Editable Print At Home Brick Papers

[spsmiler]

Do any of the traders who sell 'print at home' brick papers include an option to edit the brick paper?

 

What I would like to do is add designs in the brick papers eg: a plain red brick wall that allows me to edit individual bricks so as to create a diamond pattern in yellow bricks

 

Even better .., the brick paper includes a range of editable preset patterns so as to add circles, squares, BR double arrow symbol, even a train(!) in bricks of another colour!

 

Thanks

 

Simon

[john new]

54 minutes ago, spsmiler said:

Do any of the traders who sell 'print at home' brick papers include an option to edit the brick paper?

 

What I would like to do is add designs in the brick papers eg: a plain red brick wall that allows me to edit individual bricks so as to create a diamond pattern in yellow bricks

 

Even better .., the brick paper includes a range of editable preset patterns so as to add circles, squares, BR double arrow symbol, even a train(!) in bricks of another colour!

 

Thanks

 

Simon

I would suggest that you use your graphics package and layers to manipulate an overlay layer with the bespoke element. I have assumed you have a package that can do layers as without that option it will be difficult. I have Photoshop and my workflow to do the diamonds and other extras you suggest would be:-

1) open image and copy into a new working layer then lock and hide the background layer. That way the master is protected from accidental corruption.

2) save file with new name

3) copy some bricks - if you also have a sheet with preset arches, windows etc., also open that as a second file so you can copy shapes from that into a new layer (as per step 4)

4) paste those into new layer

5) do the adjustments you want like cropping to brick edges, using the colour change options to get the yellow you want. (Don’t rotate at this stage so you can select rectangles.

6) duplicate layer to another then lock & hide (5) and any other layers not needed.

7) hide any in between layers so you end up with the master layer 

8) do the edits you want to the layer created in (6), examples are things like the  rotation of the brick(s), creating rows of angled bricks and so forth. NB add as many of these layers as you need.

9) you could do this earlier but crop the visible copied base layer to the final wall size that you need. Layer by layer move the individual shapes in their layers into position.

10) save finalised image, with the layers. PSD and TIF format can have saved layers.

11) if necessary then flatten the image and save with a different name to get a smaller file size jpg for printing.

 

There are websites with on-line textures sheets with windows and various elements you can download as part of your step (3).

 

Hope this helps and isn’t teaching you what you already know.

 

Good creating.

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by john new
Sloppy typing.

[phil_sutters]

What software do you have? If you tell us what you have, then you should be able to get specific help using that software.

[Izzy]

Although the suggestions about using a graphics package/photo editor are very useful the basic problem is that most downloadable PDF’s are locked and even copy and paste won’t work. All you can really do is print them out at different sizes. I think this is what the OP is asking, are there any that come ‘unlocked’.

 

Bob

[phil_sutters]

To get a modifiable base image, you could print a plain brick pattern, then scan it and use the scanned image to modify the pattern. Alternatively, you could use a screen dump/'print screen'. 

[PaulaDoesTrains]

I've successfully imported Scalescenes PDFs into GIMP as a set of layers,one for each page. At this point I could have edited them if I so wished but in my case I wanted to use the laser to cut them out so I exported them as images, loaded them into FreeCAD and "traced" over them to create the outlines of the various walls etc.

[john new]

23 hours ago, john new said:

I would suggest that you use your graphics package and layers to manipulate an overlay layer with the bespoke element. I have assumed you have a package that can do layers as without that option it will be difficult. I have Photoshop and my workflow to do the diamonds and other extras you suggest would be:-

1) open image and copy into a new working layer then lock and hide the background layer. That way the master is protected from accidental corruption.

2) save file with new name

3) copy some bricks - if you also have a sheet with preset arches, windows etc., also open that as a second file so you can copy shapes from that into a new layer (as per step 4)

4) paste those into new layer

5) do the adjustments you want like cropping to brick edges, using the colour change options to get the yellow you want. (Don’t rotate at this stage so you can select rectangles.

6) duplicate layer to another then lock & hide (5) and any other layers not needed.

7) hide any in between layers so you end up with the master layer 

8) do the edits you want to the layer created in (6), examples are things like the  rotation of the brick(s), creating rows of angled bricks and so forth. NB add as many of these layers as you need.

9) you could do this earlier but crop the visible copied base layer to the final wall size that you need. Layer by layer move the individual shapes in their layers into position.

10) save finalised image, with the layers. PSD and TIF format can have saved layers.

11) if necessary then flatten the image and save with a different name to get a smaller file size jpg for printing.

 

There are websites with on-line textures sheets with windows and various elements you can download as part of your step (3).

 

Hope this helps and isn’t teaching you what you already know.

 

Good creating.

 

As proof you can modify the Scalescenes Scratchbuilders Yard sheets in Photoshop.  Very quick example below done tonight to test my post above was legit in light of @Izzy's post. I have also altered in the past the sign on the Kingsway freebie to Drovers Return using just bits of the lettering in the kit copied, pasted and merged plus some fill. Obviously the bricks would need more work in a real example and slightly better alignment.

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by john new
Added note about @Izzy's post.

[MartinRS]

I have been attempting to create a number of brick textures in OO for my own use and will consider making them available. I have just sold my modest OO collection and have bought some Peco TT:120 track so I will be creating OO and TT:120 brickwork when I have time. (I have two elderly parents to care for so I have little free time.). As I edit models using Paint Shop Pro they will be in jpeg or png format.
 

[spsmiler]

Thank you everyone for your replies

 

I have access to photoshop and can create layers etc. Whilst its better if the pdf's are not locked I can also take screen shots and import & edit them. Its just more work... 

[MartinRS]

One potential source of brick textures is the Deviant Art web site. Artists usually let you know if their work is released under a Creative Commons License.

You could also take a look at the Wordsworth Model Railway site.
 

[monkeysarefun]

Also     textures.com,      you need to create a free account but this gives you a daily free download allowance. Choose "seamless" images that can be tiled to create larger brick panels without a visible join.

[Izzy]

8 hours ago, john new said:

As proof you can modify the Scalescenes Scratchbuilders Yard sheets in Photoshop.  Very quick example below done tonight to test my post above was legit in light of @Izzy's post. I have also altered in the past the sign on the Kingsway freebie to Drovers Return using just bits of the lettering in the kit copied, pasted and merged plus some fill. Obviously the bricks would need more work in a real example and slightly better alignment.

 

Thanks for that. I have a - very - early version of photoshop elements, the second one from around the turn of the century ( sounds good doesn’t it !), and it won’t play with the scalescenes PDF’s I’ve got although it will rasterise others. Perhaps something has changed, maybe the PDF’s no longer locked. I’ll try GIMP. It’s a good package but I find it a bit convoluted so stick with Elements.

 

Bob

[phil_sutters]

9 hours ago, spsmiler said:

Thank you everyone for your replies

 

I have access to photoshop and can create layers etc. Whilst its better if the pdf's are not locked I can also take screen shots and import & edit them. Its just more work... 

It shouldn't take too long if you use effects from the layers menu like 'overlay' and 'screen' for example. Copy a brick, paste it on a new layer immediately over it, (ctrl+c then ctrl+v). Darken or lighten it so you get a different look. You can play around with the final colour and shade at the end. Copy your new brick, move it down a row and across a brick. Keep building the diamond, merging down to the new brick layer as you go. Don't merge it to the background yet. Use the background to check the alignment and make any minor corrections. When you have a complete diamond, then copy that and move that across and merge that with the first. Build the pattern up from there. Once you have your pattern, adjust the colour and opacity to suit your design, then merge the layers. 

I don't remember whose  brick paper provided the original plain brickwork. Its been on file a while. It took about 15 minutes, experimenting as I went. Once you have the pattern layer set up, you can cover a large area quickly, as long as your base layer is consistent, which most commercial papers would be. You can of course save layers in Photoshop and make changes without affecting the base layer.

 

I realise that you may be fully aware of this method, but others may find it useful, if you don't need the blow by blow account!

Edited January 24, 2023 by phil_sutters
Additional info

[spsmiler]

16 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

Thank you, that is exactly the type of effect I have in mind.

Edited January 25, 2023 by spsmiler

[Talltim]

I misread the title as Edible print at home brick papers...

[phil_sutters]

3 hours ago, Talltim said:

I misread the title as Edible print at home brick papers...

Ah! That's food for thought.

[MartinRS]

Here is a link to a couple of files I downloaded from the original PaperBrick site and converted to (huge) PNG format about six years ago. https://www.tumblr.com/paperbrick I just found them on my hard drive. I have just converted them to JPEG format to reduce their footprint and have put them in my Google cloud space via a Tumblr link. The files are 3508 by 2480 pixels. They were released with permission to, 'Use this file for any use'. The files were downloaded at 1:76 scale but are very large and could be cropped to reduce their physical size and used for any scale. I have no connection with the original PaperBrick site.

 

I know I have more brick files and will add more links to the Tumblr site when I find them and will post a message here when I upload them. At the moment I an extraordinarily busy with family commitments and am spending more time at my parents than I am at home, so don't expect updates very soon. (I have just taken delivery of some TT:120 track and have only had a chance to have a quick look at it). My Google cloud subscription expires in October 2023, when I will consider whether to renew it, so if you want any files download them ASAP. I will post a note here when I add more editable brick paper. If you don't know how to print, convert, resize or crop files please ask a friend. I am too busy to help with technical support, and in any case I am using a very old (beta 5 version) Paintshop pro and Faststone for file manipulation.

 

PS I've just had a look at my Tumblr site and discovered I made a start on uploading some PaperBrick (non-editable) PDF files in 2021 to my (free) Microsoft cloud, which I'll leave in place. I will be converting these to JPG format when I get some free time at home. I now know where I put my pdf brick paper!
 

[Kylestrome]

1 hour ago, MartinRS said:

Here is a link to a couple of files I downloaded from the original PaperBrick site

 

Well done and many thanks for doing this. The PaperBrick website is a sorely missed resource and was the only place I know of that could produce truely random brick textures without the usual step-and-repeat patterns.

 

David

[Vistisen]

This club site has a brick paper generator http://www.bwwmrc.co.uk/bricks/index.shtml . While it is not quite as good as the paperbrick website. (which went offline just after I sent them a paypal contribution :-)), is still better than the stuff I can produce i Corel draw

Edited February 5, 2023 by Vistisen

[MartinRS]

On 22/01/2023 at 23:12, spsmiler said:

Do any of the traders who sell 'print at home' brick papers include an option to edit the brick paper?

 

What I would like to do is add designs in the brick papers eg: a plain red brick wall that allows me to edit individual bricks so as to create a diamond pattern in yellow bricks

 

Even better .., the brick paper includes a range of editable preset patterns so as to add circles, squares, BR double arrow symbol, even a train(!) in bricks of another colour!

 

Thanks

 

Simon

I have managed to grab a few hours each day as I've been running around between home, my parents' and a local hospital. Here are more uploads of brick textures https://paperbrick.tumblr.com/

[spsmiler]

Thank you ... there is lots there!

 

As an aside, do any of them include herringbone style of brickwork?

 

 

[MartinRS]

25 minutes ago, spsmiler said:

Thank you ... there is lots there!

 

As an aside, do any of them include herringbone style of brickwork?

 

 

No, not at the moment. I do intend to create some custom brick paper at some time in the future. It will be some time before I get round to producing herring bone. I'll post a note here when I do.

[MartinRS]

18 hours ago, spsmiler said:

Thank you ... there is lots there!

 

As an aside, do any of them include herringbone style of brickwork?

 

 

I did a search for herringbone textures and found these pages, https://www.swtexture.com/2013/05/concrete-pavers.html and https://www.swtexture.com/2018/07/more-concrete-pavers-1.html which offer modern looking herringbone patterns. Is that what you want or are you looking for an older style of herringbone with the thin bricks? Another interesting page on the swtexture site is this one, https://www.swtexture.com/search/label/Natural Stone Tiles?&max-results=2, which has some stonework. All of the swtexture images at the above links are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Edited February 22, 2023 by MartinRS
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