Scott18

Being new to working on bikes I found that after placing a spacer on my steerer I had to then align my fork with the head tube. Having lined up the fork with the body to the best of my ability I then found that the markings of the design of my bike did not match up. What could I have overlooked.

AnkleWork

Optical illusion?

Homebrew01

The markings never did line up.

gsa103

Things you can't un-see but will drive your OCD nuts....

Kotts

It's possible that the lower bearing isn't sitting properly. It could be canted, I suppose, or if you took it all apart, you might have reinstalled be bearing upside down.

Scott18

I've tried to line it up again with no success. So you think it was always like that ? If it is safe to ride I'll bring it into shop to have them take a look at it !

Andrew R Stewart 

I've seem many paint/decal edges that don't line up, over the years. The trend for those flowing and curved cosmetics are worse when done poorly then the classic bands and panels, IMO. But then I think this trend often is like putting lipstick on a pig anyway. Andy.

Homebrew01

Nothing you do with a headset could shift it rotationally. All you did was move a spacer ?? It's fine.

HillRider

You probably overlooked the fact that they never lined up but you just noticed it. Much ado over nothing.

CliffordK

Simply align your handlebar stem with your front wheel.

You never ride with the fork perfectly straight anyway, although it does appear to be cheap to have the paint not line up. It isn't you, but rather the paint scheme.

Some companies will mark the handlebar stem with the same serial number as the frame. For curiosity, you might just check if the two match.

Plimogz

If the fork is properly installed and you correctly adjusted the headset and everything is tightened down as it should be and the fork turns smoothly, the problem is just cosmetic and it is safe to use... and you could therefore ride it to shop... to have them confirm that it is just a couple of slightly miss-aligned colored lines. On the other hand, if the problem is not purely cosmetic, and there is something somehow cocking the fork to the right like that, then something is definitely amiss between the fork and top-cap and you shouldn't ride to bike to the shop... to have them inspect it and confirm that the bike is not fit be ridden as is.

I like the flavor of catch 22 I get from your situation.

I looks like it just cosmetic. Does the fork turn smoothly? If you lock the front brake and rock the bike back and forth is there looseness in the headset?

hueyhoolihan

draw a diagonal line on a piece of paper, then cut the paper horizontally and move the two pieces apart. as the distance increases between the two pieces of paper, the two sections will remain parallel to one-another but an imaginary line connecting their nearest endpoints will not be parallel to either one of them.

anyway, if i were concerned enough, i would remove the spacer and see i what i had to begin with.

fietsbob

Fork is fine you are just Obsessing over the paint details ..

You cannot see that if you are riding and paying attention to where you are Going..

Are you ready to Pay for a Full Repaint ?

CliffordK

I don't believe anybody puts a spacer between the head tube and crown race. So, unless the OP was messing with the original lower headset bearings, this should be irrelevant.

ltxi

It's not safe to ride. Nor is it repairable. Get a new bike and stash this one in storage until you can sucker an uninformed/unfortunate newbie. Also....only let the buyer contact you through a burn phone and transfer it for cash in a parking lot far from home. That way you can't be sued when it inevitably disintegrates and injures the rider.

AnkleWork

+1
Alternatively, you could just ride a lot more and look at your bike less.