I have only seen one machine in person with an overlay, it looked like crap
the trick is you need to stick it down perfect, so there is no bulges or bubbles
where the inserts are means there is another layer for the light to shine through
there is also the color matching for the person who did the overlay
If a playfield was toast, the wear was larger than a business card, and there was little chance of a reproduction being made (ie any Gotlieb game) then sure, make an overlay
GOTTLIEB repro playfields will be made... some titles are already under production. People like Wade Kraus make a few titles that are true to original.
Gottlieb take a different approach... each reproduction has to as good in quality and materials as the original... or if you can prove a better material whilst retaining originality then its production will get the go ahead. At no point will GOTTLIEB sanction overlays, either whole or part of a playfield.
In all honesty, im suprised that apron overlays were sanctioned... but this was mainly due to the fact that manufacturing aprons is not within the means of most. I did at one point approach GOTTLIEB and suggest a rescreening option, where the apron would be sent in, then sanded back, rescreened to original and returned to the owner.
Although the idea was considered a good option, overlays were already available and so aprons cannot be touched by anyone else.
Is is however something i shall be doing for my own 70's GOTTLIEB aprons
