I’ve never printed at Kinko’s before so can anyone suggest to me what I should print my artwork on? I heard Lami-Label is the best choice. Also, I have problems putting artwork on my template. The size of the picture was 1600x1200 and when I zoomed into 100% in photoshop, the picture was blurry as hell. Does this mean when I print it at Kinko’s it’ll be blurry too?
1600x1200 would be fine for a desktop background but thats low res for print. And you are right, low res looks like ass when printed.
Where could I get artwork that would look fine for my arcade stick?
You want high res images, you can find them scattered across the net, or make you own with scans. If you are making this in photoshop make sure your resolution is 300 ppi (pixels per inch) that way your art work should look great. I find it very hard to describe the right working properties to someone through the internet. A buddy of mine was having a similar problem and it was so difficult to explain through aim but when I showed it to him, he was like ‘oh now I get it’.
Your best bet is to ask in the Images section of this forum. People in there might be able to draw you some, or you can find some high res images if people are sharing.
The lamilabel stuff is great, but you have to keep a few things in mind:
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Once applied, the adhesive is STRONG. You will need mild heat and chemicals to get the damn thing off later. Keep this in mind.
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Its still laminated…its just the paper you print, in a pouch that is later laminated…so you have to cut the paper a few millimeters smaller than your edges, so you can leave room for both sides of the lamination to seal. If you cut through the lamination AND paper, that part is guaranteed to start peeling on you. If you size the paper correctly, by trimming a few millimeters inside of the margins, when you cut it out, all you will be cutting through is the laminated plastic. This does not apply for the button holes, as the buttons themselves will prevent peeling of the plastic…but it definitely applies to the edges.
Not too sure what you mean by number 2. I’ll be using the template number 2 located here: http://www.donovanmyers.com/arcade/
Ok, I will try to describe the problem a different way.
Imagine a standard piece of 8.5x11 writing paper, that has been laminated, and the lamination has dimensions 9x12.
So you have on each side, .25" of laminated area that is just clear…its all lamination with no paper trapped in between.
Similarly, you have .5" on the top and bottom that is the same way…just clear plastic lamination with no paper trapped in between.
If you can visualize this, please keep reading…if not, please try it again…seeing this in your mind is necessary.
Ok…now imagine we want to trim the thing so that its back to its original 8.5x11" size.
You grab an x-acto and a ruler, and you cut EXACTLY on the edges of the paper, all the way around. Nice, now its the right size again AND laminated.
It looks great…but what will happen is that if you could look at the edge of the laminated paper under magnification, you would see three layers: A layer of plastic on top, a layer of paper in the middle, and a layer of plastic on the bottom.
Now…what will happen over time, is that the layer of paper will split right down the center…and each “side” of the paper that is stuck to the plastic will seperate…and the thing will peel and look like hell.
So what do you do?
The answer is to trim a few millimeters off each side of the paper BEFORE you laminate it. That way after its laminated you can cut it to true 8.5x11" dimensions…but if you look at each edge under magnification, you will see ONLY plastic.
With the edges properly set like this, it should NEVER peel apart…as the plastic has been melted together and is now effectively one piece.
You need to apply this same technique to all the edges (except for the button holes) for your laminated stick template.
If you start with a perfectly sized paper template…you will have to cut ON the borders of the paper and your final product will peel.
If you start with a paper template that has been trimmed down just a little on all sides…you can trim the laminated final product to the correct size and never have to worry about it peeling.
:wgrin:
Go here for all your Mad Catz TE/SE FS High-Res Artwork Template Joystick Wet-dreams…galore…lol
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=175293
Personally, I hate lami-label, so I just opted to get a 1mm acrylic cut as a top panel for the artwork…consider it a One Time Top Panel Artwork Solution…no more lami-label for every new piece of artwork your mind can imagine…just means more money more money and more money. =]
TAP Plastics can cut you out an acrylic top plate/template for inexpensive.
What is the URL for TAP Plastics? And do they make acrylic tops for the HRAP3? (can the HRAP3 even accommodate an acrylic top?)
@itsnashhh: PM sent
They can custom make just about anything out of plastics, if you can provide a file/written/physical dimensions of the work needed to be done @ a price per/hr.
Thanks dude! I’ll check it out.
In the mean time, if anyone has had a custom acrylic top made for their HRAP3, give me a holler.
Do you guys think that a glossy label would work? Its kind of like photo paper but a label. I cant get lami-labels anywhere that isnt over 2 hours away which i obviously dont want to do. Also i dont want to spend alot of money but im thinking it would work.
I mentioned it in the other thread you asked but it’s worth noting here for others: glossy sticker is not a good idea as the ink will wear off in no time. If you think about it, you are applying ink directly on top of glossy paper. There is no protection between it and your hand, so the oils and heat from your hand will make the ink run and smudge and your hands will be dirty after the first play session and your artwork ruined.
Find a different solution.
Ya i posted it in both threads cause i wasn’t sure which one will be faster lol.
Just get it laminated and pick yourself up a can of elmer’s spray adhesive.
Hmm… laminated or lami-labeled. Tough choice.
Does the T/E stick not come with any plexiglass or acrylic above the art? Why do people like to get their art laminated?
No, the TE doesn’t come with a plexiglass cover. The art is printed directly on the underside of the plexi meaning if you want the same you will need to get your own cut.
Laminated isn’t close to being the best choice, but its the easiest and most cost effective for most here.
#1 acrylic top panel