Got word back. Print should go to the printer in the next week or two with getting it back the first of the new year.
(Topic ID: 105789)
Linked Games
Batman
Data East, 1991
Topic Gallery
1 month later
White Bear Lake, MN
Since selling my game I've kind of handed things off to Panther. Let me ping them to see if they have had any luck with the latest print.
Sorry for the long delay everybody, I intend to have the newest print ready to show off at TPF this year.
Richard
Quoted from pantherpinball:Sorry for the long delay everybody, I intend to have the newest print ready to show off at TPF this year.
Richard
That's great to hear Richard. You must be a mind reader as I hadn't even sent the e-mail to you yet. Got side tracked with my daughters party and then came here and was like, "crap, I forgot".
2 weeks later
Dan,
As soon as we are done testing we are going to be doing printing as a service. Send me a PM if you are interested.
Richard
Hi,
It's a service I am interested in, because my batman playfield is battered. The only thing is, I live in the U.K. It would cost maybe more than what the machine is worth, to get this done
1 week later
Ok team time for an update. I promised that the next test run would be complete by TPF and... it was.
Here is what we got. There are still 2 alignment problems. You can see them in the attached photos. Not a major deal since neither of them are easily seen from the players position, but might be able to be fixed in the next run. I think a shift of the artwork to the left slightly might fix both errors but I will have to look at how that will affect the rest of the art before I can make that call.
De Batman 7 (resized).PNG
De Batman 6 (resized).PNG
I have had a number of people reach out recently asking when this will be good to go. I am hoping to have a final structure complete by TPF, we still are working on the clearcoat process.
With that said, if you are happy with the artwork and know that its not going to be 100% perfect, then this is the restoration for you.
More to follow. Please reach out if you have questions or want to talk about your specific print.
Cool photos of it getting printed on:
De Batman 1 (resized).PNG
De Batman 2 (resized).PNG
De Batman 3 (resized).PNG
De Batman 4 (resized).PNG
De Batman 5 (resized).PNG
Wow, that's looking pretty good! Even with the slight alignment issue, it's significantly better than most original playfields out there now.
Not sure if it's just the lighting, or maybe my monitor configuration, but the yellows look to have a bit of a greenish tint? Or maybe just a bit darker than the original. Yellow being a big part of the Batman color scheme, I think it would be important to be sure the yellows on the playfield are a close match to the yellows on the cab side art. (And maybe they are, again could be just the pics or monitor.)
Great work! Looking forward to seeing people restoring their Batman pins! My spare playfield is ready to mail out when you've finished the clear coat testing and ready for it!
Quoted from TheKreator:Not sure if it's just the lighting, or maybe my monitor configuration, but the yellows look to have a bit of a greenish tint? Or maybe just a bit darker than the original. Yellow being a big part of the Batman color scheme, I think it would be important to be sure the yellows on the playfield are a close match to the yellows on the cab side art. (And maybe they are, again could be just the pics or monitor.)
I'll take a stab at this and provide as much info as possible about why this isn't 100% perfect.
The yellows are a bit off but not as bad as the pictures make them. They are as close as I was able to get them to match my original PF. Problem is that yellow doesn't print well in this type of printing process. That would be part of the "artwork and know that its not going to be 100% perfect" part comes from with Panther. With how detail oriented the Pinball community is I was very concerned about offering the artwork for this service as their are some colors that aren't spot on and some of the artwork is not 100% in the same alignment as the original PF. They would be hard to find but I'm sure some people will notice them thus the full disclosure. In order to make this I took pictures of my spare PF (was beat to all heck) and stitched things together. At that point I zoomed in on the art to where I was basically looking at 4 inch by 4 inch squares on my monitor. I then started to redraw and blend the art together to improve the resolution and look. After it was all done we started the test prints of which required some art to be moved and redrawn since it wasn't aligning properly to the inserts. I'm not anywhere close to a pro with PS and more a hobbyist thus why it has taken so long and is not perfect. If I had to ballpark it I would say I have every bit of 600+ hours into the art work at this point.
All the above is the main reason why we want to have the most recent version at TPF so people can put their hands on it and to see if they are OK with the product before having their PF done as once it gets started their is no turning back (PF is stripped and sanded smooth down to bare wood).
I'll add one additional item in a separate post as I don't want people to associate it with any specific pinsider and I'll apologize in advance if it sounds like I am whining.
I've been asked dozens of times now for me to provide the artwork. At this point I have stopped responding to those PM's as sometimes they turn confrontational (people think I'm being petty or a jerk for not sharing it with them) and those that know me outside of Pinside know that I'm not really a confrontational type of person so I have chosen to just not engage in that anymore. Just not worth the heartburn anymore.
Publicly answering the question, and no I wont get into a public debate about it:
I'm sorry to all those that want it, but I am not willing to share the artwork at this point and time. My original goal was to get a repo PF professional made at the time I started the effort. I offered up my files to (rename nameless) some professional companies at the fee of just getting one of the repos for free. None of them were interested as they didn't want to start with someone elses art of which I can appreciate/respect that. It was at that point I started down the overlay process which was promising. I then met panther and their connections to a printer that could print a PF and a partnership was made as it felt to be the best option for all.
I have said it before and I will hold true to this, that if we can not get to a viable restoration service then I will post the files here for everyone. But if we can get to a viable restoration service then I will not share the files to anyone other than Panther. They have taken on the expenses of testing the art and they deserve the right to recoup some of those expenses (printing is not cheap and we have done several prints). I feel we are super close to getting things to the point of being able to rework PF. We've even discussed options to help with cost (like stages) so that everyone that wants this done would be able to get it done. Goal for both Panther and I is to see some of these games getting restored and appreciated.
Stay tuned, and if you get to see the PF at TPF please share your feedback with Panther and myself as we want things to be as close to perfect as possible.
Thank you for the detailed responses, I really appreciate it!
I can totally appreciate the work and effort you've put into this as well, and certainly don't blame you for not just giving up the artwork for free. (Surprised people are seriously asking for that, but as an artist myself, I know how artists are treated sometimes as it relates to our work and the value most people put on it.)
I think truly the only way to perfectly match the yellows is by screen printing, which is likely cost prohibitive for something like this -- and also why playfields from CPR (for example) cost the amounts they do. For a game like Batman, likely there aren't enough owners willing to shell out what it would take to simply break even on a project like that, so I think this is our best option for fixing our blown out playfields. Not perfect, but way better than most surviving original playfields thanks to that awful "Stealth Coat".
1 week later
2 weeks later
Warrington
85vett looks amazing what you have done so far, have you seen
Buthamburg thread regarding his T2 Repro playfields? Here is the link just in case you haven't https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/terminator-2-judgment-day-repro-playfields-pre-order-open
I don't know if its of any help but maybe he could help you out with any issues your having or maybe offer up options for a Repro playfield, reading the thread they are licenced from PPS using original art files, I don't know what the possibility is of getting DE original art files, I would assume Stern has those, anyway just thought it might be worth sending your way incase it can help in any way.
Ok, I know people are waiting for this thing to be done, so here is where we sit currently.
Update:
1) The playfield was at TPF and I took it out for a short bit.
2) We are dropping off the first 2 test prints for clear coating they should be done in about 2-3 weeks
3) We have had our first PF delivered to us for printing (the customer will be doing the CC themselves)
4) I am starting to form a list of people who are interested, if you are interested please send me a PM. (Even if you have sent me a PM please send me another so I can make sure I have you on the list.)
1 week later
Any update on Joker Ramp decals anyone? I thought I Found someone who successfully removed and scanned the main ramp, and joker ramp decals. That may have been on a Visual Pinball thread, but I Thought it was Pinside.
FYI - I am providing someone with my NOS set of plastics soon, so you will see a small number of sets available before too long. When they go retail I'll let you know. It took me a damn long time to find them.
I also have a line on replacement Batcaves that should be available within a few months.
Quoted from MalikyeMoon:Any update on Joker Ramp decals anyone? I thought I Found someone who successfully removed and scanned the main ramp, and joker ramp decals. That may have been on a Visual Pinball thread, but I Thought it was Pinside.
FYI - I am providing someone with my NOS set of plastics soon, so you will see a small number of sets available before too long. When they go retail I'll let you know. It took me a damn long time to find them.
I also have a line on replacement Batcaves that should be available within a few months.
The ramp scans are on page one of this thread. The joker decals I never got to as I sold my game before swapping ramps over.
I bought a NOS plastics set from Mayfair Amusements not long ago for $149. He had a few sets. Not listed on the website. Shoot him an email.
http://www.mayfairamusement.com
I have intentions of replicating the batcave as well. It shouldn't be too difficult to create a nice silicone mold, and the original caves were cast in a clear resin and painted black inside (with the bat symbol and text area masked off for translucency.) The front edges of both my caves have cracked, but I'm confident I can repair it enough to create a clean mold for making very nice replica parts that are plug-n-play ready to go.
3 weeks later
NEWS:
Update on clearing the PFs. I had some concern with the clearing process and if the clear was going to react with the polyurethane sealant, that we were going to put over top the artwork. After working with my clear coat guy we decided that we should run a blank board, with they polyurethane applied but without any artwork for testing to see if there would be a reaction. This was tested yesterday and it looks as though we are good to go. I am going to prep the two test PFs for clearing. Hoping to have that done soon.
1 month later
Bogotá
2 weeks later
No update yet. I am hoping to get some work done this weekend on getting the next batch finalized and set to print as well as the last batch sent to clear.
1 week later
3 weeks later
First batch of batcaves are ready to ship. Same grade quality plastic molding by hand done by a professional who does toys for large IPs, armor for music stars, etc. Translucent resin molded from the orig. I had him thicken the feet and problem areas slightly to make them less prone to breaking. I checked fit on my pin. Painted from the inside just like the orig. Including two decals with it (cut and fit yourself). i brightened the yellow a bit.
Side-by-side pic shows an original batcave w decals removed on left, and a repro on right. they match exactly except for the improvements underneath.
The first 4-5 of 6 are tentatively spoken for, but will have 20 more shortly. PM me if you would like one.
Posting a classified for them now. Not all the folks who asked for the first batch are responding, so I will start releasing them to others and another batch will be in the works next month. Asking $99 plus $13.60 priority flat rate shipping in the US (International will have to look up - it varies). Includes a set of decals.
3 weeks later
Figured their may be some here that may be interested in this add - https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-batman-nos-playfield
Restoration opportunity is still in process but you can't be NOS. My art is not a 100% match so this is a good chance to get a NOS PF.
2 months later
I took a small break, but am getting back into it now. I will let everyone know when we are good to go. I have my next test print almost ready to roll.
1 month later
2 weeks later
Ok, I know it has been a long break since the last post, but here we are getting ready for another TPF and where would we be without another print. With that said, I will be making the next print in a few days and will be posting the photos shortly.
For all of you that have been waiting, thank you for the patience. We have a decision to be made about how we want to move forward and have your boards printed on.
We have been working toward improving the process, however, the problem with printing is that it’s not perfect and will never be exact. Many of the imperfections are hidden, and it shows like a new playfield but I am concerned about selling a print that is not perfect.
We can approach the board upgrade in two different ways:
The first would be that I have a printed board already waiting
• If you think that it’s good enough you can purchase it
• You send in your old PF, I send out this one, I print on the new one and we start all over again
• There would be some restrictions to this, if your PF was warped or un-sellable
Second you can send your board and we will do our best to put the best art on it that we can.
The first option could cost a bit more and there may be a longer turn around depending on demand.
We could offer one or both of these alternatives. I would like to get you feedback to see how to proceed considering the quality of the product.
Thank you for the update! I am interested in details on both potential options. My spare playfield which i would like to send in is in good shape except that a lot of it was manually repainted by hand and poorly clear coated. It looks great as a wall display, but not great in an actual machine. The wood is excellent, and the inserts are level. I think people sending in their donor playfields for refinishing/printing is probably the best way to do it since then they know exactly what they're going to get in terms of wood and inserts. I like the idea of purchasing one ready to go immediately, but as you mentioned it could take a lot longer depending upon demand and how fast people send out the playfields to you.
Any estimate on pricing for one or both of these options?
Thanks again!
Halifax, NS
Happy to see this project moving forward again! Really excited to restore my wrecked Batman PF.
I'm happy with either of those options, really. I'm also okay with things not being exact. At this point, anything over what I have would be a huge improvement. As soon as you're ready to start accepting playfields and deposits, let us know.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Great to hear that this is moving forward. Thank you for all your hard work on this project! I think either option sounds fantastic. I know I have an insert or two that needs to be replaced and I would think others would too. How would you see that being handled?
I think everyone should get their playfield back that they sent in to keep complaints at a minimum (in case there is a warp, cracks or inserts cupped or falling out that are not noticed at first) but I would be happy either way just to get a new playfield
Jeff
Woohoo! Making progress.
As Panther mentioned the printing is not perfect just do to the process. We've tried putting in as many alignment marks as possible for the printer but the slightest misalignment causes a couple of the inserts to have some wood peak through. As Panther mentioned those are not in real noticeable locations but we also know the pinball community and less than perfect becomes a concern thus the full disclosures. The major inserts that are easily visible I put a small buffer in the art to help prevent wood from showing in them. The inserts that are most common are the top three in lanes for the skill shot, the two inserts under the bat ramp and the arrow insert for the scoop.
Just to restate it as I still get a request about once a month. I wont share the art files or sell them to anyone unless Panther decides he no longer wants to try this task. He has a considerable amount of time and money locating printers and having test PF's purchased and printed so it wouldn't be right to start giving out the files. I no longer have my game but I'm still wanting this option to come to light so those that love their game can have an option for their PF's. I still commit that if Panther does decide to throw in the towel that I will post the final art files for everyone to use as they see fit.
Quoted from 85vett:Woohoo! Making progress.
As Panther mentioned the printing is not perfect just do to the process. We've tried putting in as many alignment marks as possible for the printer but the slightest misalignment causes a couple of the inserts to have some wood peak through. As Panther mentioned those are not in real noticeable locations but we also know the pinball community and less than perfect becomes a concern thus the full disclosures. The major inserts that are easily visible I put a small buffer in the art to help prevent wood from showing in them. The inserts that are most common are the top three in lanes for the skill shot, the two inserts under the bat ramp and the arrow insert for the scoop.
Just to restate it as I still get a request about once a month. I wont share the art files or sell them to anyone unless Panther decides he no longer wants to try this task. He has a considerable amount of time and money locating printers and having test PF's purchased and printed so it wouldn't be right to start giving out the files. I no longer have my game but I'm still wanting this option to come to light so those that love their game can have an option for their PF's. I still commit that if Panther does decide to throw in the towel that I will post the final art files for everyone to use as they see fit.
I would think any missing ink areas could be easily touched up by hand and then clear coated. I’m really looking forward to restoring my Batman.
1 week later
So, here is the latest playfield from the printer. It is an improvement over the last playfield.
I have feeling that if you have your playfield printed, that the end result will be somewhere between the last one and this one. Take a look, I will post more photos tomorrow with better lighting.
I will also be posting pricing and logistics information soon. We will start accepting PFs after Texas Pinball Festival.
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