How-To Create Arcade Machine Artwork for your DIY Arcade Cabinet
Arcade Marquee, Controller and Side Panel Art Information
Hey all! I have been taking a brief break with the birth of my friend’s son. I have had a bunch of stuff to do around the house so I have been playing handy man for the past week or so.
Coming back to my DIY Arcade Machine project we are going to be taking a look at how to handle the Artwork for the Arcade Cabinet.
When working on Arcade Machine Artwork there are several paths you can take.
- Commercial Artwork
- Digital Artwork
- Hand Crafted Artwork
Each of these methods has its Pros and Cons so whichever method you decide on will be dependant on factors like time, budget, materials, patience, & talent. These are generalizations but they are good to keep in mind as you approach this side of your Home Built Arcade Machine project.
Let’s take a look at each one and discuss how they might apply to your project along with the Pros and Cons of each. I have not implemented any of these methods into my DIY Arcade Machine yet, so at the moment I am just discussing considerations I have made regarding each one.
Commercial Artwork for a Home Built MAME Arcade Machine
The first common option a lot of people use as an approach is Commercial Arcade Machine artwork.
There are many companies online that specialize in crafting and printing original and custom Marquee Artwork, Side Panel Artwork, Controller Artwork and more.
The benefit of using a company like this is because they specialize in what they do they understand the nature of your project and are able to work with you to get the exact artwork you want for your home built Arcade Machine.
Another benefit of going this route is the companies can save you time and energy since you do not need to produce the artwork yourself. For a general MAME Arcade Machine they usually have several sample templates to choose from and in many cases you can provide your own artwork.
The one drawback of using a service like this is the cost. If you are building an Arcade Machine on budget using a commercial service might not be the best option as it will add on additional costs to your Arcade Machine.
Overall this is a good method that yields professional quality results, but requires a larger budget for your project.
Digital Artwork for a DIY MAME Arcade Cabinet
Creating Digital Artwork for your MAME Arcade Machine is another option some people choose. It usually involves the use of a graphics or photo editing software.
This is a pretty common method people use at some point during the planning and design of the Artwork for their Arcade Machine. Even in cases where people are planning to purchase commercial Artwork for their Arcade Machine, they may custom design the Artwork in a digital editing program first.
The benefits of using this method are that you have a lot of control over the Artwork for the project itself. I am a control freak, and like to have a lot of control over the projects I do so it is hard to leave something in someone elses hands.
Another benefit is this method tends to be more cost effective than having Arcade Machine Artwork professionally printed by a company. If you are working on a budget this can be a good alternative that yields a good look for your Arcade Cabinet.
The draw backs to using this method are that you need good digital editing software to achieve high quality results. If you already have this software you are good to go, but if you do not the cost of the software itself may outweigh having the artwork printed by a company. (Unless you can get it at a discount or from a friend.)
Another factor to consider is the time involved. Custom designing your own artwork gives your Arcade Machine a more unique feel but at the same time takes a lot of time, especially if you are unfamiliar with digital editing software.
Overall this is a good method that generally saves you money, and yields quality results if you are patient and know how to work with digital editing software. This method also requires you to have access to some type of digital editing software.
Hand Crafted Artwork for a Build it Yourself Arcade Machine
The last common method for Arcade Artwork is what I would refer to as “hand crafted” meaning any type of artwork that is done primarily by hand. This can consist of spray painting, hand painting, drawing, and even digitizing hand drawn artwork.
This is probably the most time consuming method that has the highest level of skill associated with it. The reason I say this is because some people are really good at producing hand made artwork, and I would consider that a talent that not everyone has. A person’s level of skill will directly affect the quality of the Arcade Artwork and the amount of time involved with this method.
The benefit of Hand Crafted Arcade Machine Artwork is it can be one of the cheapest methods possible for decorating your Arcade System. It also offers a good sense of satisfaction when you have created something entirely from scratch.
At the same time this can be one of the most difficult methods of doing Artwork for an Arcade Machine. This is mainly because this method requires the highest amount of skill and usually requires more time then the other two methods we have already discussed.
Overall I feel that Hand Crafted Artwork can be a good alternative if you have the skills to do it and are working on a budget. The supplies needed for most hand drawn or hand painted artwork are relatively cheap so you can save money on the overall project. The thing to keep in mind is that it requires artistic talent to create the type of results most people are shooting for with their Arcade Machine. It also requires the most time of all the methods I have discussed.
Arcade Machine Artwork Considerations Summary
So now that we have covered all of the common methods people use to create Artwork for their Arcade Machine we need to evaluate our project, our budget and our skill-set to determine which method/s will work best for our individual projects.
Since I am interested in exploring many different angels for building an Arcade Machine I am planning to incorporate each of these methods into the Artwork for my DIY MAME Arcade Machine.
At the moment I am thinking I will be creating Digital Artwork for the Marquee and Side Panels of my Arcade Machine and approaching two different companies to get the Artwork produced.
For the Arcade Controls I am going to try and use a combination of Digital Artwork and Hand Crafted Artwork to create the look I am going for.
This will allow me to experiment with each method to see what I like the best, and it will also allow me to provide readers with information on things I learn about each method.
Thanks for checking out the site. In the next several articles I will focus on each of the individual Arcade Machine Artwork methods we have discussed here and go into greater detail on each one. Keep checking back for the latest news on my DIY MAME Arcade Machine Project. ^-^
