1/48 to 1/24

[okiestarman]

at wits end. At 63 with shaking hands 1/48 parts are just getting too small. Dilemma -- at 1/48 one page fits on A4 no problem, at 1/24 one-page fits on A2, A3 is too tight. After 15 calls to print shops A2 is too big for their machines, and to have them use their Blueprint machines I think the paper must be GOLD plated. I have discovered that if I can break the PDF page into 3 or 4 8.5 x 17 sheets it will work, but I need some kind of software or freeware to do it. Any thoughts -- a 1/24 Aquarius would like nice.

Jerry

[Vermin_King]

You can use Gimp for free to enlarge parts and re-arrange pages

[richkat]

Yep what VK said...get GIMP (it's free) and with a little work it can be done. Just Google "GIMP" .....Rich

[kingjason14]

Exactly what they said, GIMP. That's how I rescale from 1:32 to 1:18. There is a learning curve, but google "Gimp" and whatever you want to do and there should be a tutorial.

[airdave]

whats the model?
if we knew that, there might be other options...or it might have already been enlarged by someone.

you have two immediate options...

1. enlarge the page to print on a bigger sheet, which is not a problem if:
a. the right size sheet of paper/cardstock is available
and b. you have access to a larger format printer.

2. As the guys have already indicated, edit the page/file itself by using a graphics program
to enlarge the scale of the parts (or the entire page obviously)
and then physically separate the parts and move them around
to create new pages that can be printed on A4/A3 sheets.

The problems with the second option are:
acquiring, installing and learning how to use a graphics software (like Gimp - which is free)
and enlarging parts that might already be too large.
In other words, after you upscale parts, they still might not fit onto the pages you want to use,
and you still might require larger format printing.
*you might have to break up parts into smaller components to have them fit.

[Leif Ohlsson]

Since you're six years my junior, I can appreciate your appetite for larger scales. Could I just put in a word for going all the way to 1/16 scale? That's what I've been doing most of the time since coming to paper modeling more than ten years ago, and I really like it.

Paper sizes are a problem if you don't appreciate learning new software. In the downloads section, I have posted a couple of models by others, rescaled and recolored by me to 1/16 scale, and most of them fiddled with to suit both A4 & Letter paper sizes, i.e. ordinary inkjet printers and paper sizes, both US and European.

You may also take a chance with the few 1/16 scale remakes I have at Ecardmodels. They, too, are for universal A4/Letter paper size. See the signature below for links to both kinds of models. (You can safely disregard the 1/87 models , the 1/16 models come a bit later...) If any of them appeals to you at a first glance, search for threads on them here at the forum. They are all described in detail here.

Kind regards, Leif

[kcorbin]

Originally Posted by okiestarman

at wits end. At 63 with shaking hands 1/48 parts are just getting too small. Dilemma -- at 1/48 one page fits on A4 no problem, at 1/24 one-page fits on A2, A3 is too tight. After 15 calls to print shops A2 is too big for their machines, and to have them use their Blueprint machines I think the paper must be GOLD plated. I have discovered that if I can break the PDF page into 3 or 4 8.5 x 17 sheets it will work, but I need some kind of software or freeware to do it. Any thoughts -- a 1/24 Aquarius would like nice.

Jerry

You can use most any graphics program. Open the original file in this case your pdf and immediately do a file "save as" giving it a new name. That will keep your original file intact without any changes. Now do your percentage of increase change and save again. Open another new file and make it the blank page the size of the sheet you want to print to. Block select around the parts from the enlarged version and hit copy. Then paste those parts onto the new blank sheet file. Keep opening new files and selecting new areas of parts as required for the additional pages you paste into. Save each new file you have opened with an appropriate name and tag onto the end of the file name an indication reference to what it is 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c etc. Save them to a new folder so all those new sheets stay grouped together. Or if you have the software for it turn it into a single pdf with multiple sheets.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by kcorbin

You can use most any graphics program. ...

Kind of depends on how the PDF imports into the program you are using.

Some graphic programs will not allow you to "open" a PDF but will require importing a PDF into an open workspace.
If the PDF is editing protected, some graphics programs will not be able to open it properly.

If the file is vector based and retains its vector format, all objects will need
to be ungrouped, so that you can "select" groups of parts to move them.
If the artwork is rasterized (bitmap), then you will need to mask select and "cut"
sections out the image, to be saved as new individual images.
if the file is a combination of vector and raster elements, you may need to rasterize
the entire page first and deal with it as a bitmap.
If the file has "layers", you will also need to rasterize.
Unless it is vector layers, in which case you can ungroup elements of each layer, eventually
ungrouping all objects and then isolating and grouping "parts" to move them.

GIMP is defintely a good option since it ignores editing restrictions found in some PDF files
but doesn't always open a PDF file with all its elements and attributes intact.
Regardless, if you rasterize the page once you import it, you can then deal with it
as a bitmap...cutting out parts and moving them as individual bitmap images.
You will lose some resolution quality, but its the quickest option.

[okiestarman]

I want to thank you all for the info, the model is from the master -- uhu02, Apollo 13 LM -7 Aquarius. I have been working with Gimp for two days now and have decided I had better quit. Being Bipolar and ADHD frustration is not a good thing for me. It will probably be cheaper for me to pay $265 for the 20 pages in A2 in the long run -- my printer and I had a disagreement today -- it lost badly. Thanks guys

Jerry

[kingjason14]

Sorry for your frustration. I do hope to see your build. This is one that I have been thinking about, but I want to rescale to 1:18, so your 1:24 build is very interesting to me!