Controllers: The Wild Side

Step 3: Create the Stencil
Select Filter > Artistic > Cutout. Change the scale in the lower-left corner to fit on-screen if needed. Adjust the cutout settings depending on how complicated you want the results to be and how many colors you plan to use. We recommend that for complicated images, you stick with 3 levels, an edge simplicity of 4, and an edge fidelity of 2. Experiment with these settings, but if you make them more complex, it may be too hard to transfer the results to the controller. Pick a simpler source image if needed. For bold, clear patterns like our zebra print, we set the levels, simplicity, and fidelity to 2.

Step 4: Print and Slice
Print the pattern on thick matte paper. If the pattern will wrap around the entire controller or you’re using more than two colors, print extra copies. Use a hobby knife to cut anything you want sprayed as a positive color. If you’re layering shadows on a face or other complicated image, cut out the successive layers from different prints. That way, you can spray each color on top of the previous one.

Step 5: Disassemble the Controller
Screw the warranty — unscrew the controller! The wired and wireless controllers use different screws, but they come apart in nearly the same way. Arm yourself with a Torx 8 security screwdriver for a wireless controller or a Philips 0 for a wired controller. Set the controller face-down and extract the six screws around the back. Use a hobby knife to lift the barcode sticker strip from the center of the controller; you’ll find the seventh and final screw underneath. Don’t lose anything!

Step 6: Crack Open the Case
While the controller’s still face-down, remove the back of it and lift the grey plastic bottom piece straight up. Put a finger on each shoulder trigger, push in, and tenderly lift the circuit-board part from the bottom edge. Gently lift out the rumble motors with the circuit board. Take care not to touch the chips or the board face — handle this piece only by the edge. Separate the center plastic piece with the “Microsoft” logo from the two shoulder buttons.
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Step 7: Remove the Buttons
Turn the top half of the case over, and carefully set aside all of the buttons and rubber membranes. The D-pad will still be locked into the controller’s face, so use a Philips 0 screwdriver to remove its two small screws, and then gently pry one or both of the two tabs in to release the two parts of the D-pad.

Step 8: Clean the Controller
Thoroughly clean the plastic pieces. Use mild soap and water, and scrub with a toothbrush or washcloth on any trouble spots. Be sure to scrape off any controller plaque that has built up in the seams, as any grime will block the vinyl spray dye. Completely dry the parts.

Step 9: Layer the Base Coat
Matte the inside of the controller buttons and battery case with masking tape. If you want to keep the Microsoft hologram intact, carefully cover that sticker, too. (It can’t be peeled without being destroyed.) Spray a base coat over the parts. Work in a well-ventilated area, set the parts on a protected surface (use lots and lots of newspaper), and spray the vinyl dye from about eight inches away. First, use a base-coat color that will be the background for the pattern. If you want to keep the controller’s default hue, you don’t really have to spray a similar-color base coat, but the results will probably look more uniform if you do. Spray five or six light coats, leaving at least 10 minutes between each coat. The coats will be light enough if you can still see some of the spray pattern — especially in the first few layers — instead of a solid glob of color. When you’re done, let the base color dry overnight.

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