Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Magazine images for store front windows

1850 views
10 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 12:49 PM

I would agree with not attaching directly to the window. Keep in mind in the real world, the shopowner would have a display case or stand of come kind in the window. They'd need to be able to swap out old issues for new, as they'd want to attract buyers by having that week's / month's new magazines in the window.

Stix
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 12:03 PM

ctyclsscs

Actually, I did some small runs of our Picture Windows in N scale and took some to the National Train Show in Kansas City last month. Just haven't had time yet to get them added to our website or to get any out to dealers.

Jim S

City Classics

 

I would get a set or two of these, in N scale, since they're available.  I bought one a while back.  I haven't installed it yet, but I like the look and it's given me the inspiration to upgrade that structure.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 470 posts
Posted by ctyclsscs on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 12:24 AM

Actually, I did some small runs of our Picture Windows in N scale and took some to the National Train Show in Kansas City last month. Just haven't had time yet to get them added to our website or to get any out to dealers.

Jim S

City Classics

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 9:28 PM

oops wrong thread

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 8:51 PM

I've done a lot of interiors like Frank, with side and back wall images from photos and a few details like counters.  This works for me.  City Classics has a series of film based images like you've described, but only in HO for now.  I agree that putting the details a bit off from the windows gives a better appearance.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 6:55 PM

I realize that You are modeling in N-scale so things are much smaller and a little harder to do...but I agree with not putting Your images directly on the glazing. Giving it more depth would look much better. All My structures have interiors, even if it's just a inside back drop. Made by a back wall and side walls and that is where I put the printed image.

The first shot is of the part that has the image glued to the three walls. Done on My color printer, reduced in size to a close 1/87. All the lighting and such goes on those walls which slide into the back of this particular structure. Which is a plumbing store:

The second shot is taken with the walls slid into the structure. The guy on the left and two display cabinets in foreground are real, they are glued to the floor. The shot is a tab blury, had used My older camera:

Takes some time and patience......but to Me the result is worth it:

Take Care!Big Smile

Frank 

PED
  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 571 posts
Posted by PED on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 1:34 PM

I think your suggestions to install the image a small amount behind the glass rather than glue to glass is a good one. I can put my image on something that will be close to but not on the glass. I just tested that appraoch and it worked well plus gave some added depth to the window view. 

I should have noted that all my building are lighted so I will need to mount the image such that it will be translucent enought to see the image. I have some transparency film that I can run thru my color printer. Will give that a shot.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

  • Member since
    August 2014
  • 172 posts
Posted by Eric White on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 1:20 PM

I glued images to a piece of thin styrene cut longer than the window opening so the styrene would bow when installed. That gave a little illusion that the image was inside the building instead of pasted on the glass.

Eric

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,682 posts
Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 12:31 PM

I just use clear tape. I cut the tape into smaller pieces if needed.

As for images, I prefer to download them from the internet and print them onto photo paper so I have more control over their size and content.

For windows which I don’t want people to see inside of, I use black construction paper behind the ‘glass’.

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 11:40 AM

Rather than attaching the image directly to the window, how about putting it on a separate piece (sheet styrene, if the structure is styrene).
With a piece or pieces of strip styrene cemented to the perimeter of the backing sheet, it could be cemented to the interior side of the wall, somewhat away from the perimeter of the window, placing the image so that it doesn't touch the glass. 

Imparting a bit of depth to the "interior" might look better than right against the window.

Wayne

PED
  • Member since
    April 2016
  • 571 posts
Magazine images for store front windows
Posted by PED on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 11:28 AM

I work in N scale thus many building windows are too small to need any type of image in the window. However, some of the store front windows are big enough to clearily show the store interior up close to the window. One option is to place small objects in the window that represents the store and I am using that approach in a few spots. However, I would like to use an image in some of the windows. I can find suitable small color images in various catalogs and magazines but I am not sure what the best way to stick them to the window is without damage to the window. I can think of two options...

1) Glue the image directly to the inside of the front window. If I do this, I want to be sure the glue does not damage the glass. So far, I have been using Testors window cement to install windows with great success. No damage to the glass. I think this should work but I wanted to hnow what others are using before I damage one of my structures.

2) Another approach would be to glue the image to a separate piece of material then attach it (glue?) to the window from inside the structure.

Comments?

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!