Jukebox Marquee - (not quite) FINALIZED - One more tweak needed (PIC INSIDE)

[javeryh]

As some of you may know, I am in the process of building a jukebox. The time has come to add some artwork for the marquee but I have no idea how to use Photoshop and I am not really artistic in general. I need help!

The only requirement is that the image be 300 DPI and fill the entire space. Also, do not put a border around the edge because lining it up exactly will be difficult.

Anyway, here is the layout for the artwork:



And here is a shot of where it will go (the front of the jukebox will be solid black Plexiglas when it is finished and there will be sliver accents like the volume knob and speaker grill):



I actually don't have any ideas other than I generally like the Rock Band 2 tribal artwork - I found this picture online which I think might look cool as a background but in a different color:



I also like the idea of making it look like the top half of an old time radio dial. Something like this maybe:



I think it might actually look really cool to do the dial thing but only the black lines and replace the yellowish background with something else like the rock band art... or maybe something completely different. I don't know.

It would be a HUGE help if some of the more experienced graphic artists took a stab at this for me.

Thanks!!!   

EDIT: I updated the background pic/theme I'm going for...

[javeryh]

EDIT for new background pic/idea. 

[walls83]

what do you want it called?

[walls83]

and what type of font?

this isnt 300dpi I have it on my PC but here is a test.


You would just get it printed and trace around your opening and cut it out.

and one is just to show you the outline for the Juke.  Give you and idea how it fills out the open space.

[javeryh]

That's pretty cool.  I don't want it called anything - I just want a picture (no text).  If you could somehow take the background I posted, change the colors a bit (maybe use dark blue instead of black?) and then superimpose the dial on top that would be a great start... 

[walls83]

what about this direction?

[walls83]

If you want the old Zenith Radio cover it will look to busy with that black background in my opinion.


so here is one with the just the zenith.  It would look good back lit

[javeryh]

Awesome - that's moving in the right direction.  I whipped this up in paint to give you an idea where I'm headed - what do you think?  I might want to change the black to dark blue or something... I don't know.

EDIT: Why is your orange/yellow so much darker than mine?  Your colors look way better.

[walls83]

I used some photoshop tools to make it alittle more vibrant. Ok I see what you are wanting.  I can whip something up real quick.

[walls83]

closer?

one with some neon

[javeryh]

Definitely getting closer.  I like how you tried to blend the two images with the neon blur which leads me to my first thought.  Some ideas (and now I'm really getting into it so just stop me if this is too much trouble):

• I think I might like the original black/gray background (the gray will light up when the marquee is on which might be a cool effect).  There is too much contrast with the blue - it looks like 2 separate images instead of one design.
• I think I'd like the lines for the dial to look more professional (crisper).  Would it be tough to redraw the entire dial with all the numbers (since the pic I snagged off of the internet isn't a perfect circle by any means)?  You can use the same yellow/orange background in there.
• Instead of the random (blurry) text that you can barely read, I'd like to add a personal touch like maybe "Mfg. by 'my name' 2008" or something similar to mountain's jukebox marquee.

Thoughts?   

[walls83]

I dont know man.  getting close?

[walls83]

another version

these arent final versions there is quite abit of clean up and measuring to do but just throwing out Ideas

[javeryh]

Hmmm... I think I'd like to use the exact zenith dial picture (I like the markings and everything) - I was just hoping it could be redrawn/resized into a perfect circle.  I like the mock-up I posted - it just needs cleaned up. 

 

[walls83]

you will have to get someone who will vectorize it for you.  Im not really good a illustrator.

[cool69rtcharger]

[Franco B]

I like that cool69rtcharger 

[walls83]

thats nice.  did you vector the OG dial?  Or just make a new one?

Just curious on what you did to get it cleaned up.

[javeryh]

Wow - awesome!  PMed!

[cool69rtcharger]

i just used the dial as a template in illustrator and traced over it and added the numbers. I can change it how ever you want.

[walls83]

ya I suck at illustrator looks good man.  Nice work

[javeryh]

i just used the dial as a template in illustrator and traced over it and added the numbers. I can change it how ever you want.

Very cool!  Some more commnets:

• After seeing the "bold" I think I might like the non-bold version better (but still the smaller dial). 
• I think you can remove the "Mfg. by" font in the middle - it doesn't look quite right.
• Is there a way to remove the yellow line that separates the background with the dial?
• Is there a way to use the colors from your first design (the yellow on brown) and the black and gray for the background like in the second design?  I like the yellow/orange sunburst look like in the original photo

Does anyone else have anything to add?  I'm not the best at this - I'm kind of a "I'll know it when I see it" kind of guy...

THANKS!!!   

ya I suck at illustrator looks good man.  Nice work

No way buddy - you got the ball rolling on this!   

[cool69rtcharger]

• Is there a way to remove the yellow line that separates the background with the dial?
• Is there a way to use the colors from your first design (the yellow on brown) and the black and gray for the background like in the second design?  I like the yellow/orange sunburst look like in the original photo

Yes i can take away the line as i added it but i really think it needs something there so i think i will keep putting something there or keep changing things till i like it lol. I can make just about any change you want just keep telling me what to do.

[javeryh]

Very nice!  I think we are getting closer... does anyone else have any thoughts?  Sometimes it is hard to see the forest through the trees if you know what I mean.  I'll post some additional comments/thoughts a bit later (I actually have work to do!).   

[cool69rtcharger]

[javeryh]

Nice - I like the brighter look.  Could you change the gray ring around the dial back to the thin line like in the previous verrsion?  I've been trying to think of other things to do with the design but I'm having a hard time finding things to change!  I've been thinking of maybe changing a number or two to reference something personal instead of just generic numbering but I really don't know...

 

[polaris]

i like it apart from the two hands, i think it should be just one to look like a dial not a clock

EDIT not sure i like the shadows under the hands either

[javeryh]

OK, I thought about it for a while and I think I like this one the best:



but I would like to see it with just the yellow dial brighter like in your most recent version (but keep the background the same/darker).  Also, I think I am going to go ahead and run it through that vector program once I settle on the design/colors - not because of image quality or anything but because I like the effect it gives by making it look a little more cartoony and less realistic.  I think it just fits better with the overall look of the jukebox.

Once you post the revised version with the brighter yellow, I'll tinker with it with the vectorization thing but then I'll need some help sizing the vector to the proper dimensions for printing.  I think I need to send mamemarquees the file at the exact size.

Thanks so much for your help!   

[cool69rtcharger]

this good?
www.charger.brainmix.net/dial8.jpg

[javeryh]

this good?
www.charger.brainmix.net/dial8.jpg

You know what?  I think I'm going to go with this version:



The brighter colors end up washing out some of the detail - I also want the black background to remain dark.  I'm definitely overthinking it.  Anyway, since I'm ready to call it "finished" can you just add "J.Hill ©2008" to the area in the attached picture using Lucida Sans Unicode font? Obviously follow the arc with the font (my awesome skills are limited to MS Paint, unfortunately).

After that's done if you provide a link to the full size pic I can run it through the vectorization program and email you the illustrator or photoshop file so we can size it properly.  I think that's it!

Thanks so much for all of your help!   

[cool69rtcharger]

so is this good? www.charger.brainmix.net/dialf.jpg

[javeryh]

Thanks so much cool69rtcharger.

I've finally settled on a design but I need help with one last thing - sizing it properly so all the printer (mamemarquees) will have to do is open up the file and print it.  I am going with the attached design (I ran it through vector magic) and I have the vector (.eps) file I can send to you (or whoever) can size it properly.

That should do it!  I'm really happy with the results and I can't wait to get it printed.

 

[cool69rtcharger]

so do you still need help with this?

[Martijn]

can i lend the idea  ?

i think it will look good for the juke for my mom 

[javeryh]

so do you still need help with this?

Yes!  I need to size the vectorized version properly.  I can email you the exact file once I get home from Xmas vacation (in a few days) so I can just send it to mamemarquees for printing.  All the design work is finished though - great great job.  I've lost a little momentum around the holidays but I plan to finish up the project in January.

can i lend the idea  ?

i think it will look good for the juke for my mom 

Yes!  Well, assuming cool69rtcharger doesn't mind.     

[javeryh]

hey cool69rtcharger - Is there any chance you could make one more tiny tiny change to the design?  I have been printing out tests and the white line on the bottom comes dangerously close to showing through the window I cut out.  Could you just remove that white line on the bottom (but leave the semicircle in the middle and the arc along the top) and then repost the file (the large one - 1.5MB or whatever it was)?  I know it's been a while but I've been super busy at work and stuff and just haven't had time to work on the juke...

THANKS SO MUCH!!!   

[cool69rtcharger]

thats why i left it off the last ones i posted because it would be right at the edge.

the easy way at this point would be just to make it a little bigger then you want it and it shouldn't be seen

[javeryh]

thats why i left it off the last ones i posted because it would be right at the edge.

the easy way at this point would be just to make it a little bigger then you want it and it shouldn't be seen

Hey cool69rtcharger -

I finally managed to print out a test marquee and install it over the weekend.  I love it!  I just need a few tweaks made before sending it off to the printer.  The black line along the bottom as well as the interior most black semi-circle line need to be deleted and then the lines from the other semi-circles need to be extended so they go to the bottom edge of the marquee.  Then the little black rectangles around the semi-circle could also be extended to make everything look seamless.  I printed the marquee at a bunch of different sizes but I could not seem to avoid this issue.  It's definitely a measuring mistake on my part (my dimensions were as exact as I could get them after I already cut the hole).

I'd really really appreciate it if you could tweak the "dial5f" file to make these changes.   I've attached a pic of what I'm talking about - the white line shows what should be removed and the black lines show what should be extended by an inch or so. 

[cool69rtcharger]

do you have a link to the file you want me to try and edit?

[javeryh]

Do you not have the "dial5f" file you created?  It wouldn't surprise me - I've been dragging this out for months!  If you don't have it I'll dig around.  I've been downloading and saving all the different versions.  Hopefully one of them is one you can modify... 

Thanks so much.   

EDIT:  here is the link to the "dial5f" file for you to work on.  It's a .jpg though - I hope you can still tweak it...  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KRHV58I2