Signs painted on walls

[jmarksbery]

:thumb: Val, that's exactly how I do my signs except in Paint Shop Pro. May I make a sugestion? Print this out on typing paper and use. The paper is very thin, will print from you computer and when glued to the project will also blend nicely with the structure. A little finger nail over it make it almost impossible to see. A little Dullcoate over it and you can weather it or what ever the same as your building. Hope this helps also. Jim

 

[spitfire]

LOL Mikey and Ed!!

Jim, that's a cool tip - thanks! I was going to print it on decal paper, but I think I'll try your suggestion first.

Val

 

[belg]

Val I really appreciate the effort,but I think I have my computer dunce cap on again. I tell you what, I'll just make a sketch and send it to you and then you can do it for me????? How's that for subtle? I will have to try to read the instruction manual one of these days and then I'll really be confused. Pat

 

[spitfire]

Well, Photoshop can be pretty intimidating when you first get into it - it was for me and I started with it years ago when it was far less complicated than it is now!!!!

Post your sketch and I'll see what I can do.

Val

 

[ezdays]

Val,

Thanks for your tip, great idea. I played around with it using my desktop publishing program, I use Serif's PagePlus and have for a good ten years now. I scanned the sided of a Model Power lumber yard that I haven't built yet, and here's what I came up with. I was able to create the sign, do the transparencies, age it and change coloring all there. One should get good results with most any photo, publishing or drawing application.

 

[spitfire]

That's great Don!!!! :thumb:

Val

 

[ezdays]

That's great Don!!!! :thumb:

Val

Well Val, if so, I can only thank you for the idea. The only problem I forsee is getting it thin enough so it looks like it's painted on when attached to the building. Got any thoughts on that? I know there are people here that can do it with their eyes closed, but I've never tried it before, but really want to learn how.

 

[spitfire]

Well, as Jim Marksbery suggested, typewriter paper is very thin. What I was originally planning to use was decal "paper" but typewriter paper is much cheaper!

Val

 

[ezdays]

Well, as Jim Marksbery suggested, typewriter paper is very thin. What I was originally planning to use was decal "paper" but typewriter paper is much cheaper!

Val

I've got some stickiback which is real thin too. Got it in white, matte and clear. I just don't know how well the inkjet will print on any of it. I've used it on a laser printer, but never in color.

Jim does some fantastic work, my heart skips a beat every time he adds something to his micro-layout. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[vanda32547]

Great looking sign work. I'll have to try that with Photoshop and see what results I get. Thanks for posting this procedure.

 

[belg]

Val with an offer like that I'll get busy on that sketch real soon and get back to you,thanks alot Pat.


Don a modeler on another site once told me about something called onion paper which was the stuff between carbon paper in the "old days". I must be getting old as I knew exactly what he was talking about. They sell it at Dick Blick art supply. Pat

 

[ezdays]

Pat,

Yep, you're getting older. I'm not sure if you could run that stuff through the printer without jamming. I also think it has too rough a surface an the ink would bleed. Don't know for sure, just a guess.

 

[jmarksbery]

When using thin paper DON'T use the higher setting try it at normal print first, see how it looks and then try photo. I have found the normal setting gives better results. Hey it has been proven we can print on wood & plastic so why not try typing or onion paper. I use typing paper all the time for my signs and with a little work they become almost invisable. Dullcoat them and they get better and then weather the thing like the rest of the wall. Later Jim

 

[jmarksbery]

Don't ask me why the double post, Jim

 

[CalFlash]

Another method I use for painted on signs (esp for brick buildings) is to actually paint them on! I use CorelDraw to make the artwork and have a mask cut from vinyl from it. You may have to look for someone with a vinyl cutter - try sign shops, golf cart or "Skido" dealers etc. Check what software they use or can work with. When I used to paint model trains professionally,I had SP "bloody noses" made up to simplify the task and make them uniform.

 

[Urloony]

Looks great but...

Why print it on regular paper? Why not weather the sign and then print it onto decal paper. You wouldn't need to copy the building texture you could simply apply it to the building as a decal. When you print it on paper and apply it to the building doesn't the 3-D look make the texture on the paper look as though it is "lifted" over the surface?

 

[spitfire]

Yep, you can do it on decal "paper" too. You can weather the sign after you apply it, or as CalFlash suggested above, paint right onto the building. Fred also posted a thread about printing directly onto brick sheet.

This is just another alternative. I came up with it because I didn't like the results I was getting by weathering decals after they were applied. And it can be quite difficult to get rid of that decal shine, especially if you decide to add a sign after you've already built, painted, and detailed your building.

As with so many aspects of the hobby, there are lots of different ways to do things!

Val

 

[ezdays]

Val,

Yah got a good point there. Ask ten people how to do something, and you might get ten different answers, all of them correct. It's always nice to know you have alternate ways to do something, it takes a closed mind to stop after learning the first way.

And thanks for presenting an alternate to making signs on buildings. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[grumbeast]

Fantastic Val!!,

I've just "inherited" my wife's old G4 with Photoshop and Illustrator and now I have a great reason to use them! excellent explanation!

Graham

 

[Biased turkey]

Resurecting an old thread.
Thanks Spitfire for that great tutorial.
I'm fiddling with Linux and "The Gimp" right now to achieve the same result I could get with the ( expensive ) Photoshop or ( more affordable ) Paint shop pro.
It looks good so far.
Imho, that post should be sticky somewhere on the forum.
I know, I know, some members are complaining about the invasion of sticky threads
Of course I'll post the results.