I’m just starting up modeling again, and have never made my own display stands. My plan is to use craft store wood stands, but I’m wondering how best to label them. My budget is pretty tight at this point, but any suggestion, even expensive ones, is welcome. Mainly though, I’m wondering how I can get a label printed from my computer to look good and seemless on such a wooden base.
One additional note: Right now I’m doing ships, but I have my eye on some aircraft kits down the line. So any help you can give me on making realistic parking ramp bases would also be welcome.
One inexpensive way is to cut out a label plate from a piece of styrene sheet, and then look at your decal sheet. Most decal sheet has the plane’s # and name printed on them as an id, not as decals. But can actualy be cut and decaled onto the plate you cut out previously.
Avery produces a lot of craft supplies, including 8 1/2 x 11 stickers that can be run through an inkjet printer, and then cut down to size. I only see white listed on their website, but would be surprised if they (or somebody else) didn’t produce a clear.
One other idea may be to accentuate/clean up the border rather than try to hide it. For example, you could find a picture frame the size of whatever sign you made (say one to hold a wallet-size print) and use that to hide the edges.
Some people get the placards made up at trophy shops… may cost a bit more, but most I’ve seen look good and there are certain affects that are otherwise difficult to create.