These signs can be printed using your browser's print features or a graphics program.  After printing, they can be attached to cardstock or sheet styrene for inexpensive road signs.



The signs above are approximately O scale, but they can be reduced or enlarged with a graphics program like MS Paint, which is usually on all Windows systems.  Right click on the image above, save it, then open it in Paint.  When in Paint, click on "image," then "stretch/skew," then alter both the vertical and horizontal percentages to resize (under stretch).  For example, 200% would double the size, 50% would reduce it by half.  (Printing from MS Paint may be preferred to printing from within a browser.)  Remember to leave a little white border around the stop sign when cutting the graphic from the paper.  Double sided tape works well to secure the paper graphic to the backing material.  Some glues will cause paper to pucker.

The base is only an inch in diameter, and the pole about 1 and 3/4 inches long for about O scale.  The base can be omitted and the pole inserted directly into a small hole on the layout.  Styrene tubular pieces can be used instead of wooden toothpicks, skewers, or 1/8 inch dowels.  MS Paint and other graphics programs can be used to make all sorts of signs.  When making your own signs, it is best to draw them about 4 times larger than their finished size, then reduce them.  A clear matte or semi-gloss spray varnish will help protect the common paper, but test the varnish first to see if it causes the printer's ink to run or paper to pucker.

This is an example of how a scrap of cardstock and common toothpick can make a sign.  It may be helpful to make a hole in the base to accept the toothpick for gluing.  It would be best to paint the pole and base before attaching the graphic, unlike this example.

This sign was made in MS Paint using the Antigoni (Western) font, size 36 for the letters, and size 48 for the numbers.  The frame was drawn first, then the corners were erased and redrawn (freehand) as curves.

[back to the "On The Cheap" page]

[back to main page]