Artwork mounted under pexiglass....How they do that?

[garnerb350]

I couldnt think of a good subject line...

On the Mr Do cab i have ....the CPO is a basic brushed metal....the artwork is somehow mounted underneath pexi glass and the bottom of the artwork is glued to the CPO...My question is....
What type of printing or adhedives did they use to bond the artwork underneath the pexi so that you can clearly read everything on it.... I dont see any glue, nothing...

I'm having to reproduce my artwork...and I'm trying to figure out how they did that....and come to think about it....how do they do it with marquees and the rest....

I know most guys here take two pieces of pexi and sandwich the marquee...

[Franco B]

It was most likely screen printed onto the back of the acrylic.

[Ginsu Victim]

It was most likely screen printed onto the back of the acrylic.

+1

[garnerb350]

So how is that wallet ($$$) wise...

Ive never messed with acrylic...and with this restore...i want to try to stay as close to orginal as possible...

Off the top my head the measurements are about 22 x 4.25

[Neverending Project]

If you want to stay as close to the original as possible, you will most likely want to find a replacement bezel in good condition. Screening is not really a process that caters toward the one-up job. Screens are very expensive to make, and the process itself takes dedicated equipment. I would guess on the order of a thousand or more to have the screens made and get it done on a a piece of acrylic.

Or you can do what most people here do and print it on vinyl and place it behind the glass/acrylic. Still looks pretty damn good.

[garnerb350]

Or you can do what most people here do and print it on vinyl and place it behind the glass/acrylic. Still looks pretty damn good.

That was what i was wanting to do...but what is racking my brain...is  how do you secure the print to the back of the acrylic.... I know the print would be glued or have adhesive on the CPO but what about the acrylic to the print...( and be legible)...

This is for the CPO...I figured the print needs protection from hands and whatnot from everyday use...

[BigThumbToe]

What youre wanting is whats called a 2nd surface mount. 1st suface is when its mounted on top of the board and 2nd suface being mounted on the bottom but still facing up. What keeps it together is more of a clear sticky laminate with a release liner than a typical adhesive or glue. I work at a print shop and we do that kind of stuff all the time, but Ive never seen it get done using vinyl though, always photo paper. I plan on doing it this way using a metallic paper when i build my next CP and using regular adhesive  back vinyl (ABV) for the sides of my cabinet. I hope this helps.

[MaximRecoil]

If you want to stay as close to the original as possible, you will most likely want to find a replacement bezel in good condition. Screening is not really a process that caters toward the one-up job. Screens are very expensive to make, and the process itself takes dedicated equipment. I would guess on the order of a thousand or more to have the screens made and get it done on a a piece of acrylic.

Or you can do what most people here do and print it on vinyl and place it behind the glass/acrylic. Still looks pretty damn good.

Not thousands, more like 25 to 30. Richard at ThisOldGame.com has been known to do a run of a dozen. The usual process is to find a dozen or more people who need the same piece as you do, and that spreads the expense out over a group of people rather than just one. This happens fairly often over at KLOV for example. A couple of years ago, I vectorized the Super Punch-Out sideart, and that has resulted in two screen print runs from my file now. Here is the second run, recently completed - http://www.thisoldgame.com/New_TOGpages/CabArt/SPOsa.htm.

And to the OP, whenever you see something clear with artwork on the underside of it on an original arcade machine, it is almost guaranteed to be reverse screen printed. Even typical CPOs are made like this; the thin flexible ones that are stuck directly to the control panel; like for example, on a Galaga machine (and countless other machines). For those they start with a thin sheet of clear Lexan (polycarbonate); not much thicker than paper; and they reverse screen print the art onto the underside of it, then add the adhesive under the art so it can be stuck to the control panel. This results in a surface for the control panel which can stand up to heavy wear without affecting the artwork that is on the underside.

[garnerb350]

What youre wanting is whats called a 2nd surface mount. 1st suface is when its mounted on top of the board and 2nd suface being mounted on the bottom but still facing up. What keeps it together is more of a clear sticky laminate with a release liner than a typical adhesive or glue. I work at a print shop and we do that kind of stuff all the time, but Ive never seen it get done using vinyl though, always photo paper. I plan on doing it this way using a metallic paper when i build my next CP and using regular adhesive  back vinyl (ABV) for the sides of my cabinet. I hope this helps.

Thanks Big Thumb.... I work in a simple printshop...i do posters and photos, but Ive never messed with the obscure types of prints....I learn something new each day i guess...Thanks

I'm going to contact a print shop nearby and see if they offer it....butttttttttt....


With that being said, it sounds expensive...( from where i am at)...is there any other alternatives? I'm making a list of options...

[Turnarcades]

If you just go with bonding it to the metal panel (ie. adhesive underneath the vinyl), you're less likely to worry about bubbles than applying it to the plexi with surface-side adhesive. I think that's gonna be your best option.

[KissMyWookie]

You could experiment a little with this idea ... laying down some clear liquid acrylic or epoxy on the back of the lexan, then applying the vinyl to that. Apply the vinyl in the reverse motion you would use to peal it off - that should minimize or eliminate air bubbles.

You could possibly use future floor polish - which is used a lot in modeling, as a treatment for miniature aircraft canopies (to change the refractive properties) and as a sealer between coats of dissimilar paints.

Future Floor Polish is very liquid and can be removed when hardened by soaking in Windex (or other ammonia based window cleaner). Don't get Windex near anything else that's made of acrylic though, as it will start to dissolve/soften the piece.

If you try this, please let me know how it works.

Steve

[BigThumbToe]

mounting it directly to the lexan 2nd surface can get pretty pricy but it looks amazing. at my shop we also do screen printing which is nice but it looks no where near as good as photo paper. In the 2 shops ive worked in we've always charged by the sq ft so no need to worry about paying for a full sheet and only using part of it, saves a lot of money that way. id say your best bet is doing adhesive back vinyl and just sticking it to your panel and just place you lexan/plexi on top. its a lot cheaper and easier to do yourself that way too. the average eye wouldnt even know the difference without putting them side by side

[garnerb350]

Thanks guys...everybody....Soon as I get my ducks in a row....I'm going to start on this "beast"....right now im conjuring up the artwork and getting it ready...Should ought to see a post on project announcements sometime soon....

[clok]

You wanna go "cheap" like me, I got a program called POSTER, back a few years ago it was free (ok, more then a few years ago) it takes any picture and you can resize it and print it any size you want. yes, that means for us with standard printers you have to glue it all togther like a puzzle, and yes, your skill with cutting and glueing can make or break this project. It gives you edges so you can glue it (tape it , whatever you want). I used some heavier then stock gloss paper and those glue sticks (looks like chapstick) and made mine (keep in mind the thicker the paper, the more noticable the edges would be, so thin is best), since its under the plexi it doesnt move or go anywhere. I was a bit worried you would notice the edges, but under the plexi i cant even see them unless I really look hard (yes they are there ,but  I would be willing to bet 99% of people would never notice it). This also worked for my sideart. I printed it up and then used clear varnish, a light coat on the side let it tack up (basicly glue) stuck my art to it, then let it dry a bit (not to long, if problems happen you want to be able to remove it, if this happens dont kid yourself its going to be no fun, but can be done). Then take the clear varnish and go over the whole thing. Its a bit tricky as if you go to thick on first coat you can smear your printed art (spray on stuff would work alot better then brush, but you can use a brush if you are carefull). if you get a light coat over the whole thing, no bubbles and its all smooth, let that dry. Once you get one good coat on then you can go over it all again so its all even , smooth and covered. You have artwork that matchs the original (or your own design) it was cheap (well as cheap as some paper and your ink, and about $10 varnish). If done right this will be very touhg also. I learned to do this in auto body way back about 20+ years ago, we did it with Pin up stuff on our toolboxes.. I myslef used a very UN PC picture ( you know, the NSFW type, or heck anywhere) which I found was a bit embaressing later in life and removeing it was  lets just say way more work then I wanted to go into.. SO i just put another picture over it...   Honeslty the only negative to this is the glossy look, you will have the original art, but it wont look the same. And sorry I gave my cab away that was like that as I just dont have the room anymore (but those thin wall cabs are really getting me thinking again).

[garnerb350]

Thanks clok...I seen programs like that...one was called "RASABATOR" ( you wouldnt believe how many rhyme jokes on that one)... I got printing capabilites where i am at....the problem im worried about was mounting the artwork under the pexi and have 100% visibility (no glue or adhesvie showing)

That advice on the sideart...I 'll see about doing that....

As for the pinup art...I can use that also....( hahah)...I love vargas...plus i have a couple of toolboxes that need art also...anything Coop or Vargas, BettiePage...love that mess...

[clok]

Oh i forgot, one trick to make sure the varnish doesnt smear the artwork is a aerosol can of clear, very quick light coast and you wont have any problems. I have used alot of the Print your own decal (like the old model car ones you got many years ago, use water, slide um on , let um dry) and this is how they keep the ink jet ink from smearing int he water. This is also a cool way to make button tops, control arrows, etc.. design um on computer, print um on deacal stuff, cut um out and install and move around to wherever you want um.