@@JoshWraaButler Sorry I missed this! 720dpi with the label set to the actual size on screen. You can download the files on my website if you want to look :)
@@cyberpaul1398 correct. The resolution of the document is 720dpi. This is a good match for the micro piezoelectric nozzle pitch of the Epson photo printer. The print head has a physical 360 nozzles per inch so working in multiples of 360 is the way to go and avoids aliasing and moire in certain cases. With regards to the display on the screen, the document is simply zoomed to the same size as the physical print for design purposes. My monitors (Asus ProArt) have a function for this and have actual ruler measurements moulded into the bezel. Very handy!
A brilliant and timely video. I've just bought a load of Atari carts and while some of them are OK, there's a few that are beyond saving. I'll definitely have a go at replacing the labels with this method.
They turned out fantastic. I did this a while back, using matte adhesive paper (mainly because I was out of gloss). The ink fix spray looks awesome. I didn’t know such a thing existed.
I've never seen the ink fixing spray. I have made new labels for various cartridges and items, but only with paper and stick on laminate (I have used clear packing tape in the past). I like idea of using the spray better and it looks better.
👍@@MarkFixesStuff Well, your bodges are amazing! The way you film what you do is also very professional. It really does make your content well worth watching.
I'd known for some years that Activision's cartridges were particularly prone to 'spotting', and the popular thinking was that it was down to the type of glue they used. It hadn't occurred to me that it could actually be mould. I shall have to re-examine some of my carts.
Very good instructional on general cleaning of carts too. ive got a couple cruddy ones i found at a flea market that looked like they had been laying around on a grimey old carpet or a junky cardboard box on a garage floor for several years. The hair dryer use was the bit i was not thinking of before as i was waiting to start taking them apart until i really knew what i was doing, and do it right. My main issue with labels is just having loose and peeling ones. I hadnt decided exactly which glue i wanted to use or which was best for this situation. Oh and youve convinced me to get a rotary cutter as ive never thought i needed one as ive always used xacto type blades, but i will try one out.
Good result. For the corners, you could try a corner rounder cutter or punch. I’ve got a cheap one from Amazon and it does either 4, 7 or 10mm radius corners pretty well. Bit difficult to judge but the 4mm might have been suitable here.
Very nicely done Mark. Looks great. I am hoping to get some old 8 track tapes soon and the labels are worse than the ones you have. Im hoping to use a similar process like this.
Great work Mark. They look great. I've had to use the fixer spray when printing to photo paper also. Especially useful if your printer refuses to print "photo paper" any larger than a .....photo. The way some ink jets print is specific when using gloss paper, especially where black is concerned, and will just flake right off. The fixing spray cheats this issue nicely.
They look great. Personally I would have used something like indesign or illustrator to design them. I find photoshop isn’t as robust when it comes to typesetting as these two. As for cutting out, a 3mm bleed is your friend. Add it to your design plus some cutter guides and use them so you don’t get a white line running up a side.
The design of these carts were never made to be cleaned because they thought that would never happen, how wrong they were. ^_^ I tried my best to preserve an Indy-Rotla label but it ripped despite adding heat so nice to see another relabel DIY video. :) About six months ago I did a full 2600 cart cleaning, despite those spring guard systems there was so much dust, dirt, rust, mould, and mystery crud in most of them. Had some good results using "embellishing glue" for partially lifted labels. It's more work but redoing the label is the only way, scanning an old print gets you the basic dimensions but the source scan is like photocopying a photocopy for image fidelity. Occasionally it's possible to source paintings and photos used, imagine it wouldn't be too hard to recreate CRT based game screen shots. Getting back to what it used to look like is always nice, seen too many phony aged retro labels and boxes for retro themed products like 80s gamers bought brand new trashed packaging bitd. ;)
Wow, what an amazing job you made of it. They look fantastic and although maybe not 100% accurate to the originals, I'd be willing to bet that only an expert on the minute details would know the difference. I've just bought a woody sixer and a load of cartridges and at least one of them has no label at all. I don't have your image editing skills, but I do have a decent inkjet printer, so I may just have to give it a go and see where I get with it.
Thank you! 😊 I guess you know I uploaded the file with layers here?: markfixesstuff.co.uk/atari-2600-vcs/an-atari-2600-picture-label-template-with-editable-layers/
I’m sure there are a hundred different ways removing the old glue, but last time I had to do something similar I had very good success with lighter fluid. A tip I learned from Toy Polloi.
@@MarkFixesStuff Dave actually also uses it to lift and keep old stickers. From what I can tell, it will break down the adhesive, but leave the paper/ink fairly intact, and then dry completely clear without staining.
Great job Mark. Activision carts really are the worst. I don't know what they put in the glue back in the eighties, but whatever it was seems to eat the labels. After watching this I think I'm going to have a go at replacing some of mine.
Try a white eraser. I find them around the house, leftovers from kid birthday party goodies bags and elementary school playground trades. Usually they'll have cartoon characters printed in them. The white erasers work best.
it may be a bit expensive but a cricut would give the best results for the cornering. My partner has one and has made ALOT of different designs with PERFECT results. Might be something to think about
great covers ... reminds me of doing DVD covers a few years ago, .. them fiber glass pencils are work of the devil ... never tried braso but i do use pencil and ink rubbers/erasers with good results (i find ink rubber with IPA makes a nice cutting paste - care needed though)
I live in a council flat and damp is the killer of consumer electronics. Now I know to keep my retro computers and other stuff away from areas of the flat that are prone to damp in the colder times of the year. I do like my spacious flat but it was built in the 1960's and has some design flaws that is the cause of the damp.
Ok, did I miss something in the video? Why is there a stray lowercase "p" on the edge sticker on the Defender cartridge? These look nice by the way. Good job!
Question: Do you use Brasso first and then if that doesn't do the job then you go to the Fibreglass Pencil? I ask as I just use the Pencil for contacts, Spectrums and interfaces mainly.
Great vid Mark. I could do those stickers for you on proper eco solvent laminated digital vinyl. Die cut too ready to peel and stick. They'd last longer than the originals :) I'd be happy to them as a freebie for you for future restos. Just drop me a message :)
"Fonts roughly matching the original"? No no no this won't do at all. It's the Acorn Electron decals all over again. :D The original font used for the title was Futura Bold, but you've still done a way better job of this than 8-bit Guy. You can't argue with results.
Are you saying the "font police" are more tolerable than enraged retro collectors giving you earache for making reproductions? You might have a point there.
Hiya Mark! Excellent video and a great result on the carts. I'm loving your collabs with Neil too, you guys complement each other so well. And I agree with KiloSierraAlpha, you have clearly upped your game, really nice mate. Some other label re-creators have opted to put a little note somewhere on the label that says "reproduction label" in case they ever end up back on the secondhand market, but if you're keeping them for yourself then that's up to you. One single solitary gripe: I was about to congratulate you on having moved on from the sexual innuendo and scatological references, but you just couldn't resist isoprop-anal? Just my 2p, you can take it (ooer) or leave it. Keep up the good work!
Very nice Mark, done a good job there. Four years ago, The 8-Bit Guy did a similar project: ua-cam.com/video/3QJChsouvTI/v-deo.html Perhaps Neil would like the old stickers for his museum?
Nice how you removed the original in one piece. In forums some people get real nasty if you use their images to make boxes or labels so if possible I get images from ebay or scan my own and combine the best of both. I didn't know about the paper spray so good tip.
"These are not fooling anyone" B.S. If I had not seen your process, I would have sworn those were from the factory, you did an amazing job.
hank you so much Robert!
Maybe the Defender label could fool some of us, but certainly not the Spider Fighter recreation, I feel like that one deserved a bit more love.
Neil just called. He said he wants his hairdryer back.
2:44 "I'm up all night to de-gum, I'm up all night to print some, I'm up all night to clean ROMs, I'm up all night to de-sticky" - D. Punk
Great. That’s now stuck in my head.
I'm surprised nobody has compiled a library of old game cart labels by now.
There are a few online but nothing in the resolution I wanted.
@@MarkFixesStuff What resolution did you find you had to really get to before it looked passable? I think these look great BTW.
@@JoshWraaButler Sorry I missed this!
720dpi with the label set to the actual size on screen. You can download the files on my website if you want to look :)
@@MarkFixesStuff The resolution expressed in dpi is independent on how it is displayed on the screen.
@@cyberpaul1398 correct. The resolution of the document is 720dpi. This is a good match for the micro piezoelectric nozzle pitch of the Epson photo printer. The print head has a physical 360 nozzles per inch so working in multiples of 360 is the way to go and avoids aliasing and moire in certain cases. With regards to the display on the screen, the document is simply zoomed to the same size as the physical print for design purposes. My monitors (Asus ProArt) have a function for this and have actual ruler measurements moulded into the bezel. Very handy!
A brilliant and timely video. I've just bought a load of Atari carts and while some of them are OK, there's a few that are beyond saving. I'll definitely have a go at replacing the labels with this method.
They turned out fantastic. I did this a while back, using matte adhesive paper (mainly because I was out of gloss). The ink fix spray looks awesome. I didn’t know such a thing existed.
Will you try and have another crack at it??
@@MarkFixesStuff Maaaaaybe? :D I havent actually touched my VCS in a long time (I should do something about that). Perhaps one day.
I've never seen the ink fixing spray. I have made new labels for various cartridges and items, but only with paper and stick on laminate (I have used clear packing tape in the past). I like idea of using the spray better and it looks better.
I really like this kind of thing because it is not about technical understanding in terms of soldering but rather about attention to detail.
Thanks Mark!
@@MarkFixesStuff You're welcome. I thought they came out really well. Thanks for your work on your channel and on RMC.
Your channel is awesome!
Thank you so much Fabian!
If I would get refurbished cartridge by you into my hand, I would think it´s brand new! Awesome job :)
Thanks Miroslav!
This was amazing.
You have pretty awesome skills Mark!
Thank you so much Carl! I’m just a bodger really 🔨
👍@@MarkFixesStuff Well, your bodges are amazing!
The way you film what you do is also very professional.
It really does make your content well worth watching.
I'd known for some years that Activision's cartridges were particularly prone to 'spotting', and the popular thinking was that it was down to the type of glue they used. It hadn't occurred to me that it could actually be mould. I shall have to re-examine some of my carts.
Very good instructional on general cleaning of carts too.
ive got a couple cruddy ones i found at a flea market that looked like they had been laying around on a grimey old carpet or a junky cardboard box on a garage floor for several years. The hair dryer use was the bit i was not thinking of before as i was waiting to start taking them apart until i really knew what i was doing, and do it right.
My main issue with labels is just having loose and peeling ones.
I hadnt decided exactly which glue i wanted to use or which was best for this situation.
Oh and youve convinced me to get a rotary cutter as ive never thought i needed one as ive always used xacto type blades, but i will try one out.
Good result.
For the corners, you could try a corner rounder cutter or punch. I’ve got a cheap one from Amazon and it does either 4, 7 or 10mm radius corners pretty well.
Bit difficult to judge but the 4mm might have been suitable here.
The print is a 10mm radius so that's probably the key!
Liked and subscribed. I always thought it was just the glue coming through.
Very nicely done Mark. Looks great. I am hoping to get some old 8 track tapes soon and the labels are worse than the ones you have. Im hoping to use a similar process like this.
Good stuff here Mark with some impressive macro.
Thanks Ian 👍
They look very appealing mate 😆🥰
What a great job Mark👌
Nice one.
Those results look fantastic!
Thank you!!
Great work Mark. They look great. I've had to use the fixer spray when printing to photo paper also. Especially useful if your printer refuses to print "photo paper" any larger than a .....photo. The way some ink jets print is specific when using gloss paper, especially where black is concerned, and will just flake right off. The fixing spray cheats this issue nicely.
Nice little hack there! This printer will print on anything, even rolls of canvas, but that technique could well come in handy...
Your choice of music adds nicely to the experience. This is not exclusive to this video, but I'd like to point it out. Details matter.
Neil's on the phone, he wants his hairdryer back!
I'll send him a polishing rag
He doesn't need one! 🤣🤣
Gosh the artwork on Atari cartridges is amazing.
It really was. Another time when everything was done by artists and by hand!
They look great. Personally I would have used something like indesign or illustrator to design them. I find photoshop isn’t as robust when it comes to typesetting as these two. As for cutting out, a 3mm bleed is your friend. Add it to your design plus some cutter guides and use them so you don’t get a white line running up a side.
Great tips. Thank you. I’m terrible with illustrator so tend to hide in photoshop. I should do a course really
The colour looks awesome. I think I may have to buy a new printer and do this 🙂
I generally recommend Epson photo printers because I know how to get the best from them.
Fantastic restoration
Thank you Nigel! Cheers!
The design of these carts were never made to be cleaned because they thought that would never happen, how wrong they were. ^_^ I tried my best to preserve an Indy-Rotla label but it ripped despite adding heat so nice to see another relabel DIY video. :)
About six months ago I did a full 2600 cart cleaning, despite those spring guard systems there was so much dust, dirt, rust, mould, and mystery crud in most of them. Had some good results using "embellishing glue" for partially lifted labels.
It's more work but redoing the label is the only way, scanning an old print gets you the basic dimensions but the source scan is like photocopying a photocopy for image fidelity. Occasionally it's possible to source paintings and photos used, imagine it wouldn't be too hard to recreate CRT based game screen shots.
Getting back to what it used to look like is always nice, seen too many phony aged retro labels and boxes for retro themed products like 80s gamers bought brand new trashed packaging bitd. ;)
Wow, they look brand new. Nice one.
Cheers Franko! I was quite pleased as well!
Wow, what an amazing job you made of it. They look fantastic and although maybe not 100% accurate to the originals, I'd be willing to bet that only an expert on the minute details would know the difference. I've just bought a woody sixer and a load of cartridges and at least one of them has no label at all. I don't have your image editing skills, but I do have a decent inkjet printer, so I may just have to give it a go and see where I get with it.
Thank you! 😊 I guess you know I uploaded the file with layers here?: markfixesstuff.co.uk/atari-2600-vcs/an-atari-2600-picture-label-template-with-editable-layers/
@@MarkFixesStuff Ooo, awesome, thank you. I didn't know, but I do now. 😁
Great looking replacements there!
FYI: I use lighter fluid on glue residue; it disappears instantly, then just clean over with IPA or soapy water 👍
So kerosene then? Makes a lot of sense chemically! I’ll try that next time.
@@MarkFixesStuff I guess it would be, yes. I don’t smoke but have a small tin of lighter refill specifically for removing stickers from boxes 😃
I’m sure there are a hundred different ways removing the old glue, but last time I had to do something similar I had very good success with lighter fluid. A tip I learned from Toy Polloi.
Good to know! I actually bought some today on your advice.
@@MarkFixesStuff Dave actually also uses it to lift and keep old stickers. From what I can tell, it will break down the adhesive, but leave the paper/ink fairly intact, and then dry completely clear without staining.
Lovely video ! Great work !
Thank you 🙏!!
Great job Mark. Activision carts really are the worst. I don't know what they put in the glue back in the eighties, but whatever it was seems to eat the labels.
After watching this I think I'm going to have a go at replacing some of mine.
Good for you Bobbus! I’ll be putting the label templates up in the patron area soon!
Awesome work 😊
Very nicely done
I've found an ink eraser makes a good contact cleaner. Gentler than brasso or fiber pencils. Much safer too.
I need to grab some of these again. The Staedler grey ones are a bit abrasive I found. They work great on ZX Spectrum edge connectors.
Try a white eraser. I find them around the house, leftovers from kid birthday party goodies bags and elementary school playground trades. Usually they'll have cartoon characters printed in them.
The white erasers work best.
it may be a bit expensive but a cricut would give the best results for the cornering. My partner has one and has made ALOT of different designs with PERFECT results. Might be something to think about
I actually have one now! You can see it in my later Colecovision cart restoration videos (and my Atari Island Run video)!
@@MarkFixesStuff checking it out now! thanks I like your content! Subscribed!
Thanks Frankie!
5:50 music reminds me on athmosphere of Amiga Hollywood Poker Pro :)
I love a bit of poker. I can hear that now!
@@MarkFixesStuff its was adult game on Amiga music made by Chris Huelsbeck the legend himself!
Looks like the spiders won on that old label 😂
Yeah. Smelled like it too!
They look awesome
Thanks Robert!!
Next time I want to see you restore a Beat em and Eat em cart! Ok....maybe not... :D
We don't usually have this mold problem in SoCal, since it is so warm and humidity is very low.
Here in the UK a load of these Atari cartridges have languished in damp lofts and garages for decades. Wish I was in SoCal 😂
@@MarkFixesStuff, It's gloomy and rainy today. So you'd feel right at home.
great covers ... reminds me of doing DVD covers a few years ago, .. them fiber glass pencils are work of the devil ... never tried braso but i do use pencil and ink rubbers/erasers with good results (i find ink rubber with IPA makes a nice cutting paste - care needed though)
Brasso is a life saver sometimes. I might try that paste now... hmmm......
Excellent!
Thank you Ron!!!!!!
Mark, did you borrow that hairdryer from Neil? Don't forget to return it, m8!
He’s stuck his wig in the tumble dryer mate
I recommend mineral spirits for adhesives.
Defender looks great.
Yeah I like that one best. To be honest the Activision cart wasn’t exactly a design classic to begin with. 🐷
Nice one. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
...proceeds to stick the lables on the wrong carts. :)
I picked different shape carts to avoid that very fubar.
If you want to cut the corners round, cut a thick boxboard small template from original label.
That’s a good idea. I’ll try that!
8:22 The font for 'SPIDER FIGHTER' looks like Futura to me. The giveaway is the round G.
I live in a council flat and damp is the killer of consumer electronics. Now I know to keep my retro computers and other stuff away from areas of the flat that are prone to damp in the colder times of the year. I do like my spacious flat but it was built in the 1960's and has some design flaws that is the cause of the damp.
Turn everything on all at once to heat the place... wait... no don’t do that.
That's a good job!
Cheers Dom!!
We called the fiberglass pen as pen eraser.
Ok, did I miss something in the video? Why is there a stray lowercase "p" on the edge sticker on the Defender cartridge?
These look nice by the way. Good job!
Denotes the PAL version Oscar. There's no N on the NTSC because that's assumed if there's no P.
@@MarkFixesStuff Thanks! I learned something today! 😀
I've had better success with removing glue residue with an oil based product than IPA (WD-40 is amazing for this, the glue comes off really fast)
I’ll try that. I’ve also been told lighter fluid.
Yes. WD40 works miracles on sticky stuff like label glue and price tags.
Question: Do you use Brasso first and then if that doesn't do the job then you go to the Fibreglass Pencil? I ask as I just use the Pencil for contacts, Spectrums and interfaces mainly.
I tend to try Brasso first. The fibreglass pencil wears the contacts down really quickly
hello bro hey could you help me in the measures of the upper label that stixker that says the title of the game greetings
Great job, you should stick with this technique.
-Dx
"Stick" with the technique???
That joke was... tacky... 🤣
@@MarkFixesStuff Oh- that's a shame, I'd hate to get labelled as someone with poor taste.
-Dx
Great vid Mark. I could do those stickers for you on proper eco solvent laminated digital vinyl. Die cut too ready to peel and stick. They'd last longer than the originals :) I'd be happy to them as a freebie for you for future restos. Just drop me a message :)
Thank you Robert! I do have a need for a sticker coming up actually...
@@MarkFixesStuff I'll drop you a message via FB :)
11:40 the italians call it a pizza cutter
Tasty. This one will cut the pizza and the table at the same time
What's that kind of printer? I have some cartridges to relabel here.
That is an old Epson Stylus Pro 3800, but any photo capable printer will work.
Perfeito ❤❤
I've seen several people use the phrase 'Actiplaque' to describe that nasty black mottling of Activision labels.
"Fonts roughly matching the original"? No no no this won't do at all. It's the Acorn Electron decals all over again. :D
The original font used for the title was Futura Bold, but you've still done a way better job of this than 8-bit Guy. You can't argue with results.
If I make them exact I'll get arrested by the retro police.
Are you saying the "font police" are more tolerable than enraged retro collectors giving you earache for making reproductions? You might have a point there.
Tip: Use the 90%+ Rubbing Alcohol and Q-Tips on the contacts as it's far less abrasive.
I find WD40 or benzine work well for removing glue like that.
Bought both today!
Hiya Mark! Excellent video and a great result on the carts. I'm loving your collabs with Neil too, you guys complement each other so well. And I agree with KiloSierraAlpha, you have clearly upped your game, really nice mate. Some other label re-creators have opted to put a little note somewhere on the label that says "reproduction label" in case they ever end up back on the secondhand market, but if you're keeping them for yourself then that's up to you. One single solitary gripe: I was about to congratulate you on having moved on from the sexual innuendo and scatological references, but you just couldn't resist isoprop-anal? Just my 2p, you can take it (ooer) or leave it. Keep up the good work!
Very nice Mark, done a good job there. Four years ago, The 8-Bit Guy did a similar project: ua-cam.com/video/3QJChsouvTI/v-deo.html
Perhaps Neil would like the old stickers for his museum?
Alas they are long gone now. Dirty and mouldy so into the bin. Thanks for watching Jason!!
Nice how you removed the original in one piece. In forums some people get real nasty if you use their images to make boxes or labels so if possible I get images from ebay or scan my own and combine the best of both. I didn't know about the paper spray so good tip.
Good point! I got this image from google images. Forums can be ... hard work...
Well um....... that went from an annoying problem to something worrying. Mold you say???
no innuendo......i'm disappointed 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Don’t drown your sorrows with isopropAnal alcohol 🍸
@@MarkFixesStuff thought you'd come over all Jan beta lol.....I'm blaming the fuzzy cold head for missing it
@@chrisrobson8540 hope you feel better soon!
@@MarkFixesStuff I was thinking, I’ve never heard it pronounced that way before.
@@Wormetti it’s legit! Look at the bottle!!
Seems like too much effort to me for a 40 year plus old game.