# Nintendo 64 reproduction boxes



## laudern (Nov 14, 2017)

I've started to look into making some n64 reproduction boxes but I'm having difficulty in printing the boxes in the correct size. 

I use this site to get the box image http://www.nintandbox.net/ but when I print the box out using the default picture viewer in Windows, it prints the box bigger than what it is. 

How do I print the box in the correct size?


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## Kevinpuerta (Nov 17, 2017)

I usually print labels with GIMP because it prints them in its original size


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## The Real Jdbye (Nov 17, 2017)

P


laudern said:


> I've started to look into making some n64 reproduction boxes but I'm having difficulty in printing the boxes in the correct size.
> 
> I use this site to get the box image http://www.nintandbox.net/ but when I print the box out using the default picture viewer in Windows, it prints the box bigger than what it is.
> 
> How do I print the box in the correct size?


I usually use Photoshop, which also lets you set the dpi manually if it's set wrongly.


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## laudern (Nov 17, 2017)

Thanks guys. Let's say I use photoshop or GIMP to set the image to the right size, how would I then print that image out at a local print store, particularly if they did not have those programs on their pc?


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## The Real Jdbye (Nov 17, 2017)

laudern said:


> Thanks guys. Let's say I use photoshop or GIMP to set the image to the right size, how would I then print that image out at a local print store, particularly if they did not have those programs on their pc?


They should be able to print psd files. Otherwise they are not worth bothering with IMO, as it is one of the most common formats used at least among professionals.  
Print shops have to deal with that kind of thing all the time, because they print for businesses and such, and a lot of image formats don't actually specify how big the image should be printed (basically the only reason the dpi setting exists)
PSD specifies that, and also specifies what color formats should be used, as well as transparency (not that the latter matters much if your image has a white background), and when printing at home I find it gives good results, and better than some other programs. 
Alternatively, converting it to PDF should work. PDF also has the ability to print to a certain size (probably one reason why it's so popular), however the actual size will sometimes depend on the printer you're using, because printers have a certain margin and they can't print outside that. That's easily solved by using a larger printer if you're a print shop, but for us at home stuck with A4 it's not that easy. 
I worked at a print store for a while. A lot of what they printed was just in black and white but they did also do color, and more importantly they did custom jobs where they helped design a poster and so on. Their computers all had Photoshop installed. Maybe it's different where you live though.


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## laudern (Nov 19, 2017)

The Real Jdbye said:


> They should be able to print psd files. Otherwise they are not worth bothering with IMO, as it is one of the most common formats used at least among professionals.
> Print shops have to deal with that kind of thing all the time, because they print for businesses and such, and a lot of image formats don't actually specify how big the image should be printed (basically the only reason the dpi setting exists)
> PSD specifies that, and also specifies what color formats should be used, as well as transparency (not that the latter matters much if your image has a white background), and when printing at home I find it gives good results, and better than some other programs.
> Alternatively, converting it to PDF should work. PDF also has the ability to print to a certain size (probably one reason why it's so popular), however the actual size will sometimes depend on the printer you're using, because printers have a certain margin and they can't print outside that. That's easily solved by using a larger printer if you're a print shop, but for us at home stuck with A4 it's not that easy.
> I worked at a print store for a while. A lot of what they printed was just in black and white but they did also do color, and more importantly they did custom jobs where they helped design a poster and so on. Their computers all had Photoshop installed. Maybe it's different where you live though.




I know this is a lot to ask, but could you please help me set this up?

I downloaded gimp, as it is free. Could you please step me through as to how to get the box setup so it prints correctly using gimp?

I am trying to print the following box. I'm using the *A3* paper size. 

http://www.nintandbox.net/index.php...ding_N64-Box_AME(NUS-NTEE-USA).zip/file-4374/


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## Kevinpuerta (Nov 19, 2017)

laudern said:


> I know this is a lot to ask, but could you please help me set this up?
> 
> I downloaded gimp, as it is free. Could you please step me through as to how to get the box setup so it prints correctly using gimp?
> 
> ...



As long as the files are in their correct size from the place you linked, you can just open them in gimp-file-print.


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## laudern (Nov 19, 2017)

Kevinpuerta said:


> As long as the files are in their correct size from the place you linked, you can just open them in gimp-file-print.



Righto. I'll try that tomorrow. I have an a3 printer at my work I can test all this out before I go to the actual printer shop.


Having said that, I tried last week just printing from MS picture viewer and something odd happened. I measured the scale which is printed on the paper right beside the box art. The scale reads 2cm. I measured it to be 2.1cm/2.2cm. So that's pretty close. BUT, when I measure the length of the box art compared to an official n64 box I own, the printed box is like 2cm+ longer.

I live in Australia and am measuring an Australian n64 box and I'm printing out an American n64 box. Are the boxes the same size? Can someone please tell me (in cm) how long the front facing side of an American n64 box is?

EDIT - I just chose to download the goldeneye box art for US and Europe so I could compare. I simply printed both using the default picture view on os x. The US box art printed with the scale matching perfectly to 2cm and the borax matched to my official AU goldeneye box. The EU boxart scale was slightly better than the 2cm it states, and once again the boxart is about 2cm bigger than what it should be.

So my new question. How do I slightly shrink the box art using gimp so that the 2cm scale is exactly 2cm?


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## The Real Jdbye (Nov 19, 2017)

laudern said:


> I know this is a lot to ask, but could you please help me set this up?
> 
> I downloaded gimp, as it is free. Could you please step me through as to how to get the box setup so it prints correctly using gimp?
> 
> ...


I don't use GIMP so I can't help you there. But I assume there would be some sort of DPI/PPI setting somewhere.


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