Still playing the waiting game

Sorry no updates, still waiting on the post for the delivery of the adhesive vinyl I bought from ebay. I guess UPS is quite slow, but as this is a budget make I couldn't justify the expedited delivery costs. I'll start measuring up my Eee PC tonight. As this netbook is quite small I should get both a lid cover and palm rest printed from a single sheet!

There are many ways to skin a cat (or laptop/netbook)

One of the first decisions on creating a custom skin for your laptop will be to determine what material to use for the skin itself.  

There are a number of choices for your skin material:

Inkjet photo paper

Pros:Readily available, high quality print

Cons:Poor durability, hard to attach the paper evenly over the laptop surface

Inkjet vinyl (static cling film)

Pros:Smooth finish, easy to apply and remove

Cons:Hard to source, more difficult to print on, no adhesive prone to accidental removal

Inkjet vinyl (removable adhesive)

Pros:Smooth durable finish, unlikely to be accidentally removed

Cons:Hard to source, more difficult to print on, hard to apply without air bubbles

For my initial project I have ordered inkjet vinyl with a removable adhesive as I feel this gives the best compromise between image quality/protection and finish.  Most suppliers only sell this product in bulk requiring the purchase of large rolls of large sheet numbers. However with a little searching and perseverance I did find an option Papilio.

In the US this product can be purchased through hyaz (10 sheets for $12)

In Canada (and US) another option is to use ebay where the same product can be bought in much smaller quantities (as little as a single sheet).  This option also helps ofset the rather pricey shipping costs that hyaz charges on orders <$50.  I found 5 sheets of the same inkjet vinyl for $15 including delivery.

My inkjet vinyl sheets should arrive within the week so next up will be designing the graphics and sizing the skin......

Guide to making a DIY laptop/netbook skin

Welcome to my new blog!

I'm sure many of you have noticed how the big PC manufacturers are starting to allow you to customize the look of your laptops/netbooks. But what happens if you already have a laptop or those choices do suit your needs or budget? Well you could purchase a ready made skin from one of the many sites offering such a service but typically they will cost $20 plus shipping.

Over the next few days I'll post my trials and tribulations in creating my own custom netbook skin on a budget.