How did Atari apply side art to Arcade Cabinets?

5 hours ago

Screen printing, also known as silkscreen printing, was used to apply artwork on Atari cabinets in the early 1980s, a manual process distinct from modern digital printing.
Artwork was separated into individual color layers; each color required its own screen and photographic film positive, with screens created through a light-sensitive emulsion process to form stencils.
Printing involved applying ink one color at a time through screens onto cabinet panels, relying on precise registration and alignment to ensure colors lined up correctly without blurring or overlap.
Atari used semi-automatic flatbed screen-printing systems to handle large production runs (e.g., 14,000 Missile Command cabinets), with operators managing setup, color control, and quality inspections.
Screen printing produced vibrant, durable artwork with thick, opaque ink layers, giving cabinets a rich, bold look that helped them stand out in arcades and has preserved their appearance for decades.

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