I have been experimenting with commercial backdrops on my n scale layout. So far I have found the mountain scenes to make the most sense. However, I don't like the glare that they give off. Is there something I can spray on to it without warping the picture to get rid of the glare?
I don't use photo backdrops, but I am planning on using photos of billboards and signs that I print using an inkjet printer. I recently went to Michael's Crafts and purchased a spray can of sealer designed to seal photos printed on inkjet printers so they don't smear when they are handled. It is supposed to have a flat sheen, although I can't say for sure since I have not yet used it. I would love to give more details, but it seems to have vanished in the black hole known as the layout room. Jamie
Gorgeous picture but- maybe it's just my flatlander prejudice- I have a hard time imagining that mountain scene with a grain growing region. Yeah- purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain-- but that's a little flat space between the grain on the plain and the distance peaks. However, you may know more about the area you are modeling. As I said, that is just my prejudice.
The clear sealer sounds great. Of course handling with gloves would be inportant because of nasty finger marks, no matter how careful you seem to have been you, a photo, or someone else might find a minute smudge. If they are a good sport they won't let you know about it but once you have noticed the spot hopefully it won't bug you. Then you live with it or redo it and hopefully you won't make the same mistake again.
I am modeling the CSX line through the mountains of north Georgia and south central Tennessee. There are at least two feed mills that I will be modeling that look very similar to what is shown in the original post, and the mountains around them are much larger than what is shown in the photo backdrop. Very prototypical. Jamie
Krylon makes a Matte spray for artists. Might want to give it a try. It's sort of like Dullcoat for prints.
I have not used this on commerical backdrops and am only giving food for thought. There are permanent and temporary fixatives on the market that come in a matte finish. I have used them both on decal sheets to make sure the ink stays where the ink is supposed to stay. Grumbacher permanent fixative will absolutely dull down what it is sprayed onto. I would suggest that with whatever you try, you try a small area that is going to be hidden by layout work and see what happens to the paper.
Commercial backdrops can be improved by layering them and adding a little three dimensionality to them.
OT His backdrop immediately struck me as similar to the scenery west of Bozeman, Montana. While the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains are largely rangeland used for grazing ("pasture" for you Gulf Coast city slickers), amber waves of grain dominate the landscape east of the Rockies from Arizona to Alberta, Canada. http://www.tourdebozeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bozeman400x300.jpg http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/montana/images/s/bozeman-hotels.jpg http://www.litpark.com/images/geo/2007/bozeman.jpg http://www.movie-trains.com/Resources/BozemanPass1a.jpg http://www.barraclou.com/memorial/elevator/bozeman_mt.jpg
Matte spray seems to work pretty well to seal the photos and to reduce some of the glare. It starts getting pricey to print them in matte. Its all about how much you wanna spend really.
