Restoring a lathe threading diagram plate

[grannyknot]

Restoring a Colchester Bantam at the moment and name, speeds and threading plates look a little worn out.
I've seen some beautifully restored plates here on this forum and just wondering how this is done?
I have a feeling these brass plates take some very specialize techniques but I would like to give it a go if it is something a handy guy could pick up.
Thanks

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Your tag looks better than mine did on my Sidney lathe when I got it. They were rough and I first had to press the dents out of two of them out with a small press. Yours are almost good enough to just touch up and top with clear coat. My tags had just enough relief between the raised letters and the background allowing me to paint everything and then scrape the tops of the numbers and lines. I carefully scraped with a scalpel and magnification after the tags set overnight after painting. I'd just do one color at a time on a tag like yours masking off the first color. Ed

 

[grannyknot]

Your tags came out very well as did your restoration on the Sidney, must be a joy to use.
So it's really that simple, paint black and clean off the raised areas?

 

[hobie18]

Nice!
I know I would no longer touch that. Way too hard for me.
Ronin comes to mind.

There may be a secret obscure place that can gold foil the tops/peaks and somehow perfect the rest.
But not me. My hands would need special help.

Then there is always
Dymo...

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Your tags came out very well as did your restoration on the Sidney, must be a joy to use.
So it's really that simple, paint black and clean off the raised areas?

Just like that....clean, straighten, paint, scrape. If you spray clear over the finished tags wait a few days or you will wrinkle the background paint. Works for thin stamped raised panel and letter tags. Much easier on heavy cast high relieve tags. If the tags are not totally trashed I just clean and polish them. Much easier sometimes. Even if they were painted completely over sometimes you can lift the **** paint off and get them to look presentable without having to repaint. Well worth the time it takes to have nicer looking tags. Ed.