What is a Pinball Translite?

A pinball translite (or translight) is a flexible, translucent art sheet placed in the backbox (the upright head) of a pinball machine, behind a clear pane of glass or plexiglass.

The artwork is designed to be illuminated from behind by lights inside the backbox, which enhances the visual appeal and highlights certain features like scoring displays or game status indicators. 

Key Characteristics

• Material: Translites are typically made of a thin, semi-transparent plastic or polyester-base film material.

• Function: Their primary purpose is to display the game's title, thematic artwork, and score information to the player.

• Illumination: They rely entirely on backlighting to look vibrant; without light, the colors can appear dull or washed out.

• Difference from Backglass: Translites are a modern alternative to traditional "backglasses," which had the artwork printed directly onto the reverse side of a rigid glass panel.

• Versatility: Due to their flexible nature and high-quality printing, they can also be removed from a machine and framed as independent art pieces, often in custom-made backlit displays. 

Pinball machines transitioned from using backglasses to the more common translite technology in the 1990s.