How to apply side-art?

[carl]

Hey look, a BYOAC forum I haven't posted in yet... we'll fix that right now.

I was wondering if there is a simple how-to on side-art?  I've been to the localarcade.com and saw the side-art I'd like to use (Joust):

http://localarcade.com/4images/categories.php?cat_id=5&page=2

Which is fortunate enough to come with full sized stencils... but I was wondering if I could benefit from your experience and avoid the common rookie pitfalls.

From what I've read, some people print the art out on sticky contact type paper... some get prints made, do any paint (for simple designs like Joust)?

I was thinking of printing up the stencil and giving the painting a try.  Do you go to kinkos to get the large format printed... or do you grid it up and print from home, and tape it all together?

Also, is there any guides to the colors used... so I'm not victim to my own inability to match shades?

What does having the art vectorized do for you?  Does that allow it to be printed on large format printers/plotters easier?

I'm really enjoying the great feedback I've been getting here on the forum.  Lots of very helpful people!

Thanks,
carl

[Felsir]

I haven't yet printed my sideart but I can answer this question for you:

What does having the art vectorized do for you?  Does that allow it to be printed on large format printers/plotters easier?

There are (in general) two ways of creating computer graphics: bitmap and vector.
A bitmap is a grid of picture elements (pixels) each with a different colour.
A vector is a mathematical definition of the graphic (for example a line is defined as the shotest connection between two points).

To enlarge a bitmap, the grid is just made bigger, the individual 'squares' of the grid are just bigger boxes which makes the image look blocky (some algorithms try to smooth things out a little but the end result isn't a clear image like the original).
To enlage a vector, some math would do the job and the image would still be crystal clear.

Both formats have advantages and disadvantages. A bitmap is suited for photographs or images with complex shapes.
A vector is sharp can can be rendered in all sizes and still look great hence it is perfect for on a high resolution printer.

I you want to use a bitmap for sideart of CP art, make sure the source material is high resolution (at least 72 dots per inch, preferrable 300 dots per inch or better).

[carl]

ok, thanks for the info.

I thought maybe there was a way to get a large format printer to print vector files cheaper than pixel based artwork.  Something like a plotter used for drafting.

I found a great site last night that answers ALL my questions about stencils, painting and even the exact colors for the Joust cab!

http://www.tutankham.com/

[DougHillman]

Felsir's comments are pretty right on, with one exception.  If you're gonna print something large enough for a Control Panel Overlay and especially for Side Art, 72 dpi will look HORRIBLE.  

I'd consider 150dpi to be the bare minimum that I'd even begin to consider printing something, and personally would really never print anything that was less than 300dpi.

Find the link to Frosty's vector art tutorial (I'm sure some kind soul will post the link here now that I've mentioned it), peruse it, and all your questions about raster vs. vector will be answered.  Including why starting with a 72dpi raster image will be unacceptable.

D

[froggerman]

The link to the tutorial can be found on this page: http://www.mameworld.net/massive/Marquee2/GFX/Vector/vector.htm

[Ledbetter]

  Here's a great site with stenciling tutorials and it also has the Joust paint codes.

http://www.tutankham.com/tutankham.com-asp//index.asp