Button Inserts

[TheShaner]

Ive looked around and I am not crazy about most of the button inserts out there, so I am creating my own in Photoshop.  I am going to have them printed at Kinko's more likely than not, the main question is, how the heck am I supposed to cut these things?  I have heard people talking about doing a hole punch, but I have looked around and the closest thing I can find to a hole punch that is of the right size (13/16 of an inch is the best I have been able to come up with on the measurement) was a punch for like 40 bucks.  Screw that.  How has everyone else been approaching it?  Custom vinyl?

[BadMouth]

Which buttons are you using and what do you want the inserts to say?

If they're only one color, have someone with the proper equipment cut them out of vinyl for you.

Alien heads would look cool on your player start buttons.
That, or something like this:
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/134128/134128,1243612796,1/stock-photo-alien-symbol-31099042.jpg

[TheShaner]

Im using pretty standard buttons ... these in particular ... http://www.paradisearcadeshop.com/en/led-pushbuttons/231-green-led-convex-arcade-pushbutton.html .

On what I am going to put on them, I am working that all out in photoshop, but my start buttons are alien heads that match my marquee, in solid black vector though of course, the rest of the overlays I will be working out over the next few days.  But yes they are in a solid color, so I will probably go get them cut by someone.  Thanks for the input!

[PL1]

The method I used was to print the inserts on overhead transparency paper.

Use sharp scissors to cut a tear-drop shape within about 1/4" of the line most of the way around leaving a handle so your fingerprints don't scratch off the ink.

Next use small nail clippers to slowly nibble in to just barely inside the outline. (red area then the green) Hold the insert by the edges to nibble through the last part of the handle. (blue)

*** ANY FLAT SPOT OR GAP BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE INSERT AND THE INSIDE EDGE OF THE BUTTON WILL CAUSE THE EDGE TO SHOW UP BIG TIME WHEN THE BUTTON IS LIT. ***

Here is a PowerPoint file you can edit to create inserts to your specs.  These inserts are a perfect fit for Paradise's LED buttons.


Scott

[yotsuya]

Read this:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,112752.msg1197392.html#msg1197392

[BadMouth]

For my driving cab, I used plain paper inserts printed with a regular inkjet printer.
It doesn't look bad, but if you can see the fibers in the paper since they are backlit.
If I had it to do over again, I'd use vinyl.

Pongo cut these out for me cheap (someday they'll finally make it into my new cab):


Here is his thread in B/S/T  PM him for price
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,64645.0.html