Modifying SteelBooks

Feb 17, 2010
42
Share how you modify your Steelbooks here.

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Other threads that may be of interest:
Glossing my steels



Converting Jumbos to Slimlines
I've been thinking about modifying some of my steelbooks. Mainly because some came with two discs but only have one slot. The other disc comes in a paper sleave.

Two of the Pirates of the Caribbean steelbooks came like this and the Nightmare Before Christmas came in the opposite way, Case with two slots, but one bluray disc. It be great if I could switch them, then I got to find another plastc caseing with 2 slots for the other one. Also I wonder how I could switch the spine sticker labels without damaging them?

Does the bluray size steelbook of Michael Jacksons This is it have one or two slots. The American release came with 2 bluray so I may need to gut that too.

Should I do this or not? Or is there an easier way?


UPDATE!! I Figured it out!!!

I successfully swapped steelbook cases without using any boiling remedies or store bought label remover.

I became worried curious about the spine label and decided to scarifies one of my steelbooks and attempt to peel off the label by hand, and I mad a very promising discovery... THE LABEL IS MADE OF METAL!

I assumed this might be the case so that's what made me check.

I will show you step my step my modifying process. Try at your own risk

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1) Here are the two steelbook cases: The Nightmare Before Christmas and Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest.

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2) As you can see both have the wrong plastic inner casing Nightmare only needs one disc holder and Pirates needs two. Disc two of Dead Mans Chest comes in a paper sleeve. "Curse of the Black Pearl comes like this as well.

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3) this pic is a little blurry but as soon as you open The Nightmare Before Christmas steelbook you'll see this little sticker that says " This Product Is Only Meant To Contain One Disc" so not to scare consumers thinking they got shafted by Disney or something.

My theory is that Disney decided to not include the digital copy that came with the original bluray case, But it was too late to change the 2 disc steelbook cases because they made the decision after they had already ordered the cases. If I'm wrong, doesn't matter I'm just thinking out loud

anyway im going off subject, lets continue

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4) Cases with labels still attached.

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5) Notice that the spine label is stiff DO NOT PULL ON LABEL!!! you'll risk putting a bend crease in the metal label. This is how I found out what the sticker label was really made out of and immediately stopped. luckily I didn't damage it.

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6) Find something hard and thin. I happen to have a plastic sheet from a previous project but you could use a card or something.

(Beware you could Damage your Credit/Bank card so use something that you wont care about if it gets messed up.)

Put the plastic sheet under the label and gently pull down. slide the plastic sheet side to side if you have to.

After you got the label off you'll notice its still sticky. place it upside down on the table and repeat, peeling the label of the other case.

stick the labels on the opposite cases, careful not to put them on upside down. the adhesive is still sticky so labels should re attach no problem.

apply pressure and rub the label up and down until It feels secure.

(sorry i don't have any pictures of this I was worried that the adhesive would loose its stickiness so I did it quickly.)

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7) Voila! pure miss match. Labels are now switched.

Time to switch the plastic internals.

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8) Gently slide a card between the top part of the case. (Warning card may get damage use one you are not using.)

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9) Slide it Towards the spine gently popping out the plastic.

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10) continue to lift and shimmy out the plastic case. careful not to break the little plastic pieces that allows you to snap it in and out of the metal face

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11) there you go, metal removed.

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12) hopefully you got to this step without breaking anything.

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13) follow the same process for the other case.

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14) a completely dismantled set of steelbooks. Time to bring it all together.

Steelbooks Assemble!!!

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15) Simply slide the metal facing back in place and snap in.

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16) gently push down around the edges making sure everything has popped back in place.

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17) done

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18) and done

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19) don't forget to rip off that damn sticker of doom.

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20) Balance is restored.

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21) But not complete

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22) I still need to do "Curse of the Black Pearl". Problem is I don't have a 2 disc steelbook to switch with. so i may have to purchase a steelbook simply to use the inner plastic case. unless there's another 2 dics steelbook out there with this mix up?
Hope this helps anyone. it sure cleared my nit picking mind.



Templates
A lot of people have been asking where the template files are, so I put them up on my DropBox. Just use your graphics software to insert your image into the template. Personally I use Photoshop. The power of Photoshop is unmatched by any other software that I know of. I use the small one to create my inside artwork, I've never used the large one.
Small
SmallTemp_01.png


Large
LargeTemp_01.png


-AcIdC0R3
Photoshop Instructions
Open up Photoshop.
Drag or open your template into Photoshop.
Also open the photo or backdrop you want to use into Photoshop.
Go back to your template and select 'Magic Wand' and while holding Shift select each of the three black boxes.
Go back to your backdrop and click 'Ctrl+A' to select it and then 'Ctrl+C' to copy it.
Go back to your template and click on 'Edit' and drill down until you see 'Paste Special' and then select 'Paste Into'.
This will only use the selected regions to place the picture into them.
Next select the 'Move' tool and also tick on 'Show Transform Controls' and then drag and form your picture just how you want it inside the black area filling it completely.
Once you have it all set save it as a .PNG file.

It should come out looking like this but only with your image.
TemplateCapture.jpg


-AcIdC0R3

Printing Your Template
I don't know how others prepare to print there loaded templates but this is how I prepare mine. In case anybody else wants to follow suit feel free to do so.

Now that you have your template image we can proceed on how to print it using just the Windows Photo Viewer.
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Next double click the template and open it into Windows Photo Viewer and select 'Print' and then 'Print' again in the upper left corner.
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In the window that opens uncheck 'Fit Picture to Frame', this way it won't stretch your template and maintain aspect ratio. Next click 'Options'.
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In the window that opens click 'Printer Properties'.
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This should bring up your printer properties. Depending on the brand of printer that you own they may look slightly different. On the Main tab make sure 'Borders' is ticked on. We don't want Borderless Printing. Also choose your photo paper quality, size and landscape mode. Choose either 'Photo' or 'Best Photo'. I found that Best Photo used too much ink and produced streaking so I went with Photo. If you have a lower resolution image like if your image is under 120dpi I would check on 'Fix Photo' as this will optimize color levels making your print more vivid with color and detail. Next click 'OK' and then click 'Print'. Your resulting image should now print with the parameters you chose.
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Some setting may be a little different than these depending on what type of printer and version of printer properties you have. By choosing similar options depending on your printer type should yield you the same results if not very close to what these are. You may need to print a few copies until you get your setting just the way you want them.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

-AcIdC0R3
 
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these came from a guy named jamesaevans ... he made them to basically add a spine to the Snow White steel that didnt have any spine artwork. (it was blank)

Pinoy has made a post with recommendations on how to modify "personally owned" steelbooks.
 

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EEK! Wow, awesome thread! :D Great pics!

:thanks: :scat:

We'll have to get this posted over at bluraysteelbooks.com ;)
 
Steelbook.com or Scanavo.com doesn't like to see this.

No, they dont like people showing off how to make custom stuff in the sense of bootlegs or making stickerbooks etc.

switching the plastic insert trays on steelbooks you already own doesnt fall in that category.
 
I found out bugs life has one disc and 2 slots so I may purchase that and do the switch for the other POC steelbook.

If the companys want to hand out DC of the movies they should just provide a code to download rather then waisting a disc, and take up space.

Yeah I never use the digital copy either. I never considered that to be a part of a "2disc special edition" I always felt cheated everytime I came across those. As for Disney including a DVD with the bluray as a combo pack. That's marketing, to ween the rest customers to buying bluray players. Technically forcing them to buy something they may not want. But you are right. Kinda sucks for already bluray owners to be stuck with a DvD that's not going to be used. Possibly paying more money for it too.