Time for "The Manual Project"

[travistouchdown]

I've noticed lateley it's pretty easy to get carts, or good repro carts.

Boxes or repro boxes a little harder, and thankfully the TCP exists for those of us that prefer nice hardshell cases (how could you not!

Manuals however are still out in the desert....Some people are making repro's with very limited availability.  Originals can be found here and there but i've often spent years waiting to find manuals i'm missing. There are a lot of scans of manuals online but they are often not to scale or of printable quality, they are really only meant as digital copies (for now.)

How cool would a sister site be, or part of TCP, called "The Manual Project."  With print ready files of manuals, where you could print, cut, and staple them yourself or at the print shop.  Wouldn't this be a great resource?

I feel that anyone who can appreciate a good cover can appreciate a good manual, and maybe it would be just as valuable a resource.   Thoughts?

[Arseen]

Wouldn't this be a great resource?

... for some sleezy person to sell the manuals that others have spend time making/scanning, cleaning and editing.

This happens to everything we publish here.

We do have some manuals here well hidden, like:
Printable NES Final Fantasy 3 English manual, or printable NES Mr. Gimmick color manual in English, or almost print ready emptied (as in all text removed so one can add their own text) SNES Super Bomberman 3.

Also 600dpi high quality scans for many others exsist.

[TDIRunner]

I think the biggest issue with manuals is the time requirement.  Assuming we are talking about making manuals at the same quality levels as our covers, then you take the time spent on making a cover and multiply it over many pages.  A lot more time gets put into making something for one only one game, while the time could be spent making many more covers.  I'm certainly not saying it shouldn't be done, but I understand why fewer people are willing to do it.

The other issue is getting scans.  I have no problem scanning my games, but unfortunately, the only good way to get high quality scans of manuals is to take them apart and scan each piece of paper separately.  That's something that I'm not really comfortable doing.  Yeah, it's possible to scan manuals while leaving them intact, but it will be near impossible to get completely flat scans. 

[Tech13]

I would like to see Sega saturn and Sega CD manuals converted to fit into a DVD case.

[Arseen]

I would like to see Sega saturn and Sega CD manuals converted to fit into a DVD case.

All one would need for that are editing program, high quality scans, lots of time and some skill... hint, hint, nudge...

[TDIRunner]

Luckily, all of the Sega CD and Saturn manuals have already been scanned.  Unfortunately, by today's standards, the quality isn't the best (scanned a long time ago), but at least they are out there. 

[Tech13]

I would like to see Sega saturn and Sega CD manuals converted to fit into a DVD case.

All one would need for that are editing program, high quality scans, lots of time and some skill... hint, hint, nudge...

Skill... hmmm skill....... skill.... nope I am fresh out of that. 

[shenske]

We actually host manuals on TheCoverProject. Few know this as there aren't that many to host. Manual restoration and creation are far more time consuming than covers. We probably have less than 10 manuals hosted as no one is working on them.

Before we consider the prospect of a sister site there needs to be content created.

[Arseen]

We actually host manuals on TheCoverProject. Few know this as there aren't that many to host. Manual restoration and creation are far more time consuming than covers. We probably have less than 10 manuals hosted as no one is working on them.

Before we consider the prospect of a sister site there needs to be content created.

True on legit manuals but question here was of repro manuals which I assume fall under the repro cover decision of not to be hosted?
Oh I read wrong.
Legit manuals we could host.
I have good/great raws scanned with staple removed so print ready with minor cleaning (maybe even without?).
Here is one from SNES Yogi:

[wiggy]

Manuals are a pain in the butt. I’ve restored/translated/created from scratch many manuals. 

Not to mention that just scanning them properly is a significant task.

[ShoothimNow]

Not to mention that just scanning them properly is a significant task.

Taking out 1 to 3 staples is hard!

[wiggy]

Not to mention that just scanning them properly is a significant task.

Taking out 1 to 3 staples is hard!

I never said that disassembling them was hard.

[TDIRunner]

Not to mention that just scanning them properly is a significant task.

Taking out 1 to 3 staples is hard!

I never said that disassembling them was hard.

Likewise, my issue with scanning manuals isn't the disassembly or even the reassembly.  It's the fact that they need to be dissembled is the part I don't like.  It's not something I'm willing to do.  If others are ok with it, more power to them. 

[travistouchdown]

I don't think there actually needs to be a sister site.....just host them here!

I best if there was a Manuals section, and awareness of it, people might start working on them more.

I know if you love covers then chances are you appreciate manuals as well, I know i do!

[ShoothimNow]

I'm not ok with taking the staples out    They are too hard putting back on