Jump to content
 

Signs, posters and adverts


Mikkel

8,190 views

Here's a selection of the signs, posters and adverts that I've used on "The bay" to help enhance the ambience.

 

 

001.jpg.19d0a4aa8d6d6919cee8d6a912605d17.jpg

 

The station sign for Farthing, summarizing the fictional geography of the old N&SR line. The sign is printed, a temporary measure that may become permanent now that the RMweb competition is tempting me to move on quickly to the next layout in the series. I intended to use Smiths 4mm and 2mm etched letters for the job, although testing suggested that it would be very time consuming as there is so much text here. The sign was printed using fonts stored in the files section of the always excellent GWR e-list.

 

 

 

002.jpg.ffba5ff06baa2b14d2b05b0a121a8799.jpg

 

The Smiths etched letters are good though, and for a simpler station sign the job would quickly have been done. These are 4mm and 2mm scale respectively. This type of letters appears to have been introduced on the GWR around 1906, replacing an earlier more elaborate style.

 

 

 

003.jpg.4395f59be2024cb9c63b81681194abca.jpg

 

The screen for the Gentlemen's lavatory. The posterboard is a modified card item from Tiny Signs. I built up a frame from thin strips of Plastikard to bring out the relief. The posters are reduced and printed from examples found on the web. I've since noticed that many GWR posterboards from the period had a darkish frame. I assume it is the brown colour discussed in this thread? In that case I'll need to send in the painters.

 

 

 

 

004.jpg.09182c4407bc70742f57affa53923144.jpg

 

The posterboards from Tiny Signs as they come. An alternative set is available from Smiths.

 

 

 

005.jpg.7989caa02f138ae23caa854d28c96735.jpg

 

Enamel adverts, mostly from Tiny Signs. I tone them down slightly with satin varnish and weather them with eg a little rust at the edges. I've also made a few adverts myself, based on real prototypes that I've reproduced on the PC. Unfortunately my printer can't match the sharply printed commercial offerings. New insights from David Bigcheeseplant here on RMweb indicates that when the painters are done with the posterboards, they can move on to the window frames and apply the same brown colour.

 

 

 

006.jpg.afee8ee7df4fd425f32e997f4afe2e82.jpg

 

A sheet of adverts from Tiny Signs. It can be quite hard to tell what period the different adverts are from, as appearances can be deceitful and a check of old photos doesn't always help. I seem to remember there was a series of articles about enamel ads in Model Rail some years ago. Does anyone remember what issues they were?

 

 

 

007.jpg.a422170e3248a514a823b751bc2b6c99.jpg

 

Etched station signs from Scalelink. These were painted all-over black while still on the etch, after which the paint was wiped off the raised letters. The letters were then painted white by carefully dragging a broad flat brush across them.

 

Edited by Mikkel

  • Like 6

42 Comments


Recommended Comments



You've made a damn good job of weathering those signs. I always keep an eye out for printed signs and posters in railway monthlies after discovering the computer printed things fade and loose their colour. Sad really as I had a lot of LNWR black & white 'finger' signs printed but they simply fade so quickly.

 

Larry

Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Thanks Larry. Looking at them in close-up I do think I've overdone the weathering here and there - must learn to resist that!

 

It's only recently that I've experimented with print-outs from the computer, so interesting to hear that they fade over time. And varnishing does not help?

Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Mikkel.Can you tell me how you did the lettering on the nameboards using the file download off the GW E list please.

Link to comment

Colourfastness:

 

Depends on your printer. A lot of inkjet printers now use colourfast inks, after a big flaw in home digital photography became apparent in short space of time... My dad's recent printers (semi-professional portrait & wedding photographer) certainly produce images that don't fade over something like a 50+ or 100+ year lifespan.

 

I'd doubt varnishing would help, I *think* the problem is sunlight breaking down the pigments? Unless the varnish blocked UV or something?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold
Mikkel.Can you tell me how you did the lettering on the nameboards using the file download off the GW E list please.

 

Hi Robin, here's the process:

 

1. On GWR e-list, go to files > Fonts & Logos

2. Click the font "GWR Nameboards.ttf" and save it to the "Fonts" folder on your computer (mine is at C:/Windows/Fonts).

3. Close the download. You now have the font installed. To actually make the sign:

4. Open a new Word document (if that's what you've got) and turn on the "Draw" tool-bar

5. Make a "textbox" the size of your station sign (you can always adjust this)

6. Set the background colour of the textbox to black

7. Set the font colour to white

8. In the font selection option, find and select the now installed "GWR Signs" font

9. Write your text in the box, and align/center/space words as appropriate

10. Print and cut out sign. You'll need to choose the highest level of print quality.

 

Sounds a bit laborious, but if all goes well it's actually a fairly quick job. Finding the "Fonts" folder in step 2 can be the most tricky bit!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Jamie: Thanks for that info. The signs I did print don't seem to be fading yet, but its only been a few months. I'm not even sure whether the ink I have is colourfast, must check! The printer is a fairly cheap one though, so the most immediate problem is simply getting it to print sharply enough.

Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Robin, here's the process:

 

1. On GWR e-list, go to files > Fonts & Logos

2. Click the font "GWR Nameboards.ttf" and save it to the "Fonts" folder on your computer (mine is at C:/Windows/Fonts).

3. Close the download. You now have the font installed. To actually make the sign:

4. Open a new Word document (if that's what you've got) and turn on the "Draw" tool-bar

5. Make a "textbox" the size of your station sign (you can always adjust this)

6. Set the background colour of the textbox to black

7. Set the font colour to white

8. In the font selection option, find and select the now installed "GWR Signs" font

9. Write your text in the box, and align/center/space words as appropriate

10. Print and cut out sign. You'll need to choose the highest level of print quality.

 

Sounds a bit laborious, but if all goes well it's actually a fairly quick job. Finding the "Fonts" folder in step 2 can be the most tricky bit!

 

Thanks Mikkel for a very detailed reply !

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Yes well it also helps me remember it myself! During a modelling project I tend to assume that I'll be able to remember a particular technique or process forever, then after a week I've forgotten! I'll bet you know what I mean?!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Hi Mikkel.Can you describe to me how you highlighted the white over the black on the etched signs.I assume you used enamel paint here.Not easy I'd imagine.

Link to comment

In these difficult times, I can't access the GWR group.

 

Would someone be willing to email me the GWR Nameboards.ttf file?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold
On 11/06/2014 at 19:10, gwrrob said:

Hi Mikkel.Can you describe to me how you highlighted the white over the black on the etched signs.I assume you used enamel paint here.Not easy I'd imagine.

 

Hi Rob, just seen this - six years later! Sorrry to have kept you sleepless all that time :D. I hope we discussed it at the time in some other way, maybe via PM.

 

 

18 hours ago, sumo said:

In these difficult times, I can't access the GWR group.

 

Would someone be willing to email me the GWR Nameboards.ttf file?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

Hi Mike, if I understand correctly, Yahoo shut down the file sections of their groups. I thought I had downloaded some of the files but I can't find them, maybe I forgot to do it before they were removed :(

 

I can't access the group's messages either by the way.  I'm not sure if the group is still functional.

  • Like 1
  • Funny 1
Link to comment
20 hours ago, sumo said:

Would someone be willing to email me the GWR Nameboards.ttf file?

 

Can't PM ttf files on RMweb. I've sent you an alternative download target.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Perhaps a note to Andy,

 

he added .ino files (for Arduino sketches) a few years ago at my request.

 

atb

Simon

  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to comment

It does look as if Yahoo have disabled files and archives, so this was my only hope. Many thanks again.

 

Mike

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Interesting font.

 

The first line is as typed.

Second line I have kerned at +15% and moved in the F

Third line is hand kerned. 

 

 

 

 

GWRfont01.jpg

  • Like 2
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to comment

Interesting indeed. It's important to note these modern computer fonts are only approximations of the originals, and I feel this one is a tiny bit too 'bold'. and the G is the wrong shape

 

  • Agree 1
Link to comment

Oh, you are good. I thought that.

 

I also have concerns over the B.

 

So key question, is this the same font as used on wagons for the G W? 

Edited by sumo
Link to comment
24 minutes ago, sumo said:

So key question, is this the same font as used on wagons for the G W? 

 

No it's too bold and too condensed

 

The wagon G and W was never an actual font. Those letters were, I believe, on a drawing, from which transfers were made.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Were victorian/edwardians defacers of signage? A single dot after the R is social commentary on the distance from the writers abode and a dot after the T is a demand that the manure trucks park for 6 days in the hot sunshine should be moved. And finally I've no idea what a 'Hing' but I'm not a GWR man.

Inspector Fisher SE&CR.

Edited by flyingbadger
  • Funny 1
Link to comment
  • RMweb Gold

Ha ha, you aren't far off actually. The name was lifted from Tolkien's map of "The Shire". I don't know if he considered the two hidden meanings that you mention, but I know I did! :)

 

PS: The fact that the layouts are all smallish "denominations" helped too of course.

 

image.png.fe3c93361fb667745a757178f95fae75.png

Edited by Mikkel
Link to comment

Hi Mikkel

A awhile back you did some veneer printed crates. What sizes did you decide on for tea chests? I would like to gove it ago having come across a very nice company who gave me some thin veneer sheets to play with. Any help you could give would be much appretiated. 

Regards Goods Agent Fisher SE&CR note, change of role here.

Edited by flyingbadger
Link to comment
  • RMweb Premium
On 01/04/2020 at 19:57, Miss Prism said:

 

No it's too bold and too condensed

 

The wagon G and W was never an actual font. Those letters were, I believe, on a drawing, from which transfers were made.

 

 

Transfers? Surely they were marked out in chalk and painted in by hand, maybe all with the aid of a stencil.

Link to comment

There were transfers for loco and carriage, so I find it difficult to believe there weren't transfers for goods vehicles, at least for the common character sizes.

 

Link to comment
  • RMweb Premium
35 minutes ago, Miss Prism said:

There were transfers for loco and carriage, 

 

Yes, but those were complex multi-colour designs with serifs to the letters. Also they were varnished over - on the Midland at least, a carriage was sent in for re-varnishing at the first hint of wear to the transfers or lining. Nobody varnished goods wagons (apart from the varnished wood ones). PO wagons with much more complex lettering than any GW wagon were hand-lettered by signwriters. 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...