I feel like phoning it in.

June 3, 2010 9:53 AM

Looking for a downloadable poster generator that was on the net around six or seven years ago. You selected a style and provided text and it used an algorithm to create a poster in the style that was "hip" at the time. Background images featured urbanscapes and the like which would have looked right at home on a WILCO album cover. I may have actually seen it here first. Does it still exist? Is there a Mac version of it? If not, anything else like it today?
posted by sourwookie to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

I remember this as well, and happened across it on Somethingawful way, way, way back when. If it helps anyone find it I believe it was back in 2002-2004 that I came across it.

There are threads on somethingawful that specialize in "internet necromancy", as it's called, so if anyone has an account there they might try asking.
posted by codacorolla at 10:10 AM on June 3, 2010

Not exactly what your looking for but this site allows you to upload an image and it will turn it into downloadable PDFs (poster) for you. http://www.blockposters.com/
posted by doorsfan at 10:19 AM on June 3, 2010

Response by poster: 2002-2004 would have been the era. I believe there was something like "plug-ins" or "modules" available if you wanted to change the style.
posted by sourwookie at 10:23 AM on June 3, 2010

Maybe this will help Rasterbator.
posted by shr1n1 at 10:38 AM on June 3, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks, but this isn't Rasterbator. Its purpose wasn't to enlarge an image, but to generate art within a certain style (that was popular around 2003 or so). It was more of a design tool.
posted by sourwookie at 10:42 AM on June 3, 2010

Big Huge Labs has some similar online tools that do not exactly what you're asking for but pretty close. You must provide your own photos for it, though.
posted by smallerdemon at 10:50 AM on June 3, 2010

Best answer: Was it n-Gen? You entered some basic information, picked a style module, and it would generate a random design. You could make posters, business cards, etc. The interface looked similar to adobe mac software of the time.

Here's the website: http://www.movedesign.com/move/main.html
posted by mattybonez at 12:44 PM on June 3, 2010

Best answer: Your description sounds like n-Gen to me. The design company that made it seems to have gone the way of all flesh, but you can see some examples here. If you scroll the flash app down to ".24" there's a gallery and a non-functioning download link. It's a shame the download's busted because it's pretty fun to play with and, yes, Mac-compatible.
posted by lekvar at 12:54 PM on June 3, 2010

Response by poster: Yes! The n-Gen design machine! That was it! Thanks!
posted by sourwookie at 12:55 PM on June 3, 2010

Hey, sourwookie -- if you're looking for a copy of this abandoned, free, beta-version software, shoot me a me-mail.
posted by mattybonez at 1:06 PM on June 3, 2010

Hey, that's pretty neat for phoning it in! *bookmarks*
posted by smallerdemon at 1:09 PM on June 3, 2010