1:24/1:32/1:35 illuminated signs

Illuminated signs — printed illuminated signs for a diorama (ETA diorama)

The sheet is a paper accessory with printed illuminated signs, hoardings and advertisements. According to the name it is prepared for 1:24, 1:32 and 1:35 scale, so it suits an automotive scene, a city street and vehicles alike. It is not a kit or a waterslide decal — you get a printed sheet from which you cut the motifs out and fit them to a carrier of your own. In a scene they usually end up above the entrance of a shop, on a facade or on a stand by the road.

Backlighting and translucency

This type of motif has one option more than an ordinary sign: the paper is translucent, so it can be lit from behind. A small diode is put behind the motif, and between it and the paper a layer of milky plastic or ordinary tracing paper is placed to diffuse the light — without diffusion the diode shows through as a bright spot. Make the frame of the sign from thin plastic profile, so that light does not escape at the sides. If you do not want backlighting, it is enough to back the motif with white plastic and lighten it slightly with a light overspray of thinned white.

Fitting and weathering

Trim the signs with a sharp knife along a rule and blacken the edges with a marker. Above an entrance they are fitted on a pair of thin wire brackets, and on a facade flat with a thin layer of PVA glue. The aging is managed by a light wash on the bottom edge, where dust collects, and traces of runs under the fixings. Matte clear coat from a spray will level the sheen of the print, but on lit signs choose it sparingly, so that the light does not lose its brightness.

Who the sheet is for

• Builders of urban dioramas and scenes with shops
• Modelers who want to try backlighting in a scene
• Modelers building in 1:24, 1:32 and 1:35 scale
• Figure painters looking for a striking element for the second plane

It is a printed paper accessory for a diorama. Diodes, wiring, glue and paints are not included in the package.