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The Space Shuttle Translite Project
The backglass of the Space Shuttle
Pinball
Machine is a valuable part that is difficult to
find. Prices
on units on ebay range from $150 to $250 depending on
condition.
As far as I know, reproductions have not been made. Although
I
have a spare unit, I decided to try making a
translite for the technical challenges. Translites are the
way
later pinball machines
(post ~1990) decorate their backbox. Instead of on glass, the
artwork is
printed on a clear plastic sheet, and then sandwiched to a pane of
glass.
Clearly, there are two
major steps: 1)
obtain the artwork, and 2) printing.
Obtaining
the
artwork
The scanning
process. I used an
HP4600 scanner, which is specially made to
sit flat on an object for scanning.
sit flat on an object for scanning.
I used an HP4600 scanner
since it is
possible for it to be removed from its frame and be placed directly on
the object to be scanned. This allows it to scan a large
object
in sections. I started the scan at various resolutions, but
hit a
snag because I was obtaining stripes in the scanned image of the
backglass. I realized it was some kind of aliasing artifact
of
the dots in the silk-screen since they did not appear in the scans of a
photo that was placed on the backglass (see below). I finally
found a number of settings on the HP scanning software that eliminated
this problem (descreen: ON, highlight setting: 70, shadow setting: 5).
Initial results of scan process showed faint horizontal stripes in the lighter areas of
the backglass (left). These stripes do not appear on scans of photos (right).
Initial results of scan process showed faint horizontal stripes in the lighter areas of
the backglass (left). These stripes do not appear on scans of photos (right).
I experimented with
various
scan resolutions. It turns out that a scanner will not be
able to
get
a perfectly sharp image due to the thickness of the glass
itself.
The reason is that the optical design of scanners presumes the subject
is right up against its glass window. The added distance of
the
backglass' glass causes a slight defocusing effect. As a
result,
I found that scanning at 300 dpi was sufficient. No gain
could be
seen when scanning at 300 dpi and doubling the image size vs scanning
in native 600 dpi mode.
Full resolution excerpt of one of the scans. The resolution is 300 dpi.
Full resolution excerpt of one of the scans. The resolution is 300 dpi.
As can be seen from the
above (full
resolution) excerpt of the scan, there is some slight blurring in the
horizontal direction. Thus horizontal edges are sharp, but
vertical ones have a blur of a few pixels. I think one
explanation is as follows: the scan bar is horizontal, and the scan
motion is vertical with respect to the above image. I think
that
the internal reflections of the glass causes a pixel of the image
sensor to see a small amount of light from an adjacent
emitter.
Note that this effect does not occur with dust particles that are on
the surface of the glass. These appear as sharp single-pixel
dots. One example is above the Shuttle windows.
Of course this problem can be addressed by photographing the backglass, but that leads to the possibilities of distortions and mismatch in lighting and color from section to section.
Of course this problem can be addressed by photographing the backglass, but that leads to the possibilities of distortions and mismatch in lighting and color from section to section.
Thumb nail of the eight scan files of the front of the backglass.
Each file is about 10 MBytes in size.
Once they are all
scanned it is time
to use Photoshop. I started with a new 300 dpi project with
the
dimensions slightly larger than the backglass. One tricky
aspect
is that the backglass has a
lot of mirroring. These areas scan poorly, and will make the
manufacturing more challenging. Also there are of course
clear
areas such as the score glass areas. For this reason,
transparent
areas need to be defined on the artwork. Photoshop makes it
very
easy to later change the color of the transparent areas, and assign a
color later if I decide to not reproduce the mirroring.
Photo of the back of the Space Shuttle backglass to show the opaque or mask areas.
Gray is opaque, white is diffuse.
The overall concept of
the
reproduction translite is to use several layers of artwork.
Starting with the layer closest to the player:
- The 'front' layer. This is the layer that will be printed from the scanned image.
- The 'mirror' layer. This will provide the mirrored border and the mirroring around the words "Space Shuttle".
- The 'white' layer. This will provide the diffuse white layer of the Moon, Shuttle and Earth because the previous layers are printed on clear film, or are only used in strips (mirror layer).
- The 'mask' layer. This layer will obscure the
light from
specific areas and provide highlighting for others. It looks
like
the image above.
The eight front side images stitched together and defects removed. The checker box indicates the transparent areas.
I think this is a very beautiful backglass.
The mask layer that is at the back of the backglass. Note the scattered dots to
match the stars, and the gradual fade on the exhaust plume and volcanic
eruptions on the earth.
Simulated backlit
effect. The
mask layer is put in front of the front layer and
then set to 75% transparency. Note the brighter areas where the
mask is transparent. The words at the bottom of the glass are only
visible when backlit.
Printing the artwork
As a proof of concept, I decided to make a miniature demo unit composed of various layers.
The front and mask layers printed on conventional transparencies as a test.
A translucent white sheet of material is sandwiched in between to provide
the white color, and mirror film is used for the mirroring.
Backlit version of the sandwiched printed transparencies. The words
at the bottom can be seen.
The framed demo mini translite next to the full-sized one. Note the good color match.
Printing the artwork II
With the involvement of two RGP members, I ordered a full-sized test print of the artwork.
Full-sized printing of the translite (left) next to the original unit (right).
Another angle of the two next to each other.
Portion of the original backglass for reference. Lit by the overhead fluorecent lights.
The same portion of the printed translite. Note the haze due to the overhead light.
Using some water, an illustration of the effect of applying a clear gloss
coating onto the translite.
The haze is reduced.
Comment from a recipient of Print V (5/3/2007):
It is most satisfying to me to have a small part in saving a Space
Shuttle
machine from being parted out!
See below for a photo of his machine at the show.
The H.A.A.G. show was on Oct 30 2007. The above recipient of the translite sent me this
picture of his restored machine at the show.
One recipient of the translite had some astronauts sign his:
Charlie Bolden (who later became NASA Administrator), Hank Hartsfield and Jon McBride.
Dana sent me this picture of his restored machine.
He also installed an overlay from me.
Adam sent me the above picture. His comment below.
Picture from Robert and his restored machine. I provided several
other items, and the entire machine looks beautiful.
Another translite installed. This one from Maurizio.
Translite on Jody D's machine.
Comment above from a repeat customer.
Another machine with the translite (11/2014).
STS-125 Crew Visit
In February 2007, the Space Shuttle astronaut crew of the final Servicing Mission
to the Hubble Space Telescope visited our group for crew orientation and
training. During a social event, I asked them to sign a copy of my translite.
The Crew of STS-125 signing my Space Shuttle Translight. They were
delighted to see such beautiful artwork on a pinball machine.
It was a nice opportunity to talk pinball with the astronauts
instead of work-related topics.
In order: Scott "Scooter" Altman (commander), Greg "Ray Jay" Johnson (pilot),
Megan McArthur (RMS Operator), John Grunsfeld, Andrew Feustel,
Mike "Bueno" Good and Mike "Mass" Massimino.
The signed translite. It should look great on my pinball machine.
then set to 75% transparency. Note the brighter areas where the
mask is transparent. The words at the bottom of the glass are only
visible when backlit.
Initially, I was going
to scan the
back (mask) layer also. I then realized that it would be more
precise and easier to derive the mask from the front layer. I
copied the words "Space Shuttle" from the front layer, and pasted it
right back in. This caused the image to align perfectly, but
in a
new layer. After a lot of "Select By Color" and "Fill"
operations, I was able to turn the red-yellow lettering to transparent
on a black field. For the Moon, Shuttle, background stars,
and
Earth, I simply drew those large areas in by hand. This
allowed
me to precisely control the gradients such as by the exhaust plume and
the volcanic eruptions on the Earth.
The words at the bottom of the mask were typed in with a font that looks similar, merged into the mask layer, and then turned to transparent by "Select By Color" and "Cut".
The words at the bottom of the mask were typed in with a font that looks similar, merged into the mask layer, and then turned to transparent by "Select By Color" and "Cut".
Printing the artwork
As a proof of concept, I decided to make a miniature demo unit composed of various layers.
- For the main artwork, I printed the front and mask layers onto clear transparencies using a color laser printer. Since a color laser does not print white, I can define transparent areas by assigning white to those sections.
- The backglass has a mirrored border all the way around, and
the
words "Space Shuttle" are framed in mirror. To mimic this
effect,
I cut out a band of material from mirror film. This material,
when applied to ordinary glass, converts it to a mirror look.
I
decided to skip mirroring the area around the words as I would have to
do some very intricate cutting. Only the outer band is
mirrored.
- For the white color, I found at the local Michael's craft store some translucent white paper that has a very low amount of blockage to backlit light. Regular office white paper is very opaque and has a high attenuation factor to light from the back.
The front and mask layers printed on conventional transparencies as a test.
A translucent white sheet of material is sandwiched in between to provide
the white color, and mirror film is used for the mirroring.
The four layers are
individually
taped to a pane of glass from
a picture frame. This allows me to hang the demo unit as
pinball
art in my game room.
Backlit version of the sandwiched printed transparencies. The words
at the bottom can be seen.
The framed demo mini translite next to the full-sized one. Note the good color match.
Printing the artwork II
After I assembled the
above demo unit
consisting of the four layers, I decided to build up a simpler unit
without the mirroring. Although the above provides the most
accurate reproduction, I think it would be a lot of effort to register
all those layers and tape up the mirror film. It would also
be
difficult to roll it up for mailing and storing. For these
reasons, I decided to make a second demo unit with a simpler
concept. This consists of simply printing directly on the two
sides of the translucent paper.
The front and mask layers printed directly onto translucent paper.
Easier to roll up and store away.
Printing
the
artwork
IIIThe front and mask layers printed directly onto translucent paper.
Easier to roll up and store away.
This result looks good
in the above
image due to the bright flash. With the naked eye and ambient
light, the version printed on the translucent paper looks dull and
lifeless. Another version printed on white office paper looks
bright and beautiful. The lesson here is that the substrate
on
which the translite is printed is very important. It should
be
bright white in reflection, and be very low attenuation in the backlit
mode.
With the involvement of two RGP members, I ordered a full-sized test print of the artwork.
Full-sized printing of the translite (left) next to the original unit (right).
The above photo of the
printed
translite and the backglass shows that the color match of the red and
yellow is very close, but the blue is a shade more purple than the
original. Also, there is a slight haze of the translite when
the
ambient light is incident at certain angles. This is
especially
visible in the top of the translite. This is shown better
in the photos below.
Another angle of the two next to each other.
Portion of the original backglass for reference. Lit by the overhead fluorecent lights.
The same portion of the printed translite. Note the haze due to the overhead light.
Using some water, an illustration of the effect of applying a clear gloss
coating onto the translite.
The haze is reduced.
In general, the printed
translite
looks very good, especially when backlit. However, as
mentioned
above, there is a slight haze on the front when the light is reflected
at certain angles. I decided to see if it was possible to remedy this
by clearcoating it. Tests showed that the printing is
impervious
to water and alcohol. As a simulation of the effect of the
clearcoat, I poured some water over the printing, and the result is
shown above. It shows that the contrast can be enhanced by
applying a layer of clear. The black gets darker, and the
colors
slightly more saturated.
The words at the bottom are printed on transparent plastic, and then
fastened to the back of the translite. Just like the original backglass,
the words are vaguely visible from the front, but can be seen when backlit.
(This is a backlit image).
Printing the artwork IV
The production batch of four translites.
Comment from some of the recipients:
Printing the artwork V
The fifth test print. The haze on the front is much reduced, and the blacks are darker.
Original backglass on left, Print V on the right.
Another comparison. Print V on the top, Backglass on the bottom.
Side by side comparison. Backglass on left. Print V on right.
Three copies of Print V ready for shipment.
The words at the bottom are printed on transparent plastic, and then
fastened to the back of the translite. Just like the original backglass,
the words are vaguely visible from the front, but can be seen when backlit.
(This is a backlit image).
The words that are
backlit by status
lamps in the backbox (Stop & Score, TILT, etc) are printed on
transparent plastic, and then fastened to the back. I found
an
adhesive method that is invisible from the front, but does not dry
hard, which allows the translite to be rolled up for
shipment. It
also allows non-destructive removal of the printing in case it needs to
be changed or repositioned. Another important requirement is
that
the printing has to be stuck tight to the back of the translite, or the
words will blur.
Printing the artwork IV
Once
the protoype was
printed, I had four more done, and they are shown
below. Two went to Australia, and shipping took three weeks.
The production batch of four translites.
Comment from some of the recipients:
| It
looks GREAT! I
now have to dig out my other SS, and start collecting the pieces for it. I also need to get a few clear glasses made.... Thanks for doing this, and great job! :))) Fred CARGPB#8 |
Thanks Mick (Australia) |
Printing the artwork V
I
found another printer that could print the translite with a potentially
better texture on the front surface. I decided to try another
test print.
The fifth test print. The haze on the front is much reduced, and the blacks are darker.
Original backglass on left, Print V on the right.
Another comparison. Print V on the top, Backglass on the bottom.
The result was very
satisfactory. The haze was reduced, and the translite looks
much
better lit from the front. The dark colors are darker, and
that
increased the contrast of the image. The contrast in backlit
mode
was as good as the previous print.
Side by side comparison. Backglass on left. Print V on right.
Three copies of Print V ready for shipment.
Comment from a recipient of Print V (5/3/2007):
|
Dear Edward,
Got the Space Shuttle "print" and
it looks
great. I cut out the area that are supposed to "see thru" and trimmed
the outside edge and did a temporary setup, and boy oh boy what a
difference it makes, especially when playing the pin and the lights are
flashing for the engines, it just makes a
visual sense. Its
like having a very nice car but you put that crappy ,little spare tire
on it and it just doesn't look complete, well same thing without the
print you made. A big thank you and great job. I'm part of
a local
arcade group here in Houston, TX called H.A.A.G(Houston area
arcade group)
and we have a show(with arcade machine and pins) and ill be
getting my Space Shuttle ready for the show. Big
thanks to
you it will be complete. I will be putting a link to our group about
the work you have done, people in our group love when some one does
something like this to keep the spirit of the old arcades alive. Thank
you Edward.
|
machine from being parted out!
See below for a photo of his machine at the show.
The H.A.A.G. show was on Oct 30 2007. The above recipient of the translite sent me this
picture of his restored machine at the show.
One recipient of the translite had some astronauts sign his:
Charlie Bolden (who later became NASA Administrator), Hank Hartsfield and Jon McBride.
Dana sent me this picture of his restored machine.
He also installed an overlay from me.
Adam sent me the above picture. His comment below.
| Hey brother got the trans light today and put it in and it looks great!! You could never tell that it's not the original!! Finally completes my machine!! |
Picture from Robert and his restored machine. I provided several
other items, and the entire machine looks beautiful.
Another translite installed. This one from Maurizio.
Translite on Jody D's machine.
| Hello Ed, Got the translight the other day and after sizing it up with a piece of glass, it has made another Space Shuttle pinball machine complete and whole. I cant tell you how thankful I am for the work you put into making the translight. Once again thank you for saving another machine. Thanks Karl |
Another machine with the translite (11/2014).
STS-125 Crew Visit
In February 2007, the Space Shuttle astronaut crew of the final Servicing Mission
to the Hubble Space Telescope visited our group for crew orientation and
training. During a social event, I asked them to sign a copy of my translite.
The Crew of STS-125 signing my Space Shuttle Translight. They were
delighted to see such beautiful artwork on a pinball machine.
It was a nice opportunity to talk pinball with the astronauts
instead of work-related topics.
In order: Scott "Scooter" Altman (commander), Greg "Ray Jay" Johnson (pilot),
Megan McArthur (RMS Operator), John Grunsfeld, Andrew Feustel,
Mike "Bueno" Good and Mike "Mass" Massimino.
The signed translite. It should look great on my pinball machine.
Backglass Links I have
gathered
over the years
Project Log
- Backglass restoration article (flippers.com)
- Backglass repro (Tuuka)
- Backglass sealing (Bill G.)
- Touching up Flash Backglass.
- Backglass sealing (Clay)
- Restoring a backglass
with
waterslide graphics (Alan Lewis)
- Book about how to print playfield and translite artwork (Classic Arcades Grafix). Discussion/review about them here.
- Backglass/Translite Printers (arcadeoverlays.com).
- Kinkos
will print backlit posters.
- Google search
- Plastic trim to hold the translite:
- Backglass restoration.
Project Log
- October 28, 2006 - Project started on a rainy day in October. On this day, backglass was scanned, and photoshop was used to create the front and mask layers. For reference information, the thickness of the glass is 1/8" (about 0.131" with the paint). It is 28.5" wide and 21" tall.
- November 1, 2006 - Printed demo miniature unit.
- November 2, 2006 - Printed second demo unit.
- November 14, 2006 - Received full-sized printing of translite.
- December 2, 2006 - Production of four more units.
- February 6, 2007 - Print V
is a success.
(c) 2006 Edward Cheung, all rights reserved.