Homebrew game labels

[Wickeycolumbus]

How/where do homebrew authors get thoes sweet lables for their games?

[+atari2600land]

If the game is going to be in the AtariAge store, AtariAge usually supplies the labels themselves. If you're talking about the design, sometimes games hold label design contests; or, if the author is also an artist, they design the label themselves.

[Cybergoth]

I have my labels exclusivly designed by David Exton, a professional artist. Check out some of his incredible work at his homepage: http://www.liveinabin.com/

 

Like Nathan Strum, he has that magic skill of transfering the essence of a game into art.

 

There's also many other artists whose work I admire and who participate regularly at label contests, so if you're looking for someone to hire, I'd suggest just browsing the old contest pages

[+Nathan Strum]

For what it's worth, if I programmed my own games, I'd probably have David Exton do the labels, too.

[Wickeycolumbus]

My first game is not going to be sold under the Atariage label, I dont need an artist, i only need a place to print them off, i will design it myself.

 

Thank you for your help

[+batari]

My first game is not going to be sold under the Atariage label, I dont need an artist, i only need a place to print them off, i will design it myself.

 

Thank you for your help

8-bit Classics will print labels for you. I haven't used them personally but others here have.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Sweet, i will check them out, but do you think that you could do something like that kinkos?

[raindog]

Sweet, i will check them out, but do you think that you could do something like that kinkos?

 

You may be able to get Kinko's to print your design in color on a full-page label, but that would just be the start of the process. I think it would be pretty tedious if you sold more than a handful of carts, but here is what I did for my original "Better Pac-Man" hack:

 

1. Design logo, keeping in mind the size of the cart's label area, in a suitable program. At the time (1999) I used Adobe InDesign. You probably want more than one copy per page. I did 2, but you could probably do 6 or 8.

 

2. After some test prints, print your design on full-page inkjet (or laser, if you have a color laser or are at Kinko's) label stock.

 

3. Use self-stick laminating sheets (I used 3M) to laminate the labels, still with their protective backing on.

 

4. Cut and trim the individual labels out. Don't forget to round the corners if that's important to you. It was to me.

 

5. Apply the label to each cart.

 

Despite the lousy HP inkjet that I had at the time, the Pac-Man label has stood up very well and is water and oil resistant too. But it's still a bit heavier than the labels AtariAge uses, so if you want the closest possible thing to authentic, you should either use them or find out what they do and copy them. I don't even remember if AtariAge existed yet when I made my hack, but I was just trying to make my label look better than the ones Hozer Video used back then. (Not to mention that dumb tiki head or whatever it's supposed to be.... freak.)

 

If you're not shooting for authenticity, you could always go the "RARE PROTO!!!" route and just use a self-stick hand labeler.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Sweet, i will check them out, but do you think that you could do something like that kinkos?

 

You may be able to get Kinko's to print your design in color on a full-page label, but that would just be the start of the process. I think it would be pretty tedious if you sold more than a handful of carts, but here is what I did for my original "Better Pac-Man" hack:

 

1. Design logo, keeping in mind the size of the cart's label area, in a suitable program. At the time (1999) I used Adobe InDesign. You probably want more than one copy per page. I did 2, but you could probably do 6 or 8.

 

2. After some test prints, print your design on full-page inkjet (or laser, if you have a color laser or are at Kinko's) label stock.

 

3. Use self-stick laminating sheets (I used 3M) to laminate the labels, still with their protective backing on.

 

4. Cut and trim the individual labels out. Don't forget to round the corners if that's important to you. It was to me.

 

5. Apply the label to each cart.

 

Despite the lousy HP inkjet that I had at the time, the Pac-Man label has stood up very well and is water and oil resistant too. But it's still a bit heavier than the labels AtariAge uses, so if you want the closest possible thing to authentic, you should either use them or find out what they do and copy them. I don't even remember if AtariAge existed yet when I made my hack, but I was just trying to make my label look better than the ones Hozer Video used back then. (Not to mention that dumb tiki head or whatever it's supposed to be.... freak.)

 

If you're not shooting for authenticity, you could always go the "RARE PROTO!!!" route and just use a self-stick hand labeler.

this way seems pretty good. If my game is ever finished, i will make less than 50 coppies, that might take a while to put all of the lables on. Im shure that it is much cheper than to hire an artist tho...

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Im shure that it is much cheper than to hire an artist tho...

But you don't have to hire an artist, they are doing it for the hobby, credits, fame...

 

And a free copy.

[+batari]

Im shure that it is much cheper than to hire an artist tho...

But you don't have to hire an artist, they are doing it for the hobby, credits, fame...

 

And a free copy.

For a homebrew, sure. But for a hack, finding a good artist willing to work for free may be a challenge.

[+Nathan Strum]

But you don't have to hire an artist, they are doing it for the hobby, credits, fame...

 

And a free copy.

And the women.

 

Don't forget the women.

 

Chicks dig label artists.

 

Or so Albert keeps telling me.

 

That's why I keep doing it.

 

I understand Dave Exton has more women than he knows what to do with.

 

Me, I'm still waiting. But Albert assures me that any day now...

 

[raindog]

I, too, have more women than I know what to do with, but (1) I am speaking literally and (2) I'm pretty sure it has nothing at all to do with my Pac-Man label.