Custom Manuals

wyndcrosser

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I'm still waiting for printing for a few of these manuals. I won't be sharing those until they are printed. AF3 was done just because, I find it interesting that someone paid $30,000 for a printed manual and some plastic.

I can put REPRODUCTION all over this, but someone can just photoshop it out, so who cares.

Aero Fighters 3:
Aero_Fighters_3_1995_SNK_JP_Sonic_Wings_3-1.jpg
Download - http://www.mediafire.com/?4dzbc37l2plh071

Flipshot:
Flipshot - 0 Front - Copy.jpg
Download - https://www.mediafire.com/?eclbrxqma1znzkq
 
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wyndcrosser

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So, I just thought I'd throw up an example I did for the Blazing Star AES Manual. I've translated the whole manual, but this .PDF is just an example. I'm still having trouble finding someone to do a reliable print job, what I've gotten back look ROUGH.

Blazing Star - 0 Front.jpg
Download - https://www.mediafire.com/?aqz6zai8w8optyx
 

Dochartaigh

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I'm still having trouble finding someone to do a reliable print job, what I've gotten back look ROUGH.

I take it you're a Graphic Designer who laid all these out? Or touched them up from scanned files? Cool! What has your problems been with getting these printed out properly? Are you sending them out for a small batch print job at an actual offset (or even digital) printer (which can get EXPENSIVE)? The PDF's I downloaded aren't spreads and full bleed with crop marks like they should be for a proper print job (which I'm sure would be easy for you to output the PDF that way) but even if they're laid out like I see them in those PDF's, that it's an easy 10-30 minutes (depending on how many pages) of Photoshop work on the pages which are actually full-bleed to get an extra 1/16" (which many inside pages aren't) so you can trim them to size correctly.

You also don't have printers spreads setup, which is needed for when you print them double sided, trim them to size, and fold them in half to staple them together to form a proper booklet so the pages are ordered correctly. But again, if they're laid out in a program like InDesign that's only another 20 minutes or so (again, depending on how many pages) to reorganize the pages to output a PDF you can easily trim and fold for a proper booklet.

...I'm sure you already know all the above, I was just wondering what your problems have been. I've personally made maybe 15 or 20 manuals to flush out my collection of Sega Genesis games by saving money and buying the games cartridge-only (I'm fine with paying ~$20-50 for the more pricy Genesis game for the cartridge only...but not like $70-100+ just because they come with a manual and booklet I can print myself with a $5 authentic Genesis case).

I then take the best PDF's I can find online (which are usually pretty darn crappy, not like these nice clean PDF's...sometimes even have to use some cover art from The Cover Project if that scan is really bad), touch them up, add bleed, lay them out in printers spreads, and even bought a ream of pretty-darn-close (and thinnish, but nice like they commonly used) semi-gloss paper for the covers of the manuals, then use matte paper for the insides like they usually use on Genesis manuals. Unless you literally study them you really can't tell them apart from the real thing (and that's coming from a graphic designer of 20+ years!) - I even have an industrial-style (pro-office) printer which can saddle stitch (staple) and fold them for me so I make 3 cuts for a full-bleed manual and I'm golden. These are some of my rejects I had laying around: http://imgur.com/a/mFJIZ (which are like 95% close to being as perfect as they can be from the scans I was able to find).
 
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xsq

Thou Shalt Not, Question Rot.,
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Dochartaigh, you're a dangerous man... I hope you and wyndcrosser put a mark/text that easily identifies the ones you printed as reproductions.

...and I suggest a colab between you and OP to make these happen (as he has often enough been called out on creating "all fart and no shit"-threads that lead nowhere).
 

Dochartaigh

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Dochartaigh, you're a dangerous man... I hope you and wyndcrosser put a mark/text that easily identifies the ones you printed as reproductions.

No they don't - the thought didn't even cross my mind to be honest. These are just something I did for myself which is going to sit on a shelf in my metaphorical man cave in the basement. I have no allusions of mass producing these or anything – purely for fun and making me feel more like a man because at first glance my Sega Genesis collection is now 100% complete lol (all ~30 titles I used to have/play as a kid ;)
 

JoeAwesome

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No they don't - the thought didn't even cross my mind to be honest. These are just something I did for myself which is going to sit on a shelf in my metaphorical man cave in the basement. I have no allusions of mass producing these or anything – purely for fun and making me feel more like a man because at first glance my Sega Genesis collection is now 100% complete lol (all ~30 titles I used to have/play as a kid ;)

It may not have crossed your mind, but I'm sure xsq wasn't the only one thinking it.
 

Dochartaigh

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It may not have crossed your mind, but I'm sure xsq wasn't the only one thinking it.

If you wouldn't mind, could you enlighten me some more? Is copyright infringement, bootlegs, counterfeits, scams, people using MAME ROMs, and all that stuff commonplace for the Neo Geo community, and considered a big problem? - I'm totally new to all this so I honestly don't know (I joined here to learn more and because this community is known for the expertise with the RGB monitors I've gotten into recently). I do see one common topic about selling counterfeit game of some sort come up in my new posts results on a pretty regular basis...

When people are refurbishing their arcade cabinet for example, and get a decal made for it with the Neo Geo or SNK logo on the side (or the game artwork), or get the thinner back-lit art strip for the front/top (I don't even know what these are called!), –both kinda the same exact thing as these manuals I made for myself, since I own the official hardware/cartridge, but need to replace the art that went with it– is it common practice to put a big "REPRODUCTION" label along with those logo(s) and/or artwork on their arcade cab as well?
 
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madman

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Big difference, nobody cares about repro artwork on a cab. However, bootleg/fake/Italian edition AES carts can fetch thousands of dollars and the intent is to scam people out of their money.
 

JoeAwesome

I survived Secret Santa, It wasn't Easy.,
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If you wouldn't mind, could you enlighten me some more? Is copyright infringement, bootlegs, counterfeits, scams, people using MAME ROMs, and all that stuff commonplace for the Neo Geo community, and considered a big problem? - I'm totally new to all this so I honestly don't know (I joined here to learn more and because this community is known for the expertise with the RGB monitors I've gotten into recently). I do see one common topic about selling counterfeit game of some sort come up in my new posts results on a pretty regular basis...

By and large, no one is going to care what you do for personal use. Some will suggest emulation before supporting bootlegs, conversions (making or buying), or what have you. This issue, here, is the danger of making quality "reproductions" of manuals (ie. fakes) for others to use and sell as real to unsuspecting saps.

Edit: madman beat me to it.
 

Dochartaigh

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Big difference, nobody cares about repro artwork on a cab. However, bootleg/fake/Italian edition AES carts can fetch thousands of dollars and the intent is to scam people out of their money.

That's crazy. So what you're telling me is I should quit my day job and start learning Italian... lol

I can see this from both sides, but where do we draw the line? The entire purpose of MAME is to preserve the game data so future generations could enjoy it when the last board fails. The same needs to be done for the artwork as well. That's why there's all these archival groups/organizations out there scanning and uploading everything they can so it's not lost. Sure, jerks can (and do) abuse that, but I sincerely hope they're in the minority.
 

xsq

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I can see this from both sides, but where do we draw the line? The entire purpose of MAME is to preserve the game data so future generations could enjoy it when the last board fails. The same needs to be done for the artwork as well. That's why there's all these archival groups/organizations out there scanning and uploading everything they can so it's not lost. Sure, jerks can (and do) abuse that, but I sincerely hope they're in the minority.
You're absolutely right. I myself scanned some NGPC art and gave the data to archive projects. The thing is once you do the work to clean up the scans, share that data (which you didn't) and anyone can have it printed looking as close to the legit manuals as possible the danger of some noob confusing the real article with a repro, paying ridiculous amounts of money to a scammer is always there...

To be clear: I really don't mind what you do with your own property or for your own fun and those repros you posted look top notch ;)
 

wyndcrosser

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Holy shit, lol. Doc you turned this into a mad house. No the PDFs were just to show the work, plus it let's me spell check when printed 4x4 on 8x11. These manuals aren't for releases games, minus AF3, but that wasn't released either technically. I've got no interest in ones that were released. All the final ones I've done say repro on the inside and the back. No one should think Blazing Star was in English lol. I just like finding out the real stories, actions etc in these Japanese manuals. But yes sir, I know about bleeds etc. I used to do NES manuals for Japanese games until I graduated college, got married, got a job,, etc. Now I only have a few hours a week for my "hobby".
 

Dochartaigh

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To be clear: I really don't mind what you do with your own property or for your own fun and those repros you posted look top notch ;)
No offense taken in the least!


Holy shit, lol. Doc you turned this into a mad house.
I was just trying to help the preservation cause! lol. Anyway, nice work man. If you ever get stuck with some technical problem feel free to reach out (two minds are always better than one).
 
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