BACKGLASS SCANNING
LAST UPDATED 18 APRIL '06
Backglass "reproduction" is now within the reach of most pinball owners providing they have a computer, appropriate scanner, imaging software, access to a print shop and time. "Reproduction" implies it is a copy made of the same materials, with the same processes and containing the same amount of detail.
"Backglass Copying" is probably a more appropriate description.
My tools of choice:
Computer - 2ghz CPU, 2gig DDR400 Ram
Scanner - HP Scanjet 4670
Software - Photoshop 7, Arcsoft Photostudio 2000, Illustrator CS2
Coffee - Nescafe Blend 43
I use an ATI9600 video card but any card produced in the last 5 or so years should be far more than adequate as you are dealing with static images. Keep a few gig of hard drive space free as it is quickly used up with multiple image files.
Click on images for larger view
The HP Scanjet 4670 is an ideal choice as it has no "lip" around the glass scanning plate. This means it will sit flush against the image to be scanned, giving a sharper, clearer image requiring less digital repair. I had to import this scanner into Australia from the USA as I could not find a local supplier. The second image shows how there is no "lip", the ruler sits flush against the surface of the scan plate.
To invest the time and money in replacing your backglass will be a personal decision. If you are fortunate enough to find a replacement locally that you are happy with most of this article will be of no interest. However, if you can't find one, it is too expensive due to shipping, outright cost or limited supply, it means you live in Australia or some other remote place on the planet.
Pinball Pool Backglass
SUMMARY INFO - 2 layer print
Medium - glass (as per original)
Color mask - the actual digital print (printed onto a clear vinyl sheet)
Light mask - the separate vinyl layer that blocks out light. With this backglass it was also the chrome layer.
Chrome mask - the separate layer that imitates the mirroring effect found in many backglasses.
This was my first attempt. The glass had a fair amount of flaking on the translucent (where the light shines through) area and around the edges. The colors were faded and some of the mirroring had dulled, turning almost black. It was an ideal project because if I could manage to make one with this level of complexity and detail, I felt confident I could handle most of them. Before starting I sealed the original glass with 2 layers of Krylon Triple Thick. It helps prevent any further damage while scanning.
Four scans across and three down. Scanning was done at 300 DPI. I then stitched them together and measured key points on the image compared to the original. These included the corners of the score windows, the lettering ("Game Over") etc. to ensure accuracy and the overall size of the image. The original glass is 26" square, at 300 DPI that equals 7800 x 7800 pixels. There are many articles on the net about image scanning, resising and printing. I suggest you READ THEM. The image is saved in TIFF format, about 170MB! That's why you need lots of Ram and drive space. The image shows the compostite of the stitching with a little digital touchup already. The score windows show what many parts of the backglass looked like.
And the completed backglass after an estimated 50 hours of work. White areas print clear, this is improtant for the score and credit windows. I also printed the lettering on the color mask on this one. Second pic shows the combined light mask and chrome mask. It was a learning curve and each new glass takes less time. These are the software images that I took to my local printer. We changed the chrome colored areas and "bubbles" on the color mask to white as it had to be clear to allow the chrome mask to be seen. Learning to think in print layers takes a bit of practice.
And this is the completed backglass I picked up from the printers, front and rear shots. I needed to add several small chrome pieces in the "Pinball Pool" lettering, once again because it takes practice to think in print layers. For a first attempt I was quite happy.
Superman Backglass
SUMMARY INFO - 3 layer print
Medium - glass (as per original)
Color mask - the actual digital print
Translucent mask - allows light through, smoothing it out without the "pinpoint" effect of globes.
Light mask/chrome mask - light blockout layer and imitates the mirroring effect found in many backglasses.
The glass was badly faded and flaked. The brown/woodgrain you can see through the glass is the top of my desk that I scanned it on, just to give an idea of how much paint was missing. Most of the white areas are actually meant to be red, the same as the Superman logo, it should be a red "S". Red often fades to yellow/white with heavy sun exposure.
Completed backglass after an estimated 30 hours of work. It has a "smoother", more "cartoonish" finish than the original, this is simply my personal preference and an attempt to limit the time spent on retouching it. Second pic is the translucent layer made of white vinyl. This helps "lift" the colors on the color mask and spread the light from the globes more evenly. There are holes in this for the scrore displays and the chrome layer to show through. Third pic is of the light mask/chrome mask.
Backglasses, original on left and copy on the right, after returning from the printers. I am fairly impressed with the result. There are a few very minor mistakes that are visible on the copy. These have been caused by slight misalignment of the 3 layers when put together. Admittedly, unless you knew what you were looking for, its unlikely you would find them wihtout sticking your nose right up to the backglass. Call me a perfectionist.
New backglass in the cabinet. Looks good. Camera seemed to concentrate the globe light, in person the lighting is more evenly spread.
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