Cab Art History - Paint or Vinyl?

[clonestar]

I am about to build by first cab (apart from my jukebox that is) and I am considering making a galaxian replica, authentic as possible except for a few extra buttons.

My question is would the original cab have had vinyl or painted artwork.  Most pinballs continued to have stenciled art well into the eighties so I would have expected early cabs to be stenciled or hand painted.

Anyone know for sure?

[clonestar]

C'mon guys no one interested?

[walls83]

its vinyl I would think.  Thats pretty heavy stenciling if it is.

[clonestar]

Found this:

Games that used painted sideart include.<br>
<ul>
<li><a title="Pac-Man" href="/index.pl?node=Pac-Man">Pac-Man</a></li>
<li><a title="Ms. Pac-Man" href="/index.pl?node=Ms.%20Pac-Man">Ms. Pac-Man</a></li>
<li><a title="Defender" href="/index.pl?node=Defender">Defender</a></li>
<li><a title="Galaxian" href="/index.pl?node=Galaxian">Galaxian</a></li>
<li><a title="Joust" href="/index.pl?node=Joust">Joust</a></li>
<li><a title="Berzerk" href="/index.pl?node=Berzerk">Berzerk</a></li>
<li><a title="Stargate" href="/index.pl?node=Stargate">Stargate</a></li>
</ul>

at: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=sideart

but if that is the case my next question is how, I can remember leaning on the side of Galaxian and the image didn't seem to be vinyl OR stencil,  I suspect the areas of colour were stenciled and the black hand painted.

Any old hands from the business know anymore about techniques used?

[clonestar]

I'm bumping this again as I could really do with more input BEFORE I start work.  Does anyone know anything about hand painted sideart on early cabs.

[PoDunkMoFo]

I am pretty sure that there was no "hand painting" going on as far as production arcade cabs go.  Also I don't believe stencils in the strictest since of the word were used either.

I am sure these cabinets were screen printed directly onto the cabinet.  Similar to a stencil but using screens and squeegees are used to put the ink down.  Each successive color was registered to same spot on the substrate (cabinet).  The colors would be trapped so that no gaps showed.

I think considering the work involved in painting the art directly onto the cabinet I would suggest going the vinyl route.  No one will probable know but you.  That is assuming the originals were actually screen printed directly on the cabinet and not decals.

Try and find NOS sideart.... It would be your best bet.

[clonestar]

Thanks for the info, i would agree that screen printing on to the side was probaby the way it was done.  It's the only thing that explains the high quality finish, yet definitely not a sticker.   Having said this I think that vinyl would probably be the best solution and nearest to the original look.

[monkeybomb]

You'd probably get more response in - Arcade misc.  Or at the KLOV forum in general arcade.

[rchadd]

i think you can get repro galaxian art as vinyl

you would still need to pain the sides white plain though before applying the vinyl

[pcb]

i think you can get repro galaxian art as vinyl

you would still need to pain the sides white plain though before applying the vinyl

AFAIK, nobody has done repro Galaxian Side Art.  Unless maybe one of the inkjet guys have, but then I'd be afraid of the quality.

[Avery]

I am pretty sure that there was no "hand painting" going on as far as production arcade cabs go.

[PoDunkMoFo]

I am pretty sure that there was no "hand painting" going on as far as production arcade cabs go.

[AlanS17]

I've seen Galaga repro art but not Galaxian. I was surprised to find that out.

[Chemixtry]

I had a galaxian and it was covered in vinyl.

[Q*Bert_OP]

AFAIK, nobody has done repro Galaxian Side Art.

[pcb]

AFAIK, nobody has done repro Galaxian Side Art.

[Crowquill]

It mostly depended on the manufacturer.

Atari, Midway, and Universal screen printed theirs.

Williams stencilled theirs (Defender, Joust, etc).

Sega/Gremlin used decals. After converting games became the thing to do, most everything went to a roughly 18 x 24 decal. That's also why you'll see so many posts about stripping off black paint on old cabinets. Paint it black, slap on a sticker, and you have a new cabinet despite the fact that Peter Pepper's hat makes a funny shape on top. As far as I know, there weren't any manufacturers that used cut vinyl like you get from a sign shop. Many of the decals are screen-printed vinyl though.