I use a lot of paper signs on my models. I find images I like, usually by searching the internet, and download them to my computer. I scale them to the size I want using a photo editing program. I like the simple one included in Microsoft Office the best for simple sizing and color adjustments. I print the image on plain inkjet paper.

I place the image face down on a piece of flat Plexiglas and thoroughly soak it with isopropyl alcohol. I sand the back of the wet paper with a sanding block until it is tissue-thin. The sanding block is the sponge material type used to smooth drywall. It is important to keep the image wet while sanding to keep it perfectly flat on the Plexiglas. If it begins to dry out and lift, simply brush on additional isopropyl alcohol.

Some of the images are used to represent painted-on exterior signs. To create this effect, I drape the wet image over the stone or wood surface and press it in with a stiff-bristled brush to mark the outlines of the individual stones or boards on the image. I remove the image from the wall and carefully cut it into individual pieces to fit on each stone or board.

I apply matte medium to the wall and position the pieces of the image. Matte medium is an artist’s acrylic medium. It is readily available at art supply and hobby stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, etc.)

I use a soft brush to work the image into the surface and coat it with more matte medium. The matte medium goes on milky-white, but is transparent when dry. After the entire image is positioned and thoroughly dry I spray the entire wall with clear flat to seal the image permanently.

For the images that represent paper posters or metal signs, I use matte medium to attach the image directly to the wall without molding it into the wall texture. When dry, I spray the image with clear flat.

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Why not use clear decal paper for inkjet ?

Just remember to seal them well with clear lacquer before putting them in water.

Inkjet ink is water soluble. A couple of thin coats of clear lacquer works for me.

For you, no more stripping off the paper layer.

Bill

Sure beats hand painting them on. But then I would have to get a colour printer. Just last summer I graduated from a dot matrix printer to a laser printer.

Bill,

I appreciate the tip on using decal paper. I have made a few decals that way, but I prefer the paper method especially for extremely rough surfaces. Also, my inkjet printer does not print white. Here is how the paper sign looks like when applied to a stone surface.

There is also white decal paper - -It is not as opaque as paper so it looks a little faded unless you apply a double layer decal.I don’t recommend this for the faint of heart or those easily frustrated by failure.

Bill

That looks really good Bob.

Removed duplicate Post

Hiccups John?

That is the best lettering I have seen on rough surfaces.

Even better than airbrushing stencils ( they cant lay flat and have fuzzy edges)

Going to try this for some of my lettering jobs.

Bill

How do those hold up outdoors? Any problems with them fading?

I’ve sprayed signs with UV-Resistant, UV Stabilized, UV Protected sprays and they still fade, no matter how many coats I give them.

Bob, the Burma shave sign looks great, just like it was painted on. I just started using “waterproof labels” with a laser printer. A fellow modeler gave me that tip and said they hold up for years outside. I stuck the labels on styrene, then I sprayed them with Krylon clear, and I’m not in direct sun, so we’ll see about fading.

Bob- Great idea. Thanks for sharing the technique.

-Kevin.

Ken,

Bottom line – no matter what printer companies will say – is that all inkjet images will fade over time. While laser color images are definitely more fade resistant, the images do not have the excellent detail available from the ink jet printers. Dye based inks (used by most ink jet printers) generally do not have very good lightfastness – that is, they are more subject to fading. Pigment based inks generally have good to excellent lightfastness, meaning that they are much more resistant to fading. All that marketing hype goes out the window – pun intended – when the printed image goes on a model displayed outside.

All printer ink will fade over time if exposed to the elements. Light, humidity, even air – all of these can fade prints. One of the simplest reasons that prints fade is that they are not allowed to dry completely; it can take up to 12 hours for inkjet prints to dry, so don’t rush the process.

The ink in most printer ink cartridges can be broken down by ultraviolet rays. Likewise, high humidity can spawn the growth of microbes that will break down the colors in prints. Contaminants in the air such as ozone can do the same. The general thinking about fade is that there are two different mechanisms going on. They are generally known as “light fading” and “dark fading.” Light fading is where the dye (or whatever colorant) is damaged by the light itself, dark fading is where some ongoing chemical degradation continues on its own.

I embed my printed paper images in matte medium, which hardens into an acrylic plastic shell. This shell not only covers the top and bottom surfaces, it permeates into the paper fibers to turn the paper image into a plastic image. This helps to slow down the “dark fading” caused by humidity and chemical pollutants. I clear coat the image with a UV resistant clear coat. This helps to slow down the UV deterioration.

But it will still fade. It might take a year or two, perhaps even longer depending on how much direct sunlight hits the image, but – ultimately – it will fade. I don’t consider this a bad thing. In fact, I really like the ghost images of old painted signs on buildings. When it fades enough, I’ll just “paint” another image over it to get a “ghost sign” effect something like this:

Thanks Bob, good explanation.

Now I don’t feel so bad…

One last tip … you can make your own ghost signs by layering different images on top of one another and setting them to various transparencies to simulate many years of weathering and over-painting. Here is an example:

I made this image using Microsoft Powerpoint. I drew two rectangles and filled them with photo images. I set the transparency of the Coca-Cola image underneath to 50% and the transparency of the Bull Durham image on top to 25%.

You can overlay as many images as you want and vary the transparency of each of them independently. They can be different sizes and shapes. It’s fun to play around with and see all of the different effects you can create.

If you (or your significant other) has a Cricut machine, you can combine decals and cut out letters like our SVGRS contribution caboose. The club logo is a decal made by printing on white decal paper (with another sheet of white decal paper beneath) , while the “SVGRS” are individual letters cut out of decal paper