1:35 Shop Front Signs A

Shop Front Signs A 1:35 (Matho Models)

Decals intended for shop fronts in a 1:35 scale diorama. Set A is the basic part of a series that Matho Models is gradually extending with further letters. It is not a kit of a building but graphics that turn a finished house into a specific business with a name and a trade of its own.

The street frontage and the rhythm of a facade

The ground floor of an apartment building is the most exposed place in a diorama. The viewer usually looks from the level of the sidewalk, so the shop window and the sign above it take up more of the field of view than the whole upper floor. The sign above the entrance does three things at once: it names the business, it adds a splash of color to otherwise monotonous plaster and it establishes the scale, because from the height of the lettering the viewer immediately judges the size of the door beneath it. Set A suits especially where a single house stands and you need one strong, clearly readable sign.

Working with a sign

The most common mistake is a sign placed too high. The bottom edge of the lettering should sit just above the lintel of the shop window, not below the cornice of the floor above. Go over the base under the decal with a gloss coat, seat the decal and matte it once dry so that the sheen blends with the surrounding plaster. If the sign is to resemble a sheet-metal or wooden board, suggest a thin shadow around its edge, which sets it off optically from the wall. A little dirt where the lettering meets the plaster will do the rest.

Who the set is for

• Builders of urban dioramas in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who need to give one house a specific identity
• Those who want to extend a series of signs gradually
• Modelers with basic experience of applying decals

An accessory for building dioramas, not a kit. The building, clear coat and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.