As you might know, I recently bought a new Asus netbook. I don’t like the Asus logo – it’s probably one of the ugliest out there. While Asus does make great computers at a very competitive price, their chief problem is that their designs tend to be a bit lackluster. And then there’s the indescribable ugliness of the silver Asus logo.
And then the other day, I saw my friend bringing his Sony Vaio to get ‘skinned’. He paid $65 for it, and I thought that was pretty expensive. He said that the skin cost $25, while the labour cost $40 or so. He argued that while it’s a lot more economical to do-it-yourself, he doesn’t mind paying the extra cost for someone’s steady hands.
Personally, I find skinning to be one of the most expensive things to do to your computer – even if it’s for ‘protection’. I argued that it made no sense to protect your computer from scratches and dings, because after all, it is a depreciating liability. Once it goes out of date – and gaming notebooks will definitely go out of date since games are merciless on old technology – you basically have a very fast and very large netbook.
Nonetheless, I have recently figured out how one can make your own stickers to cover up things that you don’t like – be it blemishes, scratches or ugly logos. You can stick anything you want, and it is actually very easy to remove if you want to change whatever you’ve stuck.
Tools of the trade
- Photo paper – preferably non-smudge, matte or glossy as preferred.
- Penknife – X-acto penknives preferred for curve-cutting
- Spray glue – 3M Super 77 preferred.
- Black permanent marker
- A high quality photo – low-res photo makes it hard to cut
Step 1: find picture and cut
Reddit alien doing the "seriously?" face, me gusta. Taken via Reddit
I decided to use this picture for this project, because it is unique, and because it might help identify me as a redditor. I found this to be the cutest version of the Reddit Alien, and it’s also quite easy to cut out because the edges are very well defined.
As to paper, a matte surface does fine with either matte paper or glossy paper. However, glossy surfaces tend to blend better with glossy paper. But it is all up to your preference.
Tip 1: if your picture is low-res (such as this), and you need a high-res pic, you can take the original image and drag it into the search box at Google Images. Google will then try to find other images similar to this, and using the filters, you can find the highest-res version.
All cut out, with a cheap penknife. Try an X-Acto for an easier time on the curves.
Once you have printed it out – just cut it along the edges. If you have a more complex picture, you’ll just have to use your intuition on what to cut. When cutting, try to use a sharp knife – once you feel that the slicing is not smooth, immediately break a section off or change a blade.
Step 2: blacken edges and spray glue
Once you have cut the image out, you must remember to blacken the edges of your image, as a white edge can be seen very obviously at certain angles. Use your black permanent market and paint the edges black. You can avoid touching the image by painting perpendicularly to the edge (i.e. don’t use the tip to paint), so your marker glides long the edge.
Nice black edges
Tip 2: If you ever botch up and accidentally draw on the image, you can remove the streak by dipping a fine-point paintbrush in thinner and carefully removing the ink away.
The ultra-useful glue: 3M Super 77.
Once you have satisfactorily blackened the
edges, you can now spray 3M’s ultra-useful, multipurpose craft glue – 3M Super 77. Of course, any other spray glue works too, but 3M 77 has proven to be easily removable.
Hold the image at arm’s length and spray. This ensures evenness in the glue. A light coat with small dots on the surface is enough. Best done in your backyard to avoid sticky floors.
Step 3: Stick it on
Yep – the final, glorious moment is here. Stick it on!
If your image requires precise alignment, you can stack rulers or set-squares to align it to the netbook.
Ready to be stuck!
Netbook folded. Cool picture, no ASUS logo.
When does the narwhal bacon?
Let me know what you think, of if you face any problems, and I will try to help you!
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That’s a nice post.