Home made screen protector results

[AR15]

I made my own screen protector using 3M Transparency film and the template at this link:

http://www.jaytmedia.com/ppc/

The screen protector works great! So much better than the WriteRight crap. And, so much cheaper than the Write Shields.

I simply printed the template on a transparency, cut it out carefully, and slid it into place. Of course I made sure my screen was spotless before applying. I see no difference in screen sensitivity, the protector doesn't slide around, and i don't have the bubbles you get with the adhesive protectors.

I encourage you to try it before you shell out the big bucks for the commercial protectors.

Can you imagine the profit margin on a package of 3 Write Shields for $30 bucks? Wish I had thought of it first.

[Fritz]

How long have you been using these homemade ones? I've used it for a week when I first got my Ax cuz I didn't have any commercial ones available. After like a day or two of use, the thing was all scratched up -- that prolly had to do with the quality of the 3M bubble jet transparencies... Then there was the issue of the 'texture' on one of the sides. If I use it face up, then its scratches my stylus, which in turn will further damage the screen/protector. If I use it face down, the little specks will press onto the screen and damage that -- plus the little specs do come off eventually... quite annoying. I guess you'll have a less of a problem if you use those laser/photocopier ones.

On a separate note, I was some what paranoid that sticking anything under the sides may damage the internal components. One user on another thread had problems with 'tapping' on the screen, and said she resolved the problem by sliding the protector around (she was using the Dell protectors without peeling off the back covers from what I understood)

Cheers.

[AR15]

I've used it for a week now and I'm a fairly heavy user of PDA's. I used the laser transparencies without the texture. I notice some slight scratching on the protector, but not enough to bother me. And for the price, I can change it with a new one without hesitation.

[michaelmotorcycle]

I have been using a screen protector fabricated from this template for over a month. (I am a light-to-moderate user) I balked at paying $25 for a package of 100 transparencies, so I snagged a standard document protector from work, cut the plastic cover to fit my printer and printed the template. Due to the flimsy nature of the plastic, scratches are visible but not to the point where they bother me. I have not noticed any problems associated with sliding the outer edges between the screen and frame.

And the fit is perfect.

Many thanx to Jay Trent for taking the time to create the template and share it with us!

[Payroll]

All,

I've been using Jay's template since I received my Axim and don't have a single complaint. As stated earlier, the cost per item is negligible, so replacing them isn't an issue. I'm currently using some laminate material from my daughter's daycare. They had sheets of the trimmings from one of the rolls (!) that they were going to throw away, but I managed to salvage several of them for myself.

After two weeks of repeated use I'm just beginning to see faint scratches on the protector. With the supply of material on hand I expect to make a year's worth of protectors before I run out. I don't have the confidence to run the laminate through a printer or copier since I don't know what the fuser will do to the material, but it's a simple process to place the material over the template and scribe the outline into it. May take a little while, but it sure beats the cost of buying the Write$hields!

Once that material runs out I'm going to try some of the artist's transparency material we use for craft projects around the house. It's a 5 mil product, so it should be sturdy enough, but I don't know how scratch resistant it is. However, I should be able to copy or print the template on this material, so again, the cost per each is negligible and the time to cut them out is nothing compared to the cost of a pack of the expensive ones.

Jay, thanks again for posting your templates for us to use. They'll save us all a fortune in the SHORT run and wit hthe savings we can buy goodies for our toys!

Regards,

- Mark

[TSB8C]

I too am using the tamplate with those overhead transparancies you put in your printer. You can get a pack of 20 sheets for $5 at Walmart. You get 6 protectors per sheet, so that's 120 protectors for $5! I have had no problems with them at all.

Thanks.

B)

[hkoyuncu]

i made some from HP laser transparencies as well; and have been quite happy with them. i started using them until i got some commercial ones but i really like the home mode stuff so i will stick to it. many thx to jay trent for the template :P

[hooch]

I'm having trouble installing these, any advice.

[b9_2mr]

I noticed somebody complained about the texture. As it happens, I got both my Axim AND the 3M trial pack in the mail today, and after toying around with the 3M film, I realized that the textured stuff washes off in water. I used dish soap on it too, and once I rinsed and dried it off, it was just fine. The stylus almost seems to want to stick sometimes, but just very slightly, not enough to cause problems. I would suggest rinsing the textured stuff off, so you DON'T scratch your stylus.

My only complaint with the screen protector: if you use scissors/knife to cut it (which most people would), the edges of the protector are possibly sharp enough to scratch the screen when installing it. Shouldn't be an issue if you install it right, but if you're dragging the corners viciously against the screen itself, I think it would be enough to scratch it up. My advice: make your cuts as straight as possible (not wavy or jagged), and try not to rub the protector at a sharp angle. Try to keep the protector as parallel to the screen as you can to minimize damage. That said, I removed my protector to evaluate the screen, just to check for any scratches I might have made during installation, and it looks just fine. My only problem is that when I cut using the template, I must have cut too small on the bottom end, because after it is installed, the bottom corners have tiny gaps where the protector does not cover the screen. Not that I'll be rubbing down there, it's not part of the display, but it's a minor aesthetic problem.

/edit:

to be on the safe side, the side that originally had the textured stuff on it should be facing you (not the screen) when you install it. If there is any residue left from the texture, it might not be good for the screen, so I suggest just not letting it touch the screen to begin with.

[cavuu]

I found that a drop of Armour All polished on the screen protector will make the sylus slide better and it seems to last longer. You can use isome later to polish off some of the scratches.
One thing to watch for when you make your own is be sure that all the little trimmings are removed from the protector. I had one little sliver that came off and lodged under the bottom left side of the screen. It made the screen lock up intermittently and squeezing the case in that area caused a menu to appear. Fortunately the later appeared or I may never have found the problem. :)

well, I used the homemade ones, but I didnt like em very much, they're better than nothing, untill u get a decent screen protector (witeshield, brando, boxwave) I have a barndo screen protector on it now, and it's SOOO much better ...

[RHS]

Does anyone know why Jay's template doesn't have the same dimensions as the actual Axim screen. Why are his protectors bigger and not perfectly sized to fit the screen?

[Fritz]

Yeah, washing it with hot soapy water was the first thing I did, but i found that there was still this sticky film to it after repetitve washing; and when it got dried the film got really messed up since there was this dried up chemical on it. I could never completely get rid of the gunk. So I just cut out another piece and used it as is for a week or so until I got something else. It's definately a good alternative when you got a naked virgin screen.

The extra 'trapezoid' is suppose to slip into the side of the axim to secure the film -- since the protector is of the non-adhesive type.