Vectrex Overlays - 1€ cost. Homemade. Cheap.

[Onlyfordj]

Hello!!
I recently purchased a multirom cartridge for my Vectrex and now I'm about to make the overlays.
I have seen that there are reproductions of several colleagues in the forum and sales through ebay... but I wanted something that was really cheap.

After looking for the necessary materials and my almost zero knowledge of printing and image modification, here is my first overlay.
Doing calculations... I can say that each overlay costs €1

Materials: Color/laser printer (I think we all have some kind of printer), laminating machine, transparent printable sheets, sheets for the laminator, cutex, scissors and ruler.
You must have a home laminating machine (the cheapest on Amazon €20).
Remember: I have looked for the cheapest way possible to make an overlay that does its job. It is normal, that with other higher quality materials... the result will be better. But I assure you that with the cost of €1 you can already play.
Printer consumption (ink): €0.15/overlay
Transparent sheet: €0.70/sheet
Laminating sheet: €0.15/sheet
(Left Homemade / Right Original)

 

 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Onlyfordj

[uczmeg]

5 minutes ago, Onlyfordj said:

Hello!!

 

I recently purchased a multirom cartridge for my Vectrex and now I'm about to make the overlays.

 

I have seen that there are reproductions of several colleagues in the forum and sales through ebay... but I wanted something that was really cheap.

 

After looking for the necessary materials and my almost zero knowledge of printing and image modification, here is my first overlay.

 

Doing calculations... I can say that each overlay costs €1

 

Materials: Color/laser printer (I think we all have some kind of printer), laminating machine, transparent printable sheets, sheets for the laminator, cutex, scissors and ruler.
You must have a home laminating machine (the cheapest on Amazon €20).

 

Remember: I have looked for the cheapest way possible to make an overlay that does its job. It is normal, that with other higher quality materials... the result will be better. But I assure you that with the cost of €1 you can already play.

 

Printer consumption (ink): €0.15/overlay

 

Transparent sheet: €0.70/sheet

 

Laminating sheet: €0.15/sheet

 

They look great from the picture. What was the process you followed to get the right colours/size?

[Onlyfordj]

I have collected the overlays  the internet.
Almost all of them are posted on one web page or another.
I have taken the ones that had the best quality, I have gone through Photoshop (color leveling) and the size is standard for all the overlays (16.20 cm wide x 20.70 cm high)

 

Is this what you ask? 

 

[Vectrexer]

8 hours ago, Onlyfordj said:

Hello!!
I recently purchased a multirom cartridge for my Vectrex and now I'm about to make the overlays.
I have seen that there are reproductions of several colleagues in the forum and sales through ebay... but I wanted something that was really cheap.

After looking for the necessary materials and my almost zero knowledge of printing and image modification, here is my first overlay.
Doing calculations... I can say that each overlay costs €1

Materials: Color/laser printer (I think we all have some kind of printer), laminating machine, transparent printable sheets, sheets for the laminator, cutex, scissors and ruler.
You must have a home laminating machine (the cheapest on Amazon €20).
Remember: I have looked for the cheapest way possible to make an overlay that does its job. It is normal, that with other higher quality materials... the result will be better. But I assure you that with the cost of €1 you can already play.
Printer consumption (ink): €0.15/overlay
Transparent sheet: €0.70/sheet
Laminating sheet: €0.15/sheet
(Left Homemade / Right Original)

 

 

Nice work so far.

 

But it looks as if you might have forgotten the opaque portion of the Vectrex overlay.

 

Ideally, the opaque part of the overlay would be a screen printed layer on the back.

 

But since you went with the lamination method then may just as a easy to place in the middle of the overlay layers. Might also help to stiffen the overlay. Laminated Vectrex overlay are definitely more flimsy-floppy than the originals. And that leads to the overlay not staying in place as well.

 

Question,,, Do your laminated Vectrex overalys fit into the four (4) overlay retention clips on the Vectrex screen bezel?

Edited June 6, 2022 by Vectrexer

[Onlyfordj]

28 minutes ago, Vectrexer said:

Nice work so far.

 

But it looks as if you might have forgotten the opaque portion of the Vectrex overlay.

 

Ideally, the opaque part of the overlay would be a screen printed layer on the back.

 

But since you went with the lamination method then may just as a easy to place in the middle of the overlay layers. Might also help to stiffen the overlay. Laminated Vectrex overlay are definitely more flimsy-floppy than the originals. And that leads to the overlay not staying in place as well.

 

Question,,, Do your laminated Vectrex overalys fit into the four (4) overlay retention clips on the Vectrex screen bezel?

 

Hello. 
Sorry, I don't understand you correctly.
My language is not English and I have trouble understanding the words.
I use google translate.

This is the back, put the white color so that it is not transparent.

Do you mean that?

Yes, it fits perfectly in the four retention clips that the vectrex has.

Remember that all this is done with limited resources to obtain a very cheap overlay that does its job.

 

 

 

[+jgkspsx]

Very nice!

[Vectrexer]

On 6/6/2022 at 11:54 AM, Onlyfordj said:

 

Hello. 
Sorry, I don't understand you correctly.
My language is not English and I have trouble understanding the words.
I use google translate.

This is the back, put the white color so that it is not transparent.

Do you mean that?

Yes, it fits perfectly in the four retention clips that the vectrex has.

Remember that all this is done with limited resources to obtain a very cheap overlay that does its job.

 

 

 

Very nice on all responses. 

Thanks for the extra pics.

 

And yes, the white opaque for the back layer of the original overlay is the point of question I had about your overlay having some sort of layer that blocked light. 

 

 

[gtoal]

how fuzzy is the view through the main transparent part?  Most home printers and standard inks tend to be somewhat fuzzy compared to semi-transparent materials such as stage light filters. And what may look like strong colour when laid flat on white paper often appears washed-out when lit from behind by bright vectors on the Vectrex...