swatches (they are embedded in the template) and apply to your white or gloss layer. I provided a single piece of artwork for printing on a black enclosure, and he created the white layer for me since I was worried I'd screw it up and the color layer would print over the top of it. He turned the proof over very quickly for approval (a process that Tayda doesn't provide).
3) He sends you an invoice for cost, which you can pay online. 
4) He does the heavy lifting and sends you the enclosures. WEEE!

Here's an example of what a template looks like (_the templates are subject to change at any time, so make sure you get the most current one from Spencer_):





Current pricing (again this may change at any time):
UV printing is $5 each side. He can print on the face of the pedal, and if you're using a smaller pedal like a 125B he can print the sides (but not the top and bottom because it won't fit in the printer that way). Add gloss for $1 each side.

Drilling service is $5 for the first 7 holes and $0.50 for each additional hole, per enclosure.

As stated before, the plastic faceplates start at $5 for 125B size.

This is obviously a ton of info, but the overall point is that there are viable alternatives out there run by folks just like you and me doing super cool stuff so we can make unique pedals. Hopefully people find this helpful!

-Dan


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## caiofilipini (Aug 11, 2021)

Thanks for sharing that, Dan! Sounds promising. I might give it a shot in the near future.


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## cooder (Aug 12, 2021)

Those look amazing, good to know there's alternatives, although I guess the shipping from the States to my neck of the woods would kill it for me.


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## finebyfine (Aug 12, 2021)

Really glad you shared this Dan!

Love that the drills can just be a layer and that he prints on all sides. I’m definitely going to order a couple from Spencer next time I’m boxing up an odd hole placement or am itching for side prints which is so damn cool.

really excited to see that more one off options are popping up and will definitely support that as much as I can

edit: really cool one from their insta


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## Stickman393 (Aug 12, 2021)

Hell yeah, I'm probably going to order up a few faceplates for some of my enclosures that I made some oopsies on...


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## Harry Klippton (Aug 12, 2021)

🤔🤔 maybe I'll try this


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 12, 2021)

I had a few pedals that I needed face and side printing for that I was gonna silkscreen. Might just go with this now! I had seen them before, but never knew they could print on sides too!
Definitely a lot more cost effective and less wasteful than burning a screen for a one-off print.


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## Gordo (Aug 12, 2021)

Thanks for posting this Dan, I'm intrigued!


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## peccary (Aug 12, 2021)

Thanks for sharing this. For those us who are inept when it comes to a lot of these things this looks much more realistic. I especially like the face-plate idea, I'm going to have to take a look. I bookmarked the site to take a look at it again when it's all up and running.


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## burger-patty-and-bacon (Aug 12, 2021)

I shot him an email.  I really dig the idea of the plastic overlay.  I think if done right and attached at each of the 4 corners with a cool looking screw it would look super bad ass.  Thanks man.


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## Danbieranowski (Aug 12, 2021)

burger-patty-and-bacon said:


> I shot him an email.  I really dig the idea of the plastic overlay.  I think if done right and attached at each of the 4 corners with a cool looking screw it would look super bad ass.  Thanks man.


Rad! Can’t wait to see one!


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## amplifyfun (Aug 12, 2021)

I just want to say HELLO, and a big THANK YOU to Dan for the shout-out. I am happy to help with printing and branding your projects.  Please contact me directly by email, social media, or my website. Email is the best way, and I can send you all the pertinent information. Thank you and have fun building!  
-Spencer
@amplifyfun


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## zgrav (Aug 12, 2021)

those plastic overlays could be a good way to standardize some licensed VFE pedal designs....


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## uranium_jones (Aug 19, 2021)

I'm just commenting because I want to see any further developments on this thread. You know, if it ends up blowing up like the Tayda thread.


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## burger-patty-and-bacon (Aug 19, 2021)

Spencer is GREAT, extremely helpful.  I am jacked on time right now but need to finalize the lazer engraved plate for my Cataclysm delay and have him build that one up for me.  I am still such a noob at INKSCAPE that I'm learning the ropes on the correct layer presentation so when I send for UV I don't butcher it.   The design part of the art/text/software is literally 50,000x more difficult than soldering 90-120 components to a PCB and building the hardware up.  Pedal build confidence: 93%.  Software confidence: 4%


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## Feral Feline (Aug 19, 2021)

What's the final 3% confidence reserved for?


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 19, 2021)

Feral Feline said:


> What's the final 3% confidence reserved for?


Playing abilities? That’s it for me at least 🤣


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## burger-patty-and-bacon (Aug 19, 2021)

Feral Feline said:


> What's the final 3% confidence reserved for?


LOL!  Very funny.  I was not actually thinking in terms of absolute when using the percentages, more of each one being an out of 100% scenario, haha.


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## Feral Feline (Aug 19, 2021)

Well then... my question remains: What category of yours is 3% of 100% confidence? 😸
For me it would be routing. I just routered pickup cavities for the first time, and boy is my back tired... ⛏️🪓








Meanwhile, back at the FF lab, I'm wondering how Amplifyfun will work out for Canuckians compared to our brethren & sistren south of the 49th — for Canadians will it be too cost prohibitive? Additional shipping costs, customs delays at the border, taxation...


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## Brett (Aug 19, 2021)

Feral Feline said:


> Well then... my question remains: What category of yours is 3% of 100% confidence? 😸
> For me it would be routing. I just routered pickup cavities for the first time, and boy is my back tired... ⛏️🪓
> 
> 
> ...


I'd suggest sending an email, Spencer has been very responsive to my emails and I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have! Just use the contact form on his website (https://amplifyfun.com/ )


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## Harry Klippton (Jan 15, 2022)

So uh, anybody got build reports with uv printing or faceplates from amplifyfun?


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 15, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> So uh, anybody got build reports with uv printing or faceplates from amplifyfun?


I’ve got UV print samples. I’ve only gotten one faceplate and it came out fantastic.


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## Bricksnbeatles (Jan 15, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> So uh, anybody got build reports with uv printing or faceplates from amplifyfun?


I was finishing up some faceplate designs a few weeks ago, but my computer died for good (luckily I have multiple forms of backups for everything, so I should hopefully be okay). When I get my new computer up and running I’ll be ordering some faceplates, and build reports will be shortly behind.


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## benny_profane (Jan 16, 2022)

Here's a comparison of faceplates from Amplify Fun and Ponoko using similar typefaces and design direction. Overall, Ponoko has better quality, but the service is much more expensive and can have potentially long lead times. It really only makes sense to go through them if you have a significantly large order (they essentially charge a panel rate) and can get volume discounts. Amplify Fun is less expensive and has a flat-rate for faceplates. Also, the faceplates themselves have an adhesive backing. The Ponoko material does not, so it must be held in place with the hardware. The faceplates have less 'resolution' and have jagged edges when inspected closely. When looking at them during normal use, this isn't really an issue. The only problem I've had is that finer details may be lost; faceplates in general should be designed while considering the material and process constraints. 

Amplify Fun is a fine service with good products, and Spencer is very helpful and responsive. The price is right, the results are good, and the service is done in the spirit of DIY and with pedals in mind. I'd recommend anyone curious to give it a shot. Especially since there's an affordable flat rate, experimenting with one or two is very doable.

*Ponoko:*


 



*Amplify Fun:*


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## Harry Klippton (Jan 16, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> Here's a comparison of faceplates from Amplify Fun and Ponoko using similar typefaces and design direction. Overall, Ponoko has better quality, but the service is much more expensive and can have potentially long lead times. It really only makes sense to go through them if you have a significantly large order (they essentially charge a panel rate) and can get volume discounts. Amplify Fun is less expensive and has a flat-rate for faceplates. Also, the faceplates themselves have an adhesive backing. The Ponoko material does not, so it must be held in place with the hardware. The faceplates have less 'resolution' and have jagged edges when inspected closely. When looking at them during normal use, this isn't really an issue. The only problem I've had is that finer details may be lost; faceplates in general should be designed while considering the material and process constraints.
> 
> Amplify Fun is a fine service with good products, and Spencer is very helpful and responsive. The price is right, the results are good, and the service is done in the spirit of DIY and with pedals in mind. I'd recommend anyone curious to give it a shot. Especially since there's an affordable flat rate, experimenting with one or two is very doable.
> 
> ...


Those look great. I'm not sure I can even tell a difference from the photos. Your second paragraph basically answered any other questions I had too


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## Barry (Jan 16, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> Those look great. I'm not sure I can even tell a difference from the photos. Your second paragraph basically answered any other questions I had too


Agreed, both look outstanding in the Photos


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## Bricksnbeatles (Jan 16, 2022)

I can definitely see the difference in resolution between the two, but for the price difference, the Amplifyfun definitely seems the way to go as it’s still quite clear and significantly cheaper.

How deep is the engraving in the faceplate roughly?


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## benny_profane (Jan 17, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> How deep is the engraving in the faceplate roughly?


That would be a question for Spencer. The Amplify Fun engravings seem to be shallower than the Ponoko’s, though.


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 17, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> I can definitely see the difference in resolution between the two, but for the price difference, the Amplifyfun definitely seems the way to go as it’s still quite clear and significantly cheaper.
> 
> How deep is the engraving in the faceplate roughly?


Tried to get an angle where you could see that.


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 17, 2022)

And here’s another print from @amplifyfun both with and without flash to show the detail.


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## Bricksnbeatles (Jan 17, 2022)

Danbieranowski said:


> Tried to get an angle where you could see that.
> View attachment 21760


Nice! Looks like it’s not too deep. I was concerned if it was too deep then finer details might be prone to catching on stuff and chipping.


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 17, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Nice! Looks like it’s not too deep. I was concerned if it was too deep then finer details might be prone to catching on stuff and chipping.


Yeah dragging my finger over it, it feels basically level.


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## andare (Jan 18, 2022)

Any company that starts offering this service in Europe is gonna get a lot of orders. Hopefully soon!


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## Paradox916 (Jan 18, 2022)

Danbieranowski said:


> And here’s another print from @amplifyfun both with and without flash to show the detail.
> View attachment 21762
> View attachment 21763


Damn...after seeing this it’s starting to make me question dropping $ on a decent laser printer...


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 18, 2022)

Paradox916 said:


> Damn...after seeing this it’s starting to make me question dropping $ on a decent laser printer...


The kicker for me is that Spencer will do prints of raster images instead of vector. That was one of my main reasons for getting a laser printer and doing waterslide and stuff, and now I can get those properly UV printed by Spencer, which Tayda doesn't offer (at least from the last time I checked).


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## benny_profane (Jan 18, 2022)

Danbieranowski said:


> The kicker for me is that Spencer will do prints of raster images instead of vector. That was one of my main reasons for getting a laser printer and doing waterslide and stuff, and now I can get those properly UV printed by Spencer, which Tayda doesn't offer (at least from the last time I checked).


There's certainly a practical reason to that. If you don't know what you're doing and you try to print a raster image, you may run into formatting or resolution issues. (Reference every pixelated banner you've ever seen.) I think some people have been able to print raster images through Tayda, but I can't speak from experience there.


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## Bricksnbeatles (Jan 18, 2022)

I mean there is always the option of converting a 3024x4032 raster image into a complex vector set with 12.2 million polygons, right? 😉


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 18, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> There's certainly a practical reason to that. If you don't know what you're doing and you try to print a raster image, you may run into formatting or resolution issues. (Reference every pixelated banner you've ever seen.) I think some people have been able to print raster images through Tayda, but I can't speak from experience there.


Yeah I definitely understand that. But it's a bit of a pain when I have a ton of design assets that are really high definition raster images that I have to then convert to vector (which can negatively affect the detail) just so that I can use them on a print. That's why I mention it as a real plus here. 

As for printing raster images, I'm honestly not sure. Tayda's first step in their rules says it must be vectorized. They also say not to use Affinity Designer, which @amplifyfun does allow for. 

Ultimately, I think there are some tasks that I think Tayda is the right fit for (predrilled enclosures at no real additional cost are a HUUUUGE plus), but I also think having Spencer as an alternative is fantastic for all of the extras he offers that they don't.


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## benny_profane (Jan 18, 2022)

Danbieranowski said:


> Yeah I definitely understand that. But it's a bit of a pain when I have a ton of design assets that are really high definition raster images that I have to then convert to vector (which can negatively affect the detail) just so that I can use them on a print. That's why I mention it as a real plus here.


Definitely get that. I typically stick to text-based graphics, so vector isn't a huge ask for me.


Danbieranowski said:


> As for printing raster images, I'm honestly not sure. Tayda's first step in their rules says it must be vectorized. They also say not to use Affinity Designer, which @amplifyfun does allow for.


I think Tayda says that Affinity Designer shouldn't be used because you have to ensure a lot of parameters are correct to get a good export for them to use—and I don't think they really want to deal with supporting it. If you ensure that the spot colors are imported/applied correctly, the layers properly structured, and the file is exported while honoring spot colors, you shouldn't ever really have a problem with Affinity (at least it's always worked for me).


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 18, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> Definitely get that. I typically stick to text-based graphics, so vector isn't a huge ask for me.
> 
> I think Tayda says that Affinity Designer shouldn't be used because you have to ensure a lot of parameters are correct to get a good export for them to use—and I don't think they really want to deal with supporting it. If you ensure that the spot colors are imported/applied correctly, the layers properly structured, and the file is exported while honoring spot colors, you shouldn't ever really have a problem with Affinity (at least it's always worked for me).


Yeah that makes sense. Especially with the massive amount of printing they are doing. Do you know if the spot colors are just specific CMYK values or is there something else at play there?


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## benny_profane (Jan 18, 2022)

Danbieranowski said:


> Yeah that makes sense. Especially with the massive amount of printing they are doing. Do you know if the spot colors are just specific CMYK values or is there something else at play there?


There's something specific there. There's more information than just the CMYK value in the spot color swatch. If you try to emulated it with just the CMYK, you'll end up with the color that renders on your screen. The Roland swatches are easy enough to import into Affinity Designer, though, so it's not too much of an issue. You just have to be sure to select 'Honor Spot Colors' when you export the PDF.


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## Danbieranowski (Jan 18, 2022)

benny_profane said:


> There's something specific there. There's more information than just the CMYK value in the spot color swatch. If you try to emulated it with just the CMYK, you'll end up with the color that renders on your screen. The Roland swatches are easy enough to import into Affinity Designer, though, so it's not too much of an issue. You just have to be sure to select 'Honor Spot Colors' when you export the PDF.


Good to know!


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## giovanni (Feb 13, 2022)

@Danbieranowski would you mind sharing your file for the laser engraver faceplate? I don’t intend to copy your design, I just want to have a good starting point!


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## Prudhomb (Feb 13, 2022)

Cool


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## Danbieranowski (Feb 15, 2022)

giovanni said:


> @Danbieranowski would you mind sharing your file for the laser engraver faceplate? I don’t intend to copy your design, I just want to have a good starting point!


Unfortunately, I no longer have it. Since I got that faceplate made I've completely overhauled all my external storage, and in doing so I got rid of anything that was no longer necessary. If you are looking for a template, reach out to Spencer and he'll send you his templates/requirements. Sorry I can't help more!


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## giovanni (Feb 15, 2022)

No worries. Got the templates from Spencer. I fought with Inkscape for a day and decided to give in to Adobe’s strategy of wiping out its competition by breaking its svg export function and get Illustrator instead. I have a designer friend who agreed to design some stuff for me. I am pumped!


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## pcb rookie (Feb 15, 2022)

Face plates and enclosure design is my next challenge. I hope to tackle this in the next coming weeks. Probably will begin with face plates for some of my existing pedals. I have already installed Affinity Designer but I have not gotten to exploring the mechanicals of it. Look forward in working with Amplify Fun as some of you have had good experience with Spencer!


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