The Cover Project
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bear78 on July 25, 2011, 09:03:12 PM
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I was going to post this in the guides thread but I didn't have the option.
I came across this site a while back when looking for printable covers for some of my Sega Genesis and 32x games that were missing boxes. I found great covers but all the ones I needed where UGC size. I tried using the recommended setting / steps in the FAQs but could not get my covers to print the correct size for the life of me. So, I dug though the forums, youtube, google, etc. and after pulling bits and pieces of information from everywhere, I finally found the perfect way to convert the UGC covers to Genesis size and print them out. So, to save other new people time, I decided to write up a little guide.
Software:
Paint.NET v3.5.7 - http://www.getpaint.net/
Microsoft Paint (I have Windows 7, paint might be a little different if you are running XP or Vista)
Physical Items:
Color Photo Printer (I have an Epson Stylus CX7400)
Legal size paper 8.5 by 14 (I used Red River Paper 50lb. Premium Matte C2S 8.5x14 photo paper and highly recommend it.) - http://www.redrivercatalog.com/browse/50lb-premium-matte-double-sided.html
Cutting board
Ruler
Hobby Knife
Genesis Case (This guide is for using a standard Genesis case, not one of the thicker EA cases)
1) After downloading your cover from the site, open it with Paint.NET. We are going to need to resize the image file to get it to the right size. Go to “Image->Resize”
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4175/35572145086_30ab907d72_o.png)
2) In the “Resize” window, uncheck “Maintain aspect ratio” then set the “Width” to 3188 pixels and the “Height” to 2020 pixels. This is the exact size of original Genesis covers, the FAQ size is off. Hit “OK” to resize the image then save and close the file.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4247/35572145056_4a18fc8193_o.png)
3) We are NOT going to print from Paint.NET because it uses the photo print options which are made for common photo paper sizes. You will NOT get a correct size by printing from Paint.NET. This is where Microsoft Paint comes in. Paint allows you to print to any size paper and does not constrain you to photo paper sizes like Paint.NET, Windows Photo Viewer, etc. does. So, open the image with Paint and go to “Print->Page Setup”.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/35572145036_2e467a004c_o.png)
4) In the “Page Setup” screen, make the following adjustments”
- Paper Size = “Legal”
- Orientation = “Landscape”
- Centering = “Horizontal”
- Adjust to = “100%” (If you leave it on “Fit to” it will print out the wrong size)
Hit “OK” to save the settings
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4157/35442942422_61ae0f9653_b.jpg)
5) Now, time to print your cover. Before you do so, click on “Preferences”. Here you are going to find your printers preferences. If you have a color printer that is made for printing photos, you are going to want to check 2 settings. Make sure your photo quality is set to the highest setting and make sure your paper type is set to the type of paper you are using (Ex, for my premium matte paper, I set mine to “Premium Presentation Paper Matte”).
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4023/35442942342_f0febd58c4_o.png)
6) After printing, it’s time for cutting. The best way to cut straight lines is to use a Hobby Knife and a ruler. Use a cutting board to so you do not mess up the surface with the hobby knife. If you are using thicker paper, don’t be afraid to put a little pressure on the knife when cutting.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4243/35442942222_f562d92a10_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4235/35572144886_a58134dc83_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4266/35442942122_744d4ee228_b.jpg)
7) Last part, putting the cover in the case. The cover might be a little tight getting it the case but you should be able to work it in with a little effort. If you are using thick paper, you should not need worry about messing up the paper while working it in, if you are using regular legal paper, you might need to cut the sides down just a bit to get it to fit in. Here is the finished product:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4167/35572144866_c715513067_o.jpg)
This is just a recommended guide to making these covers fit Genesis cases. I am sure you can use Photoshop, GIMP, etc. but this is what worked best for me.
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Apologies for the post being so long ago, but I figure I might post this to you all:
1-thank you Bear78! You have no idea how helpful this was to me!
2nd-If I had a camera, I could post my results of using Genesis cases for NES, N64, SNES, and Atari 2600 Games. Yes, ALL OF THESE GAMES WILL FIT INSIDE THE GENESIS CASE.
Being that I haven't been able to find the UGCs, I turned to using unwanted boxed genesis games. Finding Side Pocket boxed is one thing, but to turn that case into something more desireable, such as a Donkey Kong black label NES box is more appealing to me.