What are overlays made of ?

[HomerRamone]

Just wondering what they are made of ?

Just wondering if you could (assuming you were able to get a decent playfield scan) have it printed onto adhesive vinyl and use that as an overlay. Obviously you would need to coat it afterwards, but I would assume you do that anyway if you install the "Real" overlays ?

I mean making sure everything lines up to get the overlay could prove tricky - but not impossible I'm sure. And I'm not sure how easy it'd be to cut out any areas that need it. Rollovers and such would need doing. Possibly anywhere there's a lamp too - I assume these are cut out in the overlays you buy.

Just thinking aloud here. I should also explain that I'm not thinking about this because I'm a tightwad (though I can be time to time) its more there's not actually that many overlays available. (Or maybe there is and I'm looking in the wrong place )

I'm sure someone be along sometime soon to blow my idea out of the water

 

[AlanJ]

they're a plastic vinyl. The insert light areas are clear with the number or letter already printed on - so you sand them off your old playfield inserts.

 

[HomerRamone]

Ah, of course.
Deffo think it would work then. Going to enquire as to weather or not the place ive found can produce vinyl where the white is white (iyswim) but also has clear areas.
Removing the colours of the lights from the areas in the playfield image where there are lights would be fairly straightforward. (Could probably even figure out the font and just cut holes there and replace the text - easier than having to cut around the letters/numbers too.

 

[stoptap]

Weren’t these available years ago ?

 

[HomerRamone]

You can get them for some yes. But not all.
I've certainly not found one for Cosmic Gunfight. Can get a backglass and a stencil kit for the cabinet, but nothing to do anything with the playfield.