Behind the Scenes: Creating a SNES Box From Scratch
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What is HalFont?
This is an album of all-new SNES music in the style of classic JRPG's. I wanted to do something special for fans of that era, and allow them to rip open a sealed SNES box once more.
Step 1: Design & Order Materials
First, I have to design the print materials, including the shape of the outer box and inner tray. For these, I have custom "dies" -- they're like cookie cutters. The dies punch outlines of my boxes and trays. They also make little grooves where folding is needed.
I made most of the graphics myself, with one big exception: the stunning cover art was created by Mayshing
specifically for this project. She's incredibly talented, and I'm very lucky that she helped out. Thank you, Mayshing! :)
The rest of the imagery and layout work is just me taking cues from titles like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III. In particular, I had a lot of fun putting together the instruction booklet.
Also of note is the CD face. My previous album used the USA color scheme, and here I'm using the international color scheme. Neato, right?
Step 2: Fold Outer Boxes
When the materials arrive, I begin by folding the outer boxes. They ship to me flat, and I have to carefully bend them along the grooves. They don't hold their shape until I glue the bottom, so I have to (gently!) stack them.
During assembly, the outer boxes are especially susceptible to scratches, so I take great care to handle them by the edges, and only use the pads of my fingers. This makes it more difficult to apply pressure to the folds, but it's important for keeping the faces flawless.
Step 3: Glue Outer Boxes
Last time, I used a precision spray adhesive and a custom guide. I'd gotten pretty good at it by the end, but it was still very tedious, and took a while to dry.
This time, I upgraded to a triple-layer transfer adhesive. It's much faster and easier to work with than the commercial glues that I used before. I carefully cut it into strips, custom-fitted for the bottom edge.
The boxes need to sit for a while, so I put them in thin poly bags, to protect them from dust and scratches. I also close the left side of the box so that it can stand on that edge, ready to be filled with goodies.
Step 4: Prepare Replica Cartridge
Last time, I re-surfaced real SNES carts. It was quite an ordeal. This time, the replica cart is a fresh plastic mold. It's more expensive this way, but the amount of time and labor involved in resurfacing existing carts was prohibitive.
The label uses a new type of adhesive, which held much better during testing. Labels ship to me with square corners, and I have to first round them with a 1/8" guide.
Some are distorted from the printing process, and have to be discarded. However, most of the time, smaller variances are unnoticeable once I've placed the label, provided I do so with tremendous care.
Step 5: Construct Cartridge Tray
Next up is the tray. There are two types of trays in SNES games. One of them centers the cart (four-sided frame), while the other is open on top (three-sided frame). I prefer the open-top style, because it shows off the cart very nicely.
The sides of the trays are slotted, which makes them easier to assemble, and a little more stable. The back edge only needs a basic craft adhesive (double-stick). I use a roller of extra-thin adhesive pods.
The carts get a true-to-90's thin poly bag, and a cozy new home atop the tray. I stack the trays twice during assembly, to make sure the adhesive (and folded tabs) will stay put.
Step 6: Featured Artist Cards
There are 12 Featured Artist cards in all. Each SNES box comes with a pack of 4 cards. I organize the cards into three groups, place them in poly bags, then seal each bag carefully with a heating element. My low-tech approach to sealing these requires a steady hand ... so it usually takes me a few tries.
This stage is surprisingly time-consuming, but the only way to do it quickly would be to do it poorly (at least, given the tools I have). I want a consistent and professional look to these packs, so I choose to spend the extra time on it. :)
Step 7: Assembly Line
I tri-fold the maps and posters twice (horizontally, then vertically). This is the same way game maps were folded, back in the day. However, the tri-fold machines that I experimented with often damaged the paper, so I do this part by hand.
(Takes forever, by the way... but hey, I want them to be perfect!)
Then, I round up the card packs, instruction manuals, and postcards. I make small stacks of each component for a nice little assembly line (usually 20 units at a time).
In order to prevent folding (or any other kind of damage), I use the same layering of innards for every box. I make these as consistently as I can, with the hope that people who order two copies will be unable to tell them apart.
Step 8: Layer & Insert
The instruction booklet and tray have to go in first. This helps avoid tugging the tabs of the outer box, and prevents the remaining contents from snagging on the tray. Everything fits easily when guided by the booklet and tray, although it's very tight.
Step 9: Close & Shrink-Wrap
It's finally time to close the right side of the box. When everything is inside, the box is literally bulging with goodies! The pressure from shrink-wrapping actually helps tame the slightly bowed face of the box, so that it has a nice, flat surface again.
I have used dozens of machine-wrap services, and so far I've only found one shop that can get a tight seal without damaging the box.
Step 10: Ship To Fans
This is the finished product. It takes a tremendous amount of time to produce these, but it's truly a labor of love. I hope I can give some retro gaming fans that thrilling sensation of opening a new SNES box once more. And, of course, every SNES box comes with a CD and digital copy of the album.
Thanks to all the fans who helped make this possible! I love you guys! :)
