End product:
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Background: I picked up a semi-project Time Warp a while back and have been cleaning it up and working out the kinks. The biggest issue was the bad backglass. No repo available.
TW Old Glass.JPG
Recently Underspin posted a thread about how he and some other pinsiders created a translite for a Stern Hot Hand.
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/stern-hot-hand-translite-project-finished
This was interesting to me since I have access to essentially the same large format plotter that was used. The only problem I had was that I had no art files, and no artistic ability to create any.
When I posted about my interest in trying Time Warp, pinsider JeffHecht contacted me and offered to allow me to use the art files from his incredible Time Warp restoration. I had forgotten how awesome Jeff's restoration was until I went back and looked again.
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/time-warp-restoration
Jeff had a print shop make a replacement backglass from art files that he created himself in photshop. He was incredibly kind and allowed me to use his files for the backglass art and light mask. I did not understand how important the light mask is until I saw it.
My plan was to try printing on various media using multiple plotter settings until I found a combination that looked halfway decent. My first try was printing the art on 24 lb white bond paper and the light mask on translucent vellum.
I did not realize how impressive Jeff's art was until I saw it printed out full size. Wow.
There was no reason to try additional media or settings since the first combination looks great. I cut out the score windows on both sheets, and the player number spaces on the light mask. It looks great when sandwiched between two sheets of 0.08 inch clear plexiglass from the local big box store.
The attached pics do not show how well the light mask text shows up. The "Tilt, Same Player Shoot Again, etc." is all very clear and looks great. I have all warm white LEDs in the backbox, since I don't think incandescent bulbs behind plexiglass and paper is a good idea. I do have the incandescent blinker bulbs in and they look sweet.
I can't imagine how this could have come out better.
Big thanks to Underspin and crew for the idea and procedure. Huge thanks to Jeff Hecht for allowing me to use his art.