My sister-in-law is a graphic artist, and she has agreed to make a 7 inch high by 5 inch wide sign that I can "paste" onto a styrene plastic building to be used as a backdrop on my HO layout.
She will use Photoshop to combine text and pictures into an advertisement for placement on the building.
What is the best way to do this? Should I ask her to print it on paper so I can literally paste it onto the building? Should I transfer it onto decal paper and apply it to the building as a large decal?
I am clueless how to do accomplish this task, so any and all help and advice would be appreciated.
Rich
Alton Junction
You could do it either of your ways.
Glue it or decal it. Either would work well.
Or, using matte mediuim you can decopage it to the wall. spread a thin layer of matte medium on the area it is to be located, the "glue" the paper to the matte medium, then brush a thin layer of matte medium over top of it...it should dry to a matte finish. Test it first to be sure the matte medium won't run the ink.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
I found that printing signs on glossy photo paper gives a much sharper image with more color saturation, as well.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I'm a big fan of decals. I like to apply them to rough, irregular surfaces, like brick walls or wood plank fences. The decals take on the surface texture, and look painted-on. This kind of application makes the sign look weathered, which suits me just fine.
This is a relatively new one, and it's the largest I've done. It's about 2x3 inches in HO scale.
Printers can't do white. For a big, square sign like this, white decal paper will work. What I did for this one, though, was to use clear paper, but paint a white rectangle on the building. Then, all the colors come back true when I apply the clear decal to the building.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If it's for a background building, why not apply it in the simplest way possible?
My brother made several signs for me, and most were affixed to sheet styrene of appropriate thickness using contact cement.
Wayne
MisterBeasley I'm a big fan of decals. I like to apply them to rough, irregular surfaces, like brick walls or wood plank fences. The decals take on the surface texture, and look painted-on. This kind of application makes the sign look weathered, which suits me just fine. This is a relatively new one, and it's the largest I've done. It's about 2x3 inches in HO scale. Printers can't do white. For a big, square sign like this, white decal paper will work. What I did for this one, though, was to use clear paper, but paint a white rectangle on the building. Then, all the colors come back true when I apply the clear decal to the building.
Mister Beasley,
Great looking structure and, of course, the sign. What you did is exactly what I want to do with a 5" x 7" sign, placed on a Walthers Cornerstone modular building that I will use as a background building (just using the modular pieces to build the front wall).
So, you had the sign made on decal paper and applied the sign to the brick wall, correct?
doctorwayne If it's for a background building, why not apply it in the simplest way possible? My brother made several signs for me, and most were affixed to sheet styrene of appropriate thickness using contact cement. Wayne
Wayne,
Great looking structures and signs. What type of paper and what type of contact cement for the signs?
Medina1128 I found that printing signs on glossy photo paper gives a much sharper image with more color saturation, as well.
Marlon,
What do you use to glue the signs on the buildings?
I agree with and also practice the use of printing the sign - using contact cement in a very thin layer on styrene. Depending on what thickness you use for what application gives you varied effects whereas you can always 'bow' out a sign or use it flat on the side or on top of a building.
Then use contact cement to mount the sign on the building. 2 or 3 lengths of styrene strips behind the sign also can give a nice effect on the side of a building also. Styrene strips can be used to build suppports or a framework when utilizing the tops of buildings.
richhotrain So, you had the sign made on decal paper and applied the sign to the brick wall, correct? Rich
I bought the decal paper for an inkjet printer, and did it on my old HP 722C at home. I downloaded the image and sized it in MS Word. The decal needs to be treated using a spray or something like Microscale Liquid Decal Film. It' important to keep the decal completely flat when applying the sealant. Otherwise, the colors will run.
For wood back sign (Billboard) I print on card stock. For metal or enamel signs I print on photo paper. I use double stick tape to put on the building.
Card Stock
Photo Paper
Hi Rich,
We use Both decals and paper signs on our buildings. They both work well. The one thing I didn't see mentioned, is to sand the back of paper signs so they are very thin. This helps make them conform to the walls a little better.
Have Fun!
Phil, CEO, Eastern Sierra Pacific Railroad. We know where you are going, before you do!
I enjoy putting interiors into my structures. I download various images, anything from grocery store shelves to hideous floral wallpaper, print them on paper or cardstock, cut them to shape and glue them inside the building.
My glue of choice is Aileens Tacky Glue, the same stuff I use to put figures on to the layout. It is very thick, and, unlike white glue, it doesn't seep into the paper and ruin the image on the other side.
These are great suggestions everyone, and I appreciate the advice.
The reason that I like Mister Beasley's technique a lot with using decal paper is that the sign I am creating is a replica of a real one that was painted on a brick building. Putting decal paper on the styrene "brick" wall will hopefully give it that same effect.
richhotrain Wayne, Great looking structures and signs. What type of paper and what type of contact cement for the signs? Rich
Thanks, Rich.
The paper is just regular printer paper, as far as I know - fairly heavy, and with a flat finish. I use LePages or Weldwood/Dap gelled contact cement. It's much easier to use than the regular type, with no stringiness. I apply it to both surfaces with a stiff brush, let dry for 15 minutes or so, then press into place. The only problem with this glue is that I've been able to find it only in quart cans.
If you want to put the sign directly on a textured brick wall, sand the back to thin the paper as much as possible, then use Weld Bond or white glue to attach it to the wall, working the sign into the mortar lines with a suitable tool. This works best, I think, for aged signs - for newer ones in good condition, the decal method is probably better.
If you want more simply-designed signs, with only lettering, they can be done with paint and dry transfers and/or masking tape.
Paint the sign area the colour you wish the letters to be, then apply dry transfer letters (in any colour) or letters cut-out from masking tape. Don't burnish the dry transfers in place, though. Next, paint the entire sign area with the background colour you want. As soon as the paint is dry to the touch, remove all masking tape and use bits of masking tape to dab at the dry transfer letters - they should lift off fairly easily, either in one piece or as bits. Touch up, where required, using a suitably-sized brush.
These were done using the removeable dry transfers and paint method:
These were done with the large letters cut from masking tape, while the smaller ones used dry transfers, again removed after painting:
Here, because they're applied on three-dimensional clapboard, the dry transfers are used as intended, remaining in place. I burnished them to make them conform to the boards, but decal setting solution, like Solvaset, works well for dry transfers on more irregular surfaces, such as brick or stone.:
This sign, on a smooth background, also used the dry transfer lettering as intended, but mainly to take advantage of the metallic-gold colouring of the letters:
The Hoffentoth Bros. sign was laid-out on a piece of cardstock, using dry transfers. The area of the letters was then cut out using a sharp blade, and the resultant stencil was used to airbrush the sign on the fences of multiple Hoffentoth facilities:
I plan on adding black and white signs to all the storage bins, too.
richhotrain Medina1128: I found that printing signs on glossy photo paper gives a much sharper image with more color saturation, as well. Marlon, What do you use to glue the signs on the buildings? Rich
Medina1128: I found that printing signs on glossy photo paper gives a much sharper image with more color saturation, as well.
Rich, it depends on how I make the sign. If I print the sign, then want to glue the sign to a small piece of styrene sheet, I use Elmer's Spray Adhesive to affix the sign to the styrene. If I want to glue the sign directly to a building front or side, I brush on Ailene's Tacky Glue to the building then glue the sign to it. It's a lot easier to do this if the surface I'm gluing the sign to is laid flat.
The image on the left was printed on regular copier paper, while the one on the right was printed on glossy photo paper.
Spraying the image with Testor's Dullcote also tones down the intensity of the color, giving it a weathered appearance.