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Re: [CBQ] repainting and lettering

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] repainting and lettering
From: Stan Maddox <stan.maddox@burlingtongulf.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 22:17:12 -0500
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If you simply want to match the existing lettering, you are in  
excellent shape. Where is your museum?

Stan

On Apr 30, 2006, at 6:47 PM, VERLIN WHITE wrote:

> Hello,
>   All the info is still on the car, just faded out from time.
>   The car is BN #11386 /GN # X-300 Blt.06/53.
>   Some pics of the center marker lamp are in a folder in the photos  
> of the CB&Q List.
>   Thanks for the info.
>
> Stan Maddox <stan.maddox@burlingtongulf.com> wrote:
>   Hello,
>
> I worked as a graphic artist in a sign shop for a number of years, so
> I hope this info will be helpful. Before you start cutting vinyl, you
> will want to confirm a few things first. (Please bear with me if I'm
> telling you a few things that you already know.)
>
> Step One: Confirm the identity of your car. If there is still a road
> number or other identifying marks on the car, you might consider
> sharing that information here on this list. I'm sure many folks would
> be able to provide you with helpful information. You will need this
> information for the second step.
>
> Step Two: Determine the date that you want to replicate. Most
> equipment will undergo numerous cosmetic changes during the useful
> life of the car. Some changes are major, some are minor. Details
> really do matter. Set a target date and confirm everything, including
> lube plate info. Again, the folks on an appropriate e-mail list can
> be a great resource to assist you.
>
> Step Three: Forget stock typography, work from prototype documents
> instead. There are a number of things that you need to watch out for.
> The first thing is typography. It is very, very important to work
> from actual railroad photos, documents and drawings. Most historic
> railroad equipment was originally lettered either with stencils, or
> hand-lettered. The subtle variations are too numerous to document.
> For example, I've lost count of the number of different serif type
> faces that claim to be "Railroad Roman". Worse, I've often seen well-
> meaning persons on e-mail lists tell someone to "just use Arial" to
> replicate a sans-serif type, simply because the person has it on
> their computer. Bad, bad advice.
>
> This is especially true for BN. I've seen a few "custom" BN decal
> sheets at train shows that are all wrong for this very reason. Near
> as I can tell, BN used a modified type font. To the untrained eye it
> may look like Helvetica or Arial, but it is NOT. I know this for a
> fact, I've already been down the road of trying to match it to stock
> fonts, generating overlays, comparing kerning and line weights and
> all sorts of technical stuff, blah-blah. BN lettering is NOT
> Helvetica and it is NOT Arial and it is NOT Berthold Akzidenz, period.
>
> Commissioning a custom font is actually not an uncommon move for
> major corporations. Legally, they have to pay royalties for using a
> commercial font such as Helvetica. This gets very expensive (which is
> why, for example, that Caterpillar dropped the use of Helvetica in
> all their corporate communications in early 2005). Instead,
> corporations will often go with a split strategy, utilizing a similar-
> looking "free" font for everyday internal use, and paying a font
> foundry to custom design a font specifically for their external
> branding needs. The corporation retains the rights, reduces their
> costs and incorporates the custom font into their corporate branding
> strategy.
>
> I can not overemphasize the importance of working directly from
> prototype documentation. I have lost count of the number of
> incorrectly lettered pieces of equipment that I've seen in railroad
> museums across the country. Folks simply don't know what they don't
> know. They go to a sign shop, and the proprietor talks them into
> using one of their stock typefaces because the sign guy doesn't know
> trains from beans and he just wants to get the job out the door.
> Talking you into using something that is "close enough" makes his day
> easier, and it is much quicker than generating art from scratch. The
> purchaser doesn't understand typography and they don't know what to
> look for, so they just choose something that "looks right". You end
> up with a paint job that is simply wrong. Worse, shop artists will
> often stretch and distort type slightly in order to fill a given
> area. I've seen more than one logo shrunk slightly in order to fit
> the thing onto one piece of vinyl. What a waste.
>
> Step Four: Find a source for the artwork. You need someone who knows
> signage, graphic arts and railroading. I may be able to help here,
> I've done this stuff for many years. As long as this is for a non-
> profit organization, I won't charge you a dime. Contact me off list
> if you're interested.
>
> Regardless of the artist you choose, they need to know how to
> generate vector artwork on a computer and they need to know vinyl.
> The first question that the artist asks of you should be "Are you
> using the vinyl for lettering, or a paint mask?" If they don't ask
> this question, they don't know what they don't know. Keep your wallet
> in your pocket and keep looking.
>
> Step Five: Generate the artwork. Pay careful attention to items that
> may have been stenciled rather than vinyl cut. Allow for appropriate
> overlap on graphics that have to be pieced together. Wherever
> possible, track down the guys who did this on the prototype for a
> living. They might be able to tell you who their vendor was. With any
> luck, the vendor might still have their artwork on file, saving you
> tons of research time and hassle.
>
> The vendor should also be able to provide material specs, a very
> important consideration. When selecting vinyl, there are all sorts of
> mil thicknesses, chemical resistance and UV ratings. The degree of
> gloss can also vary widely. The brand and quality of the vinyl will
> make a huge difference in the look of the finished product. 3M
> products have a different sheen than their competitors, for example.
> Again, try to replicate what the railroad did.
>
> Step Six: Take your artwork to a LARGE sign shop. You need a place
> capable of handling large format signage. A mom and pop garage shop
> with a 14" tractor-wheel plotter won't work. Too much piecing
> together, too much room for error.
>
> They will put your artwork on their computer, align it to the width
> of their vinyl stock, ensure appropriate overlaps where necessary,
> and start cutting. Once the vinyl is cut, the will weed out the
> unwanted areas. They will then apply an adhesive carrier sheet over
> the vinyl. This sheet is called Transfer Paper. There are two types
> of transfer paper, stuff that looks like masking tape, and frosted
> clear plastic that looks like translucent shelf paper. Request the
> clear plastic, it's worth every dime. It is more durable, and it is
> much easier to see your alignment marks as you do the install. And
> like frosted Scotch tape, it is much easier to see where the vinyl
> has become attached.
>
> As for installation, that is a different matter that goes beyond the
> scope of this list. Again, feel free to contact me off list with your
> questions. Good luck with your project.
>
> Best regards,
> Stan
>
>
>
> On Apr 29, 2006, at 8:26 PM, Verlin White wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> I work at a railroad museum and we want to repaint a BN/GN waycar.
>> What I need is some info. about any company that makes logos and
>> numbers sets.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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>
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