Homemade Signage for 1:76

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

We have a scratch built garage built by Jim Hatch of West Wellow, that  we inherited from Bill Jones, it is almost complete except for the distinctive signage that is unique to the garage. Whilst we can cope with the commercial advertising by using bought-in products, the unique 'Coal and logs' placards have all but defeated our attempts to replicate them using MS Word and our HP MX printer because the font sizes are just too large.

 

Any and all advice is welcome.

 

Thanks.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

 

Courtesy of my chum at Pistonheads

[Stubby47]

You can override (overtype) the MS Word minimum font size to a smaller value.

 

Edited October 14, 2019 by Stubby47

[Clive Mortimore]

An alternative way is to scan the photo on to the computer to a large size and high resolution. Use an image manipulator to take out the perspective. I use Gimp. Sometimes after taking out the perspective the image needs to be resized in one or both directions to get it back into proportion.  I select and print only the signs. I then reduce them to scale by photocopying. Reducing the physical size of a Jpeg file can result in some loss of the image due to pixelating. Reduction to scale by photocopying doesn't seem to do that.

 

The beauty of my daft method is the original typeface is preserved and on signs with any weathering it is already done for you.

 

I also have used it for period road side adverts.

[Harlequin]

Word might do the job acceptably but you could also try using a drawing program because then you could change the font sizes graphically rather than typing in small fractiocnal numbers.

It might be easier to get the proportions of the different bits of text correct that way.

 

[KeithMacdonald]

Jack,

If you look at the bottom right corner of MS Word, does the version you are using have the percentage scale view? if so, you can design the page at whatever percentage scale you are comfortable using, then scale down to 20% or whatever looks like a suitable "OO gauge" percentage. Then take a screen grab of that as a thumbnail image, and print that seperately.

Hope that helps

Keith

[Flood]

Clive Mortimore states that he uses Gimp (which is a free program).

 

Gimp can be used to perform many image manipulation tasks but I find the most useful part is that you can create an image to an initial size, generally larger than finally required to keep the quality high, and when the print option is used you can state the size you want the finished article to be.

 

I use this for creating transfers. The following sheet is the actual size as created on the computer, the text at the bottom tells me the size I need to state on Gimp when printing it out.

 

 

Hopefully this method will solve your problems.

[Harlequin]

30 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Jack,

If you look at the bottom right corner of MS Word, does the version you are using have the percentage scale view? if so, you can design the page at whatever percentage scale you are comfortable using, then scale down to 20% or whatever looks like a suitable "OO gauge" percentage. Then take a screen grab of that as a thumbnail image, and print that seperately.

Hope that helps

Keith

I don't think that's a good idea because a screen grab will pixelise the image at a lower resolution than the printer and you don't want to see pixels on your model sign!

 

Edited October 14, 2019 by Harlequin

[McGomez]

Its not the correct font but is that any help?

[KeithMacdonald]

5 hours ago, Harlequin said:

I don't think that's a good idea because a screen grab will pixelise the image at a lower resolution than the printer and you don't want to see pixels on your model sign!

 

 

Doh! (headbang icon)

You are quite right.

 

 

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

very many thanks for the advice and practical examples.

 

They will be put to use on the model, just as I get over the reaction to the 'flu jab and am allowed back into the workshop.

 

I promise to share images of the completed filling station.

 

cheers

 

JB

 

 

[nhdesigns]

I don't think I might be much help with this but when it comes to homemade/custom signage for 1:76, I've designed my own personal ones using design software like Adobe Photoshop, though that's my personal choice. There is other free design software out there that could be of use. I've also come across a site called logopedia which is great resource for those looking for logos of specific brands or shop fronts. My own way of making signs was to use one of the shop kits available from Scalescenes and the like as a template and then with a bit of work in Photoshop managed to make my own custom signs.

 

Here's some of the signs I've made for some shops I made for my layout.  All the signs apart from the branded ones and the Chinese are all custom ones I made.  Here's the link to the site I mentioned regarding shop fronts and logos:

 

https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Category:United_Kingdom

 

 

[KeithMacdonald]

I saw this "Wright's" Corner Shop, produced by Bachmann, so good I had to buy one...

 

 

It's clearly inspired by Ronnie Barker's Arkwright corner shop, but slightly renamed for understandable commercial copyright reasons.

 

 

But as a private person, I might just re-adopt the persona with a new homemade sign on the frontage...

 

 

G-g-g-Granville, fetch me that PVC g-g-g-glue.

 

Word file attached for anyone else who wants to be Open All Hours.

 

ARKWRIGHT.docx

[Tim-Hale]

The model of the garage at West Wellow on the A36 Salisbury-Soton road is Hatches Garage (Jim Hatch), due to deteriorating health, it sadly needs a new home.

 

The garage is featured in Wikipedia and several Petrol Head sites.

 

Just to recap, it was scratch built garage built by the late Bill Jones, it is almost complete except for the distinctive signage that is unique to the garage. It has a fully detailed interior and more appropriate petrol pumps. 

There is little possibility of another 1:76 layout and it needs someone who will appreciate Bill’s work. No idea of value, please make a reasonable offer. It will be sent in a rigid box for its protection or you can collect from West Dorset.

 

Please send a message either PM or hale-tim@sky.com

 

Hopefully, this unique model will find a home.