Starship USS Hood

[sgoti]

There is a way, by converting text to curves, that this can be done in Inkscape.

(I had actually started a tutorial with screenshots for this very process, but real life has gotten in the way again.)

OTOH, since so many prefer to work in bitmap graphics, perhaps a GIMP/Photoshop/whatever tutorial might be better (and a little faster).

Again, we'll have to see what time real life will give me.

[sgoti]

Ok, in GIMP:

1) Open the model page you are adding the lettering to.

2) Create a new, empty layer above the layer containing the model artwork.

3) USING THE NCCINLINE FONT, select the text tool, set the color to red, and add your lettering.

4) In the layers panel, select the layer containing your lettering.

5) Under "Layer" in the menu bar, select "Merge Down". This will merge your text with the empty layer below it.

Once you do this, your text will no longer be editable with the text tool, as it is now just a bitmap image (of text).

6) Using the wand selection tool, select the non-outline areas of each letter (in other words, select the areas that need to be black).

7) Fill the selected areas with black.

8) You're done!

<edit> I should add that when I opened the model sheet in GIMP, it gave me the option of setting the DPI.

Default was 100, so I changed it to 300. (Higher DPI is your friend when using the method I described above)

Once everything is complete, you can always change the DPI back to the original value.

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by Revell-Fan

I would do this:

1. Write the text, add a red outline.
2. Duplicate the text, add a white outline.
3. Adjust the size of the white outline so that it is slightly smaller than the red outline.
4. Add another copy of the text without the outline on top.

Yep!

Pretty much like I described here: http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/707527-post81.html

[Cheesy Wotsit]

Originally Posted by Revell-Fan

I would do this:

1. Write the text, add a red outline.
2. Duplicate the text, add a white outline.
3. Adjust the size of the white outline so that it is slightly smaller than the red outline.
4. Add another copy of the text without the outline on top.

Corel may have a function to do create an offsetted outline, but I'm not sure.

If you use a bitmap program like Gimp you could
1. write the text
2. use the select colour tool and click in a black area
3. grow the selection by a bit
4. stroke the selection with a red colour

You could also treat the letters separately, make a red (larger version), then a smaller white version on top and last a black version in an even smaller size.

I am a total and utter idiot, my excuse is I must have been tired when I looked at this last night.


The NCC font treats the outer edge as a 'stroke' and the inner letters as 'fill'. Setting the colours takes less than a second..

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Wotsit

I am a total and utter idiot, my excuse is I must have been tired when I looked at this last night.


The NCC font treats the outer edge as a 'stroke' and the inner letters as 'fill'. Setting the colours takes less than a second..

Um... Not quite. That's not how font paths work.

While you can have a black fill and red stroke, you will end up with a black letter with red-black-red outlines.

[sgoti]

Black fill, red stroke:

[sgoti]

Here is the method Revell-Fan described:

(Font is "Microgramma D Extended)

Top layer: Black fill, no stroke.
Middle layer: Black fill, white stroke, medium width.
Bottom layer: Black fill, red stroke, heavy width.

Note: The fill color for the middle and bottom layers does not matter, as the top layer's fill color determines how the letters' fill will look.

This method works great for all-white models. If trying to apply to models that have panel shading (like the "Aztec" pattern on the saucer), the white middle stroke will definitely be visible.

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Wotsit

The only other places I can find name decals are the underside of the saucer section and at the rear of each of the nacelles.

Don't forget the fantail below the shuttle deck, and on the secondary hull between the stripes.

[sgoti]

Don't know how screen-accurate they are, but some beautiful renderings here (which just happen to support my comments):

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/oOzG9O

[Revell-Fan]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Wotsit

I am a total and utter idiot, my excuse is I must have been tired when I looked at this last night.


The NCC font treats the outer edge as a 'stroke' and the inner letters as 'fill'. Setting the colours takes less than a second..

Great to hear that it worked!