Like several other OSR bloggers I was
contacted by a representative of this company and given the
opportunity to test out their product. I am just going to cut to the
chase and tell you I am very impressed. My project was to make a
double sided 2'x3' - 1” hex/1”square battlemat for miniatures
while I game. I know a lot of people are doing their mega-dungeons
and all, but I figured these are vinyl and a good battlemat is always
a worthwhile investment. I ended up making two different mats because
the website design process doesn't support printing a different image
on each side, no biggie though, most of my battlemats have been
single-sided
The design process was not easy for
someone with as little graphics design skill as myself, I had to
figure out scaling and measured things with a ruler at 100% size on
my monitor and hoped that was right. I had some help in this in the
form of the hex grid file that I got from Joseph Bloch at GreyhawkGrognard, I knew it's actual dimensions and could resize it according
to my project. I suggested to the nice people at Banners on the Cheap
that they might want to have some hex and square grid templates on
file there if they are serious about the gamer market. I also
suggested that it might be nice to be able to print two different
images on the same banner, so you could have the “gaming standard”
hexes on one side, squares on the other. Those are the only caveats
and they are minor quibbles at worst.
Here are the pictures of the two
battlemats I had made by them:
They aren't kidding when they call
themselves Banners on the Cheap, my gift certificate easily covered
the production of both battlemats and left enough to print this too:
“God in Heaven, on Earth the Khakhan.
Ruler of all mankind.” Yes, I printed a Genghis Khan banner, he is
the inspiration for so much of what I do after all, and the spiritual
father of this blog.
Now, on to the good stuff. They lie
flat, they never have the rolled up corners of Chessex or Crystal
Caste mats, where you have to either tape them down or put heavy
stuff on them. I have read other reviews, but have not had the
opportunity to test yet myself, that they take marker well and do not
stain. When I actually get a chance to use these for a game I'll
certainly add a comment here. They are cheap, these two mats and the
Genghis Khan banner (2'x2') came in at what I would have paid for a
comparably sized single-sided Chessex mat, plus I can get them on
demand in any color I want.
Just to state it again I am well
pleased with these mats, and any gamer would be wise to run over to
Banners on the Cheap to make a similar purchase- I'll even provide
you their link:
Banners
They have sister sites for signs and magnets too, I'd imagine they have the same high quality and low price and I am thinking about getting some magnets printed as a give away for my blog, just because I'd like to throw some business their way.
Glad you were able to use the hex grid!
ReplyDeleteJust FYI, Banners on the Cheap can indeed to a double-sided map/battlemat. It's one of the options in the design/upload process.
Yes, but as far as I can tell they have to be the same image. I really tried to get two different images onto one banner. I also should have checked out the magnet site before mentioning that I wanted to print up some magnets; those are car magnets. I was thinking refrigerator magnets like businesses use almost as business cards with the phone number and hours on them. That's a bit disappointing.
DeleteI'm very sure they let you upload a second image for the other side of the banner. I didn't opt to do it, but I know it's doable.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I wonder if they ship internationally? If so I think I may just have to get myself one. :-)
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could post these files for others to use at Banners on the Cheap?
ReplyDelete