How did Atari apply side art to Arcade Cabinets?
Key takeaways
- One of the most fascinating sequences in Atari s arcade manufacturing process in the early 80s, was the application of the fabulous artwork that adorned all of its cabinets from the golden age of arcade gaming.
- The technique used is called screen printing (often called silkscreen printing), and it s a world away from the large-format digital printers used today.
- Shot in 1982, the cabinet sides being printed are for Atari s Quantum arcade cabinet it is interesting that this happened to be filmed at the time, as the cabinet run was relatively low, at only 500 cabinets:
One of the most fascinating sequences in Atari s arcade manufacturing process in the early 80s, was the application of the fabulous artwork that adorned all of its cabinets from the golden age of arcade gaming. So this week, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how this cabinet artwork was actually printed.
The technique used is called screen printing (often called silkscreen printing), and it s a world away from the large-format digital printers used today.
Let s take a look at the process in action. This great footage shows the process in full. Shot in 1982, the cabinet sides being printed are for Atari s Quantum arcade cabinet it is interesting that this happened to be filmed at the time, as the cabinet run was relatively low, at only 500 cabinets: