Important: Don't use the Thingiverse customizer for this model. Use OpenSCAD instead!

While browsing thingiverse I came across Sweeping 2-line name plate. I didn't use it because I wanted to create my own version of it from scratch, as I'm learning the scripting language of OpenSCAD and this is a nice exercise.

So Text Bow is not a remix, but a re-implementation with less and maybe some other features.

Description

The Text Bow customizer lets you create one or two lined labeling tags for use on desks or walls.

Use OpenSCAD

As the Thingiverse customizer is based on an outdated version of OpenSCAD, you need to download OpenSCAD on your computer in order to use Text Bow.

1. Download and install: OpenSCAD version 2021.01 or newer
2. Download: text-bow.scad from files
3. Start OpenSCAD and open text-bow.scad in it.
4. Open the customizer via the menu "Window/Customizer"

Now you can setup the first and second text line, alignments and the stand base configuration.

Play around with the options and learn to set up your labeling tag. If you want, you can also download the text-bow.json file and put it in the same folder as the text-bow.scad file. When you reopen text-bow.scad, you can select some sample presets.

See the "How I Designed This" section for more information about some parameters.

Export your STL file

If you're done with your labelling tag settings, you can export the STL file:

1. Render the mesh by pressing the F6 key.
2. Wait until the rendering is finished. This might take some minutes.
3. Export the STL file by pressing the F7 key.

Optionally save your configuration

If you like to use your configuration as a template for further labelling tags, it's a good idea, to save your configuration:

1. Click the + symbol in the customizer, which you find beside the configuration selector drop-down in the second line of the customizer.
2. Give your configuration a name.

Use the drop-down menu to access your saved configurations.

Good to know

Fonts

As the font lists are not generated automatically, some font selections might not work on your machine. You also see a list of Google Fonts. You can download fonts from the list and install them on your machine.

Tips for better printability

• Use the stand base configuration to define a stable stand.
• Prefer upper-case letters over lower-case.
• Be aware of text bow angles larger than 60°
• Use a real caliper for better adjustments of font sizes and the resulting labeling tag.