@PPS--Thank you for bringing new pinball overlays to market. Before they were not being made (for various reasons). Now in the near future those that want them, can buy them.

This is a good thing.

Best regards,

Tom

Herb Silvers did a pretty good job on the KISS and others mylar's that he did - considering the technology he had available at the time. If the oldtimer's would speak up, there were a few makers a decade or so ago - some good, some not so good. I don't think any were licensed.

I 've seen a High Speed that was spot on, and a High Speed that had cloudy inserts and was terrible. I'll reserve judgement until I've seen one done with the original graphics from Rick or "most" of the licensed vendors (reputation means everything).

I'll let you know 20150102_201346.jpg20150102_201346.jpghow it goes

I remember several years ago there were overlays made for Bally Eight Bally Deluxe like this. They were like sheets of clear acrylic plastic about the thickness of Formica that had all the artwork and even the wood grain printed on the reverse side. When applied they required no clear coat. You simply glued them on top of the old playfield. I never played a machine with one installed but they looked cool. I imagine the game play was faster than it originally was.

Where did you get the FG overlay?

Sounds like the way to go.

That way you just strip the top of your Playfield, sand it back, and away you go.

Nice and easy.

rd.

I asked my children and they don't feel this is a good idea.

Now back to eating people trying to make pinball parts to fix our games.

Please make me a Rolling Stones one. Please.

rd.

I recall that Elektra had a very thin piece of plexiglass that covered the middle (main) playfield. Is it not feasible to have some type of overlay created that is then covered by a perfectly cutout piece of plexiglass?

Rick made it clear that he does this for a living and isn't welcoming of discussion.

I'll shoot Mick a text message now and ask him nicely.

Or you could just make me one and I can "trial fit" it for you to see how it looks.

rd.

I can't even line up the screen protector on my iphone, there is no way I would even attempt trying to install a giant playfield decal/sticker.

Wolfmarsh and Vid have the right idea with somehow printing on the back of a playfield protector that you can just lay on the playfield. Make it easy.

Overlay going on almost 3 years. Had minor lifting near a few posts that were glued down again. I'm no expert but things can be done even better today! Just not my area for production. I hope Rick takes this to a higher level doing it himself, or with a similar producer on demand. Anything that can improve the overall looks of old pinball games is great to keep the history alive.

You spray it with a solution, line it up, and squeegee the water out - it can be slightly adjusted until it dries. I think the KISS I did took about 15 minutes, and that's because it didn't line up properly and I had to find the place where it was least noticeable.

The biggest pain in sanding everything off of the playfield and leveling the inserts.

Didn't see GL on the list. Hoping that means repro PFs in the future.

I never thought I'd see the day, big cheers to Rick for making this happen.

Many people prefer overlays not only for restoring on a budget, but some of us just want to take the top layer off, sand, clear, install overlay, clear, rebuild. Many of us are scared to remove the bottom layer where all the wiring, switches, and lamps are mounted to. I also like that you're printing on clear mylar (no cutting around inserts), that will make it much easier to apply.

I'm sure this will making storing them much easier than blank playfields too.

Since you're getting into the film printing process business, I'd be curious if there are any plans on reproducing out of print backglass translites as well?

Man this sure answers an old thread I started awhile back. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pf-overlay-why-not
I sure hope the quality is there to keep everyone here from having a REAL gripe. Seems like a good thing for the hobby, Thanks PPS!

Can a Firepower overlay be done since CPR already made reproduction playfields and they are nowhere to be found?

So to clarify, it sounds like the printer is a CMYK(W) printer, and can't do 'spot' colors?

(Not a problem, just asking, as that would be one reason why some colors couldn't be done - because CMYK can't reproduce them.)

Neon colors like orange don't really get made correctly by combining other colors together.

You need to have "neon orange" as a spot color.

Yup, exactly what I was asking, if it was a CMYK(W) printer or not.. Thanks for clarifying.

Sounds like a wonderful idea. My Transporter the Resuce's playfiled is beat to sh!t. Can't even read half the inserts. This sounds perfect, as it will be a cold day in hell if that playfield ever gets remade
Ill buy it!

I can see two viable methods for this.

The more labor intensive but better looking way would be to be printed on clear mylar (or other substrate) with White then spot colors then CMYK and clearcoat sprayed after application. This would present the best looking final product but is the most labor intensive. Maybe offer it two ways, one with ink side up for clearcoating afterwards and another with another clear Mylar on the top of the ink so that clearcoating is unnecessary.

The other easy method would be to reverse print this on the underside of the acrlyic playfield protectors. This would possibly be installed without needing to sand the original playfield at all. Just remove most of the top components and install. This is more novice friendly, requires the least amount of time, and would preserve what is still on the playfield for any future owners that might want to restore the pf with paints by hand.

My preference is new playfields but lacking that I would be for the first method, Thinnest top printed mylar with no top coating so that I can clearcoat over it.

Can you get in touch with me please Rick?

I'm probably the only one here who would be interested in a Hyperball overlay, though I'm uncertain how it would be done. I believe it is some sort of giant piece of polycarbonate or some similar material glued over wood. Very interested in this and a plastic set (well, that's basically the whole playfield, isn't it?).

The pf isn't glued to the wood it's just held by a few screws and the posts. Mike

Thank you for the reply!

One of the reasons for sanding the old playfield for a full screened mylar is to remove whatever remains of screening (Text) on top of inserts. It would be very difficult to insure both the new mylar print itself, as well as the alignment once installed would be dead on all over the playfield.

But, with a mylar protecting the playfield, your clear coat does not need to be as nice as it would if it were the final top coat.

Printing Pantone spot colors on a CYMK/process printer will never be 100%. Never. You're taking one ink color(spot) and converting it into separate percentages of four different colors(CYMK/process). You'll see the most variance in your greens and blues. It takes a lot of trial and error, even after a calibration, to get the colors just right. Typically, you end up readjusting the CYMK numbers in the computer before it even prints to get it to output the closest to the spot color you're aiming for.

Any chance of some prototypes or samples at the Texas Pinball Show in March. ???

THX.

NT.

Would love to put this on my 2015 Christmas list.

Any chance of commissioning another run of ES backglasses? Kicking myself for not picking one up a couple years ago.

What if you made a sandwich of two acrylic sheets, one with the print under and the other one glued underneath. That way you could protect the print and make it a quick install.
Either way I think it will end up great.
Looking forward to see some pictures of it.

Axl

(follow)

Any update on these Rick?

Or how about BMX re-themes?

-c

or what about a spellbinder overlay?

http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=hyperball&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#3727

-c

How about putting a Playfield Protector over the overlay. http://bayareaamusements.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=BAA&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GS-JM-PF-PROTECTOR I use these in my pins all the time.

Much prefer wood to overlay, Alien poker in my opinion would have a very good demand for wood there has been call for a long time for it, I sometimes I wonder wether the old school title's are just pushed aside so the later higher end can be produced and the overlay factor will do.

Sorry don't believe that................Quick fix

Rick can you please please allow Stu to move forward with the diner mirrored back glass please.

Crickets, Stu? Rick?

Because I missed out on the Fathom playfields from CPR and they now have escalated to $2k ( last one I was offered) an overlay would be great. I'm sure others who missed out would be keen as well.