Centipede Control Panel - what do you think?

[Laschek]

"Pantone is a standardized color matching system, utilizing the Pantone numbering system for identifying colors. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in different locations can all reference a Pantone numbered color, making sure colors match without direct contact with one another."

Marketing blahblah, it's not as easy as it sounds. Sure it helps in communication, but it's not near a guarantee that the colors really match the way they should. There are so many factors involved, especially technical ones, not forgetting the "human factor".
Print one and the same color on two different papers (glossy/writing paper) and it looks totally different (often a problem especially with graphic designers who generally don't seem to have the slightest clue about professional printing. Design schools don't seem to teach anything about it (at least here in Germany)).
Try to match a color with a 6mm plexi between the color and your color guide, very misleading. Even if you succeed: that same color printed onto a structured vinyl (in contrast to the very even surface of the plexi) will most likely look different.
Plus (maybe the most important part in this case): the bezel (like most artwork back in the days) was screenprinted with solid colors. The reproduction CPO will be printed by inkjet in 4-color (CMYK) simulation, which is just that: a simulation. Depending on the color you might reach good results, but then again you might not. FI metallic colors like gold and silver are impossible to simulate and look just poor in 4c.

Best way would be to provide the guy who prints the CPO with a bezel so he could directly match the printing to the bezel. Everything else is somewhat like staggering around in the dark. And not worth all the effort IMHO as long as it's not done in screenprint/solid colors, but that's another story.

[Laschek]

As mentioned a couple times before: the colors of the "old" mamemarquees Centipede BRIGHT blue CPO _ARE_ correct, except for the one I mentioned WAAAAAAY up above

I don't know if I had the "old" one or what, but the sample Ully gave me was way off.

[level42]

Didn't you see the pictures of my mamemarquees CPO I linked to in this thread ?

[Laschek]

I don't care about any pics or anything anyone has, the sample Ully gave to me was way off, that's all I can say. You can't judge colors by photos anyway.
Plus Ully wants the colors to match the bezel, not the original CPO.

[Superully]

Plus Ully wants the colors to match the bezel, not the original CPO.

agreed! isn't that what we should be going for?

[level42]

So...........let's sum this up.


Mamemarquees used to have a Centipede CPO on sale called the BRIGHT blue version.
I ordered this and installed it. I compared the colors with the ORIGINAL CPO and to my eyes, and as you can see on the pictures they are pretty damn acurate. Maybe, just maybe they are 1% off.

Next, some German guys discover that there is some errors in the positioning of the mushrooms. I didn't even notice it before !!!
They ask the file from Mamemarquees so they can correct the errors. The only thing that needed to be corrected IMHO was the positioning of the artwork, NOT the colors. (except for the yellow/orange like color).

Awaiting this, Mamemarquees REMOVES the bright blue version from his site so we cannot order this any more awaiting the corrected file.

Please help me....where did this go wrong ?

I mean, I know I would prefer a picture perfect screen printed bright blue Centipede CPO for all the Irish built cabs BUT having a reasonable alternative is better than nothing IMHO.

Matching the blue to the bezel is never going to be accurate. The inks are different to print on perspex and the aging has influenced the colors too (sunlight maybe).

Anyway, as it stands we now have NOTHING to put on those Irish Ceni CPO's......

(Since it's a pretty old thread, I'll put up two of the pics again here:






To be clear: what you see is the ORIGINAL Bright blue Mamemarquees repro (inkjet !) and the original scraps I removed from my CPO.....color errors on pic or not, my eyes are VERY picky when it comes to colors.

[level42]

And to show how well it fits the bezel:






I don't see anything wrong with this....

[Laschek]

So what's your problem if you're happy with it? Plus you could always take the file and have it printed yourself, Inkjet or anything.
As I said, you can't judge colors this way by looking at photos, that's just not possible. I compared Ullys sample with an original sample and it was way off. Maybe the sample was from a different run, maybe your and my bezel are totally different, who knows, everything is possible. See what I meant when I wrote that many factors are involved in things like this?

And to me the colors (the blue) on your pics (esp. the second one of the old/new comparison pics)) do look pretty different, even considering aging. And my eyes are not only very picky on these things too, but I do stuff like that on a daily basis for 20 years now.
But then, as I said, judging by photos is not possible.

[Superully]

I don't see anything wrong with this....

i'll check tomorrow on mine again and try to take some pics!

[ckong]

Plus Ully wants the colors to match the bezel, not the original CPO.

agreed! isn't that what we should be going for?

No, not as far as I'm concerned, I would like to have a good match with the original CPO

So...........let's sum this up.

EDIT: Although ...... If I'm not mistaken they seem to have it for sale again,

Matching the blue to the bezel is never going to be accurate. The inks are different to print on perspex and the aging has influenced the colors too (sunlight maybe).

I don't have much knowledge of printing techniques, but this sounds logical to me.

Anyway, as it stands we now have NOTHING to put on those Irish Ceni CPO's......

Indeed.

I never knew that the goal was to match the CPO with the bezel. I don't know why it should match if there was a 'factory' difference. And although you guys did quite some effort to try to match the CPO to the bezel (or the other way round, I don't know), I understand from your remarks that it is technically not doable.

So, could somebody PM me a link to the Mamemarquees European CPO file, so that I can order my CPO.   Thanks.

EDIT: Although .... If I'm correct they have the European Centipede CPO for sale agian: http://www.gameongrafix.com/products/centipede-upright-cpo-light-blue

Still with the wrong colors on the mushrooms and star though. Good enough for me I guess.

[level42]

If we could get the re-worked file from the German guys I'm pretty sure we could arrange something with another well known US printer.....especially of all the new Centi owners around here would join in.

I would still like to have the corrected graphics on the CP, and if possible a bright colored star so that's why I'm interested in this...

Please PM me if you have the file.

[ckong]

If we could get the re-worked file from the German guys I'm pretty sure we could arrange something with another well known US printer.....especially of all the new Centi owners around here would join in.

I would still like to have the corrected graphics on the CP, and if possible a bright colored star so that's why I'm interested in this...

Please PM me if you have the file.

Will do, I just hope that someone is willing to give me, or you, the file.

[Laschek]

To be honest I also never understood why the bezel should match the CPO when originally it didn't either. But anyway, Ully wanted it that way so that was finally alright with me. I didn't know that it was going to be some kind of "official" thing (or maybe I just didn't realize it?), I thought it was just about Ullys CPO and I still have the impression that this is the case. It was my initial intention to help him out, I didn't care about anything or anyone else and still do so. Well, I''m out anyway..., so go ahead everyone and do whatever you like, it's not my funeral.

[Laschek]

Erik or André, someone PM me an email address and I can send you the files from work tomorrow.
Feel free to remind me of it in case I forget, I'll have a busy day tomorrow.

[ckong]

Erik or André, someone PM me an email address and I can send you the files from work tomorrow.
Feel free to remind me of it in case I forget, I'll have a busy day tomorrow.

PM send, thanks.