I think some of this stuff is already floating around and been reproduced. I have seen a nicely done high voltage somewhere and some others

Scan at 300dpi or better at actual size. You'll never be sorry you have too much resolution, so more rather than less. Then in Photoshop or Adobe illustrator (better, but harder) remake the images by tracing (PS) and/or vectorizing (AI) them (so they scale well and have crisp edges). You can often find a close enough match for the fonts so those just have to be typed and placed, using the original art on the bottom layer as a guide. Once you get everything re-done, turn off the bottom layer source scan and print.

It's time consuming, but the results are great.

The initial scan isn't super important, it's just the guide to put your tracing on top of. So jpg scan at 300dpi or better on a flatbed scanner is fine.

Here's a quick and dirty trace I did of one part of one of your forms. The edges of the boxes, etc can be cleaned up, but you get the idea - it looks much crisper. You have do decide if you want it to look right or look good, though, since this is obviously handwritten and you can make it look the same, but it will not look as good since handwritten has imperfections.

Form-remake-example.pdf

Following...

My quick and dirty way was to use the copy machine at work and use a heavier cardstock material for the new instruction cards. I was able to clean up extra markings, staple holes, etc. Everything turned out nice for my purposes but there are likely better ways for high end restorations like yours.

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Peter does most of these I think.

http://www.inkochnito.nl

Inkochnito

I put that up in Hopes Peter could chime in.
I'm kinda a DIY guy myself.

I have a lot of cards on my website http://www.inkochnito.nl.
Just be sure to set the scaling to 100% or "no scaling" when printing.
The switch assigments chart is also available.
Look in the Stern Electronics section under Quick Silver.
A lot of the other generic cards are available in the red section at the top of the page.
Anything I don't have, ask me.
Send me an image and include the size of the card.
Why invent the wheel when it's already found....

Peter
www.inkochnito.nl

Your scan will be a locked layer 1. Go to Add Layers and add a layer (make sure your Layers palette is visible, if not go to the window menu and check it so it's visible). Then if you're tracing graphics, use the shape tool (line, circle, square, custom) to literally draw over the part that's crappy and fuzzy. Keep each "thing/section" on the sheet on its own layer (add layers as you go). It's easier to undo mistakes this way. When you're done, you can run the file without the text through Vector Magic to vectorize it, then add that back in to the text part you did for a very crisp file image.

Hi Skypilot +
I am not sure - do You want something like "How to convert PDFs to JPGs - then work in MS-Paint / paintnet (on some features better than MS-Word - but a bit more complicated) --- cleaning out dirtmarks - turning slightly - freshen-up --- darken /blacken the text - put more contrast into - then finally making PDFs again - is this what You would like to do ?

Its late in Switzerland - I go to sleep - maybe by tomorrow I read what You would like to do (?). Greetings Rolf

JPEG isn't good to use, you'll lose quality when you save it. Stick to TIF, PNG, or BMP.

If you're at 400dpi and save with JPG Image options of quality 12 (Max) with format option "progressive" checked and 5 passes, the quality will be fine at the sizes you're printing. No need to make bloated TIFFs. Also, if you run the jpg images you've traced at hi-res through vector magic you'll get a crisp, scalable vector eps image out of it that doesn't lose detail even if you blow it up to 12 feet by 12 feet.

If you do choose to recreate these papers in a vector program like Illustrator, make sure to use the correct fonts. Most original paperwork from the early 80's used fonts like Futura, Helvetica, Franklin Gothic, News Gothic and Alternate Gothic, but NEVER Arial. I've seen Arial used so many times for early 80's pinball and videogame artwork and I cry a little every time.

Hi Skypilot +
I do have an cheap, simple scanner - paper size to scan is "letter-format (and european A4-format) or smaller". I can scan and reproduce paper-printout - scan and make an PDF - scan and make an TIFF - scan and make an BMP - I cannot scan and make an JPG. So I scan and make an PDF or I make an BMP. Then here - free service: https://online2pdf.com/en/ I can make me JPGs. The online2pdf-com offers also "making PDFs" but they come with huge margins I don't like. So to make me PDFs I use this: http://www.pdfarea.com/image-to-pdf-converter-free.htm

PDFs are used everywhere - JPGs are also widely used. I do not need "high quality" so I do not use stuff like "photoshop" - I do not use "vector-graphics". Most I do is "working on a snippet of an schematics --- cleaning out dirtmarks - redrawing lines/wiring - adding text or whatever. If the lines are not "vertical and horizontal" I use the free https://www.getpaint.net/ --- (it is a bit complicated to use) - I only use "Rotation-Zoom" AND I often use its function "overall bleaching or darkening" and the function "putting-in more contrast". Only ONCE I used the "overlay-function in "getpaint" --- here https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/bally-on-beam-score-motor-running-at-power-on#post-3745203 see the JPG - I mirrowed an ipdb-picture (Backside picture of the Backglass) and put the mirrowed picture over the front-side-look of the backglass. Also see in the JPG the "adding of text and drawing lines colored etc.". If Your topic is about "such questions / problems / how to do it": I can help. Greetings Rolf

If you can wait a few weeks: I'll redraw all tech carts from my QS very soon in Illustrator. No problem to send you a printable PDF when done.

I started doing this for my Stern Dracula. I don't remember the details, but found that I could bring a dirty scan into Photoshop, then tweak it, then use the magic selection to select all the text and blow away much of the background noise. For what I was working on, it all looked hand inked, so could not replace it with standard text.

Maybe print on some antique or resume paper to simulate the nicotine stains? In a strange way i kind of like the patina and old yellowed look of these types of things.

I would use illustrator VS photoshop as you can save your files in vector formats (math makes the drawing vs pixels). Like people have said scan the files. Measure the document and you can then use artboards for each of the docs you need and size them up.

Any chance you would share this with the world?
If you send me a copy of the pdf file, I'll post it on my website.

Peter
www.inkochnito.nl

I'll try to start back on this next week. I REALLY need to finish the Dracula. When I have them done, I will gladly share them.

Also, I'd planned/plan to print mine on slightly off white card stock. Even if originally bright white, I thought that would look TOO white. Thoughts?

File folders work well as do manilla envelopes. Head to the office supply store and you'll get the idea.

Looks much better.

Thank you very much for your kind donation.
Much appriated!
Gladd my work did help you out.
How do you like my files?
You have the real cards to compare....

Peter