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 Post subject: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 2:11 pm 

Location: Chicago
I did know this at one time, but not any longer.
I'm hoping someone can list the measurements, thickness, and font used on the tags?

Searched the forum, but came up with nothing.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 10:36 pm 
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Location: Portsmouth
Country: United Kingdom
Can I add to this request as well please and ask is the text just engraved, or is filled with white (which gets dirty), brown, black, gold(!)?
I've seen pictures that seem to show all of those colours but I've no idea what the original ones were.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:01 am 

Location: Chicago
I know the originals were engraved and filled with Brown Bess.


Edit:
Found the dimensions.
From the Propstore Auction...

Quote:
Dimensions (dog tags): 4.7 cm x 2.8 cm x 0.01 cm (2” x 1 ¼” x ¼”)
(dog tags on chain): 37.5 cm x 2.8 cm x 0.01 cm (14 ¾” x 1 ¼” x ¼”)

Image

LINK


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:55 am 
Harvester of Sorrow
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Location: Lancashire (Wirral born)
Service Number: A04/TQ1.0.32156E1
Country: United Kingdom
http://www.harryharris.com/dtcrowe.htm

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:49 am 

Location: Chicago
Just as a clarification...
Considering the above quoted millimeter numbers do not equal the inch numbers, listed next to them, I've chatted with Propstore and was assured to go with the mm.
When converting to inches, for use in descriptions, they just round to the nearest quarter inch.

* Still searching for the correct font.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:21 pm 
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Location: Germany
IIRC, the font for name and rank is "Helvetica" while the serial number is "Helvetica Condensed Light".

Cheers
Stefan


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:18 am 

Location: Chicago
Thanks for that.

- Helvetica Condensed
- Original
- Tondo, by daltonmaag.com

I think, with a little Kerning and Tracking, the second font might be a good choice.

Tag_Example01.jpg
Tag_Example01.jpg [ 116.11 KiB | Viewed 3749 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:59 am 

Location: Chicago
Propstore Original:
Attachment:
HD01.jpg
HD01.jpg [ 46.07 KiB | Viewed 3129 times ]



Film Original:
Attachment:
HD02.jpg
HD02.jpg [ 75.17 KiB | Viewed 3129 times ]


What up with that ?
.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 1:14 am 

Location: USA
Service Number: A02/TQ0.0.52138E2
Country: United States
TS826 wrote:
Thanks for that.

- Helvetica Condensed
- Original
- Tondo, by daltonmaag.com

I think, with a little Kerning and Tracking, the second font might be a good choice.


The Helvetica whatchimacallit ends up looking like the Tondo when single line engraved with a rotary engraver, simply because of tool rotation.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:51 pm 

Location: Chicago
Good stuff to know.

I'm currently having tags made with a laser.
I ended up starting with the Tondo font, but by the time I was finished, I had ended up redrawing all the characters by hand.
Attachment:
Custom_Font01c.jpg
Custom_Font01c.jpg [ 77.65 KiB | Viewed 3085 times ]


Now wondering about the "Pt." Versus "Pfc."
I know there were prototype dogtags, with the half circle edge, which were then changed to rounded rectangles.
So, it's curious if the Propstore tags were also on screen, or are they another prototype.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:00 pm 

Location: Chicago
The result.

Hand drawn letters/ numbers. (Almost have the whole alphabet finished)
Height / Width to exact specs of the Propstore measurements.
But did make them an 1/8 in. thick, as the propstore tags are apparently paper thin.

* Filled with actual #170 BB.

Dogtags03.jpg
Dogtags03.jpg [ 197.98 KiB | Viewed 3025 times ]

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:57 pm 

Service Number: A05/TQ2.0.32141E1
Country: United States
Were you using true type, post script or another font style type?

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:20 pm 
Marine Raider
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Location: Bosnia
Service Number: A05/TQ2.0.92155E1
Country: United States
TS826 wrote:
The result.

Hand drawn letters/ numbers. (Almost have the whole alphabet finished)
Height / Width to exact specs of the Propstore measurements.
But did make them an 1/8 in. thick, as the propstore tags are apparently paper thin.

* Filled with actual #170 BB.


That’s nice ! :shock:


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:51 am 

Location: Chicago
I started with the "Tondo" True Type Font, but by the time I was finished, I ended up redrawing the characters by hand.
This resulted in the whole thing being a finished vector image, which was then laser engraved.

The Hudson tags are/ were a test piece.
Personally, I'm going with custom tags of my own...

Dogtags01c.jpg
Dogtags01c.jpg [ 127.23 KiB | Viewed 2995 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:02 pm 

Service Number: A05/TQ2.0.32141E1
Country: United States
TS826 wrote:
I started with the "Tondo" True Type Font, but by the time I was finished, I ended up redrawing the characters by hand.
This resulted in the whole thing being a finished vector image, which was then laser engraved.

The Hudson tags are/ were a test piece.
Personally, I'm going with custom tags of my own...



So you built your own font?

After my preliminary research, if we can find no font like what is created, we may be well off to trademark things. Done properly, it can boost group visibility, and maybe get you some more business if you are selling things.

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:33 pm 

Location: Chicago
Yep.
Have most of the alphabet, and 0-9 finished.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:08 pm 
Marine Raider
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Location: Bosnia
Service Number: A05/TQ2.0.92155E1
Country: United States
Sweet I’m down for two lol.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:13 pm 

Location: Chicago
I can start a PX thread in the near future.


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:03 pm 

Service Number: A05/TQ2.0.32141E1
Country: United States
TS826 wrote:
Yep.
Have most of the alphabet, and 0-9 finished.


Uh, would you mind sharing the font? If not would you mind selling and we can hash out trademarks so your work is protected.

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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:42 pm 

Location: Chicago
It's not quite that ready.
Although I have most of the main lettering done (Line number 2)
Line number one (rank) and line 3 (serial number) are not the same as the others.

I believe the main lettering will have to be the Uppercase.. the bottom line listed as lower case, and the rank as "special Characters".
Still have work to do to make that all happen.

As that progresses, the idea is to draw up vector files, as I did for the others, if anyone is interested in these.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:03 pm 
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Location: Wellywood.
Service Number: A10/TQ0.0.82146E1
Country: New Zealand
How did you get on with this?
And can I ask the sizing of font you're using for each line, please?

Also, how are ppl paint filling in engraving like this (without making a hash of the top face)???

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A10/TQ0.0.82146E1


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 Post subject: Re: Dog tag specs ?
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:04 am 

Location: Chicago
As of now, the characters I've drawn up are saved as Illustrator objects, rather than a legit Font file.
You'll likely want to make some adjustments by hand afterward, but even if not, this should get almost all the way there.

Line 2 (Large lettering):
Tondo Font, from earlier

Line 3 (Serial Number):
As a base font, I used "AG Book Rounded-Regular" (then again made adjustments by hand).

Line 1 was just drawn by hand as the other two fonts did not look correct.

As for painting, I trimmed down the bristles of a tiny paint brush even further, and wiped off the tag after each letter.
When done, I still had to (lightly) scrub off a couple areas.

Edit:
If you look close at the W, and to the right side of the number 3, you'll see a couple small spots of paint that faded, but still remain.


Last edited by TS826 on Sat Feb 26, 2022 3:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:07 am 
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Location: Wellywood.
Service Number: A10/TQ0.0.82146E1
Country: New Zealand
Thank you, very helpful.

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A10/TQ0.0.82146E1


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