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Custom mouse mat...

Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
edited July 2011 in Sinclair Miscellaneous
Hi Folks,

I was thinking of getting a custom mouse mat made with a photo of the ZX Spectrum 128K (my personal favourite). However, the mouse mat site states that the photo at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum

is not of high enough resolution and will result in poor print quality. Does anyone know where I can get a high quality/resolution image of a Spectrum 128K?

Thank you for your help.

Paddy
Post edited by Paddy Coleman on

Comments

  • gasmangasman
    edited July 2011
    How high resolution do you need it, exactly? (You did click through to the full resolution image (2211 x 1418 ), right?)
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    gasman wrote: »
    How high resolution do you need it, exactly? (You did click through to the full resolution image (2211 x 1418 ), right?)

    Hi Gasman,

    Yes I believe so but I will double check - bear with me...

    [Edit] Yep, used the high resolution one on Wikipedia.

    I was using the following site and they recommend 300DPI. Shame as the 128K image is perfect.

    http://www.vistaprint.co.uk/mouse-mats.aspx?&GP=7%2f19%2f2011+5%3a27%3a48+AM&GPS=1602583005&GNF=1&GPLSID=

    Paddy
  • TurkwelTurkwel
    edited July 2011
    Have you tried downloading that picture and changing the DPI to 300 in an art package.
    I can do this with Paintshop Pro but I can't test if it then works with Vistaprint without creating an account etc.
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    Turkwel wrote: »
    Have you tried downloading that picture and changing the DPI to 300 in an art package.
    I can do this with Paintshop Pro but I can't test if it then works with Vistaprint without creating an account etc.

    Hi Turkwel,

    My version of Paintshop Pro (4.15) does not seem to have an option for this? It reports the JPG is 2211 x 1418 x 16 million colours.

    You do not need an account, you can upload the image to test prior to opening an account/placing an order.

    Paddy
  • TurkwelTurkwel
    edited July 2011
    I've done a few tests and the trick seems to be to increase the pixel size quite a bit and then change the DPI so that the physical print dimensions are large enough to fit on the mat.

    I've uploaded an amended 300DPI pic that works for me Here if you want to give it a try with that. I increased the image size by 300% before changing the DPI to 300.

    My Paintshop Pro is v7 , but I've just used the free graphics viewer Irfanview to do this so I assume any modern art package, free or not, should be able to do the same :)
  • fogfog
    edited July 2011
    irfanview I've used for years (batch mode is v handy)

    and .net paint is good also..

    http://www.filehippo.com/software/photos_images/
  • zxbrunozxbruno
    edited July 2011
    And here's another 300DPI image. Sometimes companies completely ignore the resolution of an image and only care about the DPI...

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5488579/ZX_Spectrum128K_300dpi.zip
  • guesserguesser
    edited July 2011
    zxbruno wrote: »
    Sometimes companies completely ignore the resolution of an image and only care about the DPI...

    If they're printing the image onto something then resolution is irrelevant cause a pixel is not a unit of length
    My rubbish website including the redrawn Amstrad schematics and the Sinclair Wiki.
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    Turkwel wrote: »
    I've done a few tests and the trick seems to be to increase the pixel size quite a bit and then change the DPI so that the physical print dimensions are large enough to fit on the mat.

    I've uploaded an amended 300DPI pic that works for me Here if you want to give it a try with that. I increased the image size by 300% before changing the DPI to 300.

    My Paintshop Pro is v7 , but I've just used the free graphics viewer Irfanview to do this so I assume any modern art package, free or not, should be able to do the same :)

    That is some amendment -my 128K has turned in to a 48K rubber Spectrum! :-D

    Paddy
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    zxbruno wrote: »
    And here's another 300DPI image. Sometimes companies completely ignore the resolution of an image and only care about the DPI...

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5488579/ZX_Spectrum128K_300dpi.zip

    Thanks ZXBruno - looks good and I am trying it now...

    Paddy
  • TurkwelTurkwel
    edited July 2011
    Paddy Coleman wrote: »
    That is some amendment -my 128K has turned in to a 48K rubber Spectrum! :-D

    A definite improvement in my opinion!

    Please make sure not to turn your 128K mouse mat upside down - that way the keys won't drop off :lol:
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    Turkwel wrote: »
    A definite improvement in my opinion!

    Please make sure not to turn your 128K mouse mat upside down - that way the keys won't drop off :lol:

    Yeah yeah :-)

    Funny thing is that I never had a 128K Spectrum (well not a Sinclair one). I had an original rubber key Spectrum back in 1983 or so and then came back to the Spectrum a few years later when the +3 was released.

    I just love the styling of the Spectrum+, 128K and QL.

    Paddy
  • Paddy ColemanPaddy Coleman
    edited July 2011
    zxbruno wrote: »
    And here's another 300DPI image. Sometimes companies completely ignore the resolution of an image and only care about the DPI...

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5488579/ZX_Spectrum128K_300dpi.zip

    Well I placed my order - 4 mats, "luxery" thickness! :-)

    Many thanks

    Paddy
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