(Topic ID: 309167)

Photographing backglass for restoration

By dr_nybble

2 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 31 posts
  • 7 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 1 year ago by dr_nybble
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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    #1 2 years ago

    I'm working on a 1967 Chicago Coin "Bullseye Baseball" pitch & bat.

    I do have an HP 4670 scanner -- I'm assuming the glass thickness means that a scan would be somewhat out of focus. Is it enough to mean that scanning is not a good way to get the art to reproduce the glass?

    I don't think there is a Cruse scanner in my neck of the woods. I have a 24MP camera with a variety of lenses. I assume I can get an in-focus photo of the artwork this way. What are the considerations for working off a photo? I'm mostly thinking about any kind of distoration introduced by the lens, getting a squared up image.

    #2 2 years ago
    Quoted from dr_nybble:

    I do have an HP 4670 scanner -- I'm assuming the glass thickness means that a scan would be somewhat out of focus. Is it enough to mean that scanning is not a good way to get the art to reproduce the glass?

    I actually use this method frequently. Currently redoing a Spacelab. My process is lengthy and tedious but I'll pm you my process if you like.

    Screen shot of the masking layer in process.

    pasted_image (resized).pngpasted_image (resized).png
    #3 2 years ago

    I'm all about lengthy & tedious! I can use my scanner if the results are satisfactory.

    #4 2 years ago

    The scan of the front glass looks pretty bad focus-wise; I'm going to try to photograph it instead.

    #5 2 years ago
    Quoted from Atari_Daze:

    I actually use this method frequently. Currently redoing a Spacelab. My process is lengthy and tedious but I'll pm you my process if you like.
    Screen shot of the masking layer in process.
    [quoted image]

    Hi,

    I'm really interrested by your process too. Could you send me your process?

    #6 2 years ago

    Here are some images of examples and final outcome after the way I do it.
    For me, the reconstruction of all the art is the fun part.

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    #7 2 years ago

    AI = Adobe Illustrator (auto-trace functionality).

    This would smooth out any "jaggies" from the work in Photoshop.

    I usually do all my art redraw in Inkscape since I am creating cutfiles for a vinyl cutter. It will be a different experience to work in bitmapped graphics for me, although I'll probably use Photoshop since I can't wrap my head around GIMP.

    #8 2 years ago
    Quoted from dr_nybble:

    AI = Adobe Illustrator (auto-trace functionality).

    This would smooth out any "jaggies" from the work in Photoshop.

    Yea I'm not very savvy when it comes to this stuff. I just know how to use a minimal amount of tools in each.
    I do use the image trace function in AI but it always makes slight modifications like can blur / blend very minute details.
    Perhaps I need to investigate the auto trace instead.
    I know the auto alignment function of PS often leaves a little to be desired. Hence I align all my art manually.

    #9 2 years ago

    I'm getting a local shop to scan the backglass for me. Seems like they have a scanner that can handle it including setting the focus. Cost is about $50US.

    1 week later
    #11 2 years ago

    Got my scan back and started working with Photoshop. Still lots to go through. Going well so far, work in progress:

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    #12 2 years ago

    That Bullseye looks nice! Mine is cracked and missing a piece or two.

    #13 2 years ago

    Looking at the metadata for the image, it was actually taken with a Nikon D850 full frame camera. Looks like if you have a jazzy enough camera and the experience you can photograph it.

    Pretty much done with the front. I left the crowd basically untouched. Still not sure if I need to bucket fill the baseball players with "pure white".

    I'm going to work on the masking layer on the back next.

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    Original:

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    #14 2 years ago

    Masking layer in progress. I'm redrawing against the scan of the back for those areas where the image only exists in the mask. For the front graphics that are lit, I'll try to use the front graphic as the basis for it.

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    #15 2 years ago

    Back layer is done, here is what it looks like by adjusting the opacity of the colour layer so you can see where it will light up:

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    2 weeks later
    #16 2 years ago

    Wonderful work. Looks so good!

    #17 2 years ago

    Getting it printed now, hopefully the colours turn out okay.

    CMYK can’t hit some of those screen printed colours.

    The photo was 320 DPI and taken with a 45MP camera.

    I used a cheap Wacom Intuos tablet for most of the work.

    #18 2 years ago

    Excited to see the final product!

    1 week later
    #19 2 years ago

    Looks great, need to buy a piece of glass. Won't ever get 100% colour fidelity with CMYK versus screen printing but I think it looks pretty good.

    There is a protective cover on the front adhesive so I think the colours are even a bit better than they look on the front.

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    #20 2 years ago

    I think it looks great!

    #21 2 years ago

    Application instruction video:

    2 months later
    #22 1 year ago

    My apologies if this is a dumb question, but do you use temp. glass for this?

    #23 1 year ago

    I used regular glass. Given how I've (sadly) seen photos of broken backglasses I don't think they are tempered.

    #24 1 year ago

    I know mine is not, but that was what, 1966?

    Thanks for the reply!

    #25 1 year ago

    Looking at the masking and opacity picture. Will the batter light up when at bat or crossing home plate?

    #26 1 year ago

    I fixed that in the copy I sent you….yeah that was dumb

    #27 1 year ago
    Quoted from dr_nybble:

    Looks great, need to buy a piece of glass. Won't ever get 100% colour fidelity with CMYK versus screen printing but I think it looks pretty good.
    There is a protective cover on the front adhesive so I think the colours are even a bit better than they look on the front.
    [quoted image]
    [quoted image]

    Looks great, I have a few machines where I have done the scans and all of the repair work on the PC but getting it printed was where I got stuck.
    Do you mind sharing how you got this printed, what material it’s printed on etc?

    7 months later
    #29 1 year ago
    Quoted from RonSS:

    Looking at the masking and opacity picture. Will the batter light up when at bat or crossing home plate?

    Trying to scrape the black off the area where I had mis-masked it. It seems like it'll work, extremely slow job using an xacto blade and gently removing it. I think it'll be fine from the player's view.

    #30 1 year ago
    Quoted from dr_nybble:

    Trying to scrape the black off the area where I had mis-masked it. It seems like it'll work, extremely slow job using an xacto blade and gently removing it. I think it'll be fine from the player's view.

    Coos says use a heat gun to soften

    #31 1 year ago

    I'm not the first, eh?

    I'll try a hairdryer, I'd probably roast it with a heat gun.

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