Beaker - I found that I still had one of your files from early last year. I have some concerns to raise that I'm hoping someone can clarify. If I do my own and put it behind my clear panel would I want the glossy side forward or backward? The display gets pretty hot (and we may have another hot day in the UK again this year) so would a normal inkjet transparency be okay or would I need something that can stand up to higher temperatures?

I've had a few requests for info recently so I've been working on a website tonight which will be about my Empeg and the things I've done to it etc. There will be instructions on my current method of making the screens and the most recent CDR file to download so people can have a go themselves.

Now, to your questions:
I've had no problems with the heat affecting the film so far. The VFD doesn't get all that hot anyway. Maybe not as hot as an overhead projector? I've actually updated the CDR file recently and altered the method of manufacture (now I've got a laminator ). The film I use doesn't look very good on the printed side so I've always put the glossy side outwards (I wish I could find a spray-on Anti-Reflective coating here in the UK). However I don't have a clear screen to put it behind, I just use the film on it's own so you might get away with printing it in reverse and putting it in glossy side against the VFD. I'd say just experiment like I did. I expect you'll be able to improve on my method anyway.

If you want the up-to-date file it's here.

Have fun!!

Well, I'll give it a play soon and let you know. There probably isn't any risk but I was worrying that if I had the printed side against the clear panel it might leave some residue or worse still fuse to it. I'm kinda on the paranoid side about things like that.

Now, I just need to get hold of some software to use the file with.

Very nice template - but I'm no corel wizard - why won't the black portions print??

hmmm, I dont get how this works, wouldn't the inkjet ink be a solid color and blockout the display on the empeg?, or have I got this totally wrong?, would someone like to enlighten me on this?

cheers,
Jaidev

cheers,
Jaidev

No, the ink is quite transparent and lets quite a lot of light through. That's how you can use it on overhead projectors. If you make any of these custom screens do make sure you use OHP Film For Inkjet Printers. This is very important (if you're using an inkjet printer that is) as the ink will not dry if you use OHP film for laser printers or dye-subs etc. and it would smear all over the place. Of course if you're not using an inkjet then use the correct film for whatever printer you are using. I haven't tried making screens on any other type of printer so I can't vouch for it's effectiveness. If anyone tries it on a colour laser or dye-sub printer etc. please let us know how it turns out.

I have it printed with a HP Colour LaserJet 5M Printer. I haven't cut it out to try on my empeg yet but the printout looks like it will be nice.

I didn't have CorelDraw but PaintShop Pro opened it without a hitch. One thing I noticed is that the gradients aren't very smooth... they have very distinct color separations... is this due to PSP or is it the way you designed them in CorelDraw?

Thanks and I will post pics after I try them on my empeg!

Has anyone tried this method behind a smoke lens. Can you change the teal color to other colors?

It's probably to do with the way that PSP has imported the file. In CorelDraw you only set the number of gradations when you actually print the file. Has PSP got a similar setting when it prints or when it imports?

I didn't have CorelDraw but PaintShop Pro opened it without a hitch. One thing I noticed is that the gradients aren't very smooth... they have very distinct color separations... is this due to PSP or is it the way you designed them in CorelDraw?

This is due to the fact that Paint Shop Pro is a Pixel/Bitmap editor, and Corel is a vector editor.

Paint Shop Pro has to perform what's called rasterization of Corel's vector files, and therefore will not open or print those files correctly for their intended purpose. You should not use Paint Shop Pro to open or print these files, for a couple of reasons.

The first reason, you've already discovered: The gradients don't translate correctly. But the second reason is much more important, which is that the size and shape of the picture will not necessarily be correct when printed. It will be slightly "off" and a lot of trial and error will be required to correct it.

A demonstration version of Corel can be downloaded from the web (if you have broadband). I don't know if it'll print or not.

it matches perfectly to bmw, as witnessed in my m3

Well, I tried it in PSP. Took almost 10 mins to convert it and created a 147MB file. Really slowed my PC down but I just printed it off. Too big for the paper. Spent some time messing and totally stuffed things up to such a point that print preview wouldn't even display an image. Then I loaded Beaker's file into MS Word. Perfect with nice colours. 3 attempts at resizing and got it right. Then I spent an hour with a stanley knife trying to cut out the template. I have to admit that at first I wasn't too happy as the backlight is green and washed out the colours slightly but I'm getting used to that now and quite like it. Some visuals look great whereas others just make the screen look like its washed out.

I tried the template with my other panels both behind and in front. The only one that still shows the colour banding is the smoked panel but that only makes the display less bright which I can do through the software.

I'm going to get some better quality transparencies and then print it off on my father-in-law's printer and use his laminator as well and then I can play with some of the other templates. I'll have to nick his digital camera again so I can post some pics. I used the colour banding left-to-right template, BTW.

The biggest problem I have found is that my Kenwood KCA-RC700 steering remote now needs my hand to bounce the signal off and my Pioneer CD-SR80 won't work at all. May have to scrape some of the black from covering the IR sensor.

All-in-all I'm very pleased with the results. Many thanks to Beaker.

In reply to:

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All-in-all I'm very pleased with the results. Many thanks to Beaker.

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Hey, no problem. Glad to be of assistance. When I get a moment I'll see what other vector formats I can save the file in to increase the chances that more people can use it. As Tony pointed out in an earlier post, PSP is having to rasterise the CorelDraw file which is not ideal. You are getting banding and it also makes it more difficult to change the colours to suit your taste. I'm surprised that you have problems with your remote. Your Black must be denser than mine. Oh... I just thought. Are you printing One or Two passes? I print Two Colour passes and One Black. I suppose you can't do this if you're only printing from PSP, you have to print everything.

Happy experimenting .

The biggest problem I have found is that my Kenwood KCA-RC700 steering remote now needs my hand to bounce the signal off and my Pioneer CD-SR80 won't work at all. May have to scrape some of the black from covering the IR sensor.

Or better yet, just re-print the sheet with a white (clear) "hole" over the IR sensor.

Unless somehow the sheet plastic itself is IR-opaque, in which case cutting a hole is the only solution.

Seems like using a hole puncher, of the type used to punch holes for binders, would be useful for making a nice clean punch.

Calvin