Depends on if you want to print it yourself or just submit a design to have printed. If it's the latter, it's about $50, and a site like this will take care of you: http://www.gameongrafix.com/categories/customer-designed

How do they deal with licensing/trademark issues... I've considered a custom translite for my ST Pro but I'd think it would be a problem if I asked them to utilize art from a movie poster image, for instance.

I recommend you don't do that.

Now I have a lot of love for that site, they do great work for arcade decals, I've used them myself, and would again for that purpose. My MAME cab has their stuff all over it, looks great.

But they cannot print a proper translite. I tried using them and was very disappointed with the end result, it washed out the instant you backlit it. Just not something they're good at.

I don't unfortunately have a recommendation for a "good" place that will do one off prints. The printer I use for my projects is awesome, but it's commercial scale, I have minimum orders numbers.

Depends on the printer. Some will overlook it if it's just a one-off personal project, some won't touch anything with copyrighted material even for that.

Yep, thanks. The ST Pro translite isn't terrible but I do wish there was another option. Something a little more space battle oriented.

I recommend hiring Aurich.
th-643.jpeg

I never used them for translites. I have taken care of printing myself, but good to know that it's not their strong suit.

I think Aurich is a bit more into doing stuff with some minimum volume in mind and stays away from copyright/TM issues. That said, Aurich can feel free to PM me or post if he has any interest in doing something with ST. Both the Pro and Premium translites are just 'ok'. I love the ACDC translite, but for ST I'm probably more into an epic battle translite than boobs.

I just do what strikes my fancy honestly. They can be a ton of work, but as long as I'm enjoying myself it's all good. Obviously if there's a market for sharing them that's great too, but it's not the prime driving factor.

AC/DC was actually the exception in a way, it's a game I don't own, and pinup art isn't really my thing, but it was still fun. Nothing wrong with half naked women and pinball, but only when it makes sense, Star Trek definitely isn't it!

Star Trek is a pretty tricky one, because you're right, I try and respect the copyright stuff as best I can. I honestly have no idea how I'd tackle that one. My skills aren't really up to photorealistic spaceship renders, and I wouldn't use someone else's Enterprise art.

Staples prints to backlit material. Has anyone ever used them?

Never used them, but I've heard it's not bad. I have used FedEx Office and they do a good job, but they are wary of printing any material that might have copyright restrictions.

Darn! I was going to PM you (Aurich) about where I could have a one-off translight printed for me. I own four Mustangs of different recent generation stylings ('96 Cobra + '01 Cobra + '08 GT500 + '13 GT) and a high-res digital camera and Adobe Photoshop, and I was going to create a custom translight for the new Stern Mustang pin (once it comes out) picturing only my specific cars. All I would need is the right place to have print it out. And you seemed to be the best person to ask about this...

You guys may want to contact the guy on ebay that creates custom bg.

search"alternate translite"

I'd love to get one of them Miami Vice translites for Hollywood Heat made by the guy in FL but Staples or FedEx probably wouldn't do it.

So if you're dumb and ask them this then they'll tell you they can't do it. But if you just make the image and send it to them, gameongraffix will print it regards what it is. You might run into other problems if you ask for 50 to be made. But it's definitely no problem getting 1 even if the art looks stolen

I've had lots of translites printed and Aurich has so far had the best quality of print I've ever seen.

Talk about digging up an old post...anyone have any current news, ideas, places to get a translite done? It’s just a one off for a custom game I’m wanting to do so any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

He figured it out! In the interim Aurich improved a lot of STs by going ahead with that project himself. Mine included!

(Sorry, couldn't say for sure where to get a decent one-off TL printed, hopefully the technology has advanced in the last six years.)

Check your local printing places. I found a local printer that does great work, and it was about $40 Canadian a translite. All you have to do is provide them with the dimensions, a properly proportioned graphic with large pixel size, and request it to be printed on backlit material. Here are pics of the three I've had done so far (sf2, indiana jones temple of doom retheme, and shaq attaq):

indy (resized).jpg

sf2 (resized).jpg

shaq (resized).jpg

You might want to ask Drypaint of The Flipper Room. They do their own custom translites. I don't know if they print them in-house or send it out but the one I got from them recently is beautiful. The plastic is thinner than the factory translites I have but that isn't an issue for my use in a backlit frame.