Micro-Trains has a new (but not better) method for decorating billboard reefers

[up1950s]

I didn't notice because I just stored it without opening the box . Would I have opened the box I am not sure if I would have noticed or not . I know when I do look I get it close enough to smell . Now , thanks to Pete and his well explained photo essay , we are all informed . The rest I need not repeat , and with any luck MTL won't , except for special circumstances , repeat either .

[eja]

Now we all know why "collectors" never open the box !   

[peteski]

Now we all know why "collectors" never open the box !   

LOL!  Even with the car still in the box, it looked odd to me. 

[up1950s]

Some info on Paint Jet Printing

http://paint.abstractdynamics.org/

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Good one LOL

Regards

Al

[Sokramiketes]

I can understand MTL trying this, due to the nightmare of printing those tiny blue and white triangles and keeping them in register.  But I can't think of any other billboard schemes that have a specific detail as intricate as this.  So I'm guessing this is the rare exception rather than the new order of things regarding deco printing. 

With one background color and one pad printed color, what is there to keep in registration?

[bbussey]

The triangles across the middle of the car.  A large tamp of the blue or white over the side relief of the model isn't practical ... meaning both colors would have to be masked with a perfect hotizontal mask separation line, and the blue and white triangles tamped over that.  Definitely a high-reject-rate scenario that would push the price into the stratosphere.

[peteski]

The triangles across the middle of the car.  A large tamp of the blue or white over the side relief of the model isn't practical ... meaning both colors would have to be masked with a perfect hotizontal mask separation line, and the blue and white triangles tamped over that.  Definitely a high-reject-rate scenario that would push the price into the stratosphere.

I would have approached this a bit differently (no, I'm not expert but I have seen many different decorating methods used by manufacturers, which use a combination of techniques).  I would have spray painted the top of the side white and the bottom blue. The blue would end slightly below the triangle area.  Then I would have pad printed (using blue ink blended to the same color as the sprayed paint) the triangle area which would also have a little more solid blue on the bottom, to overlap the blue paint.  That way the registration would not be a big problem.  I also realize that is is difficult to match glossiness and shade between spray paint and pad printing ink but I think it would be doable.  Then pad print all the white lettering on the blue area and all the red on the white area.  One thing which could be hard to do is the red line right against the overhanging roof.  Oh well...  Maybe ink jet printing all the colors is the optimal solutions. 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

You know its funny. I saw Richie's photos of the car and saw NOTHING wrong. Then I remembered to put on my glasses and started seeing the horizontal lines in the two largest maccro shots. I often forget just how much I miss when not wearing glasses.

What I like is that the car literally has to be blown up to about 1/2 my 20" screen before the rastering becomes visible. Unless you plan on a multi-page spread in Model Railroader, this simply isn't going to be a problem.

Does this mean we will see ACI labels on ann apropriate cars going forward?

[Nato]

            In the closeup it really looks like the carside is made of embroidered cloth. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[JoeD]

ACI Labels are a real possiblity...   

[Kiasutha]

           In the closeup it really looks like the carside is made of embroidered cloth. Nate Goodman (Nato).

Or covered in "zimmerit" anti-magnetic mine paste.
But if you have to blow it up that much to see it...

[JoeD]

Hey...what a cool idea....  Zimmerit covered Conrail Boxcars 

Joe

Or covered in "zimmerit" anti-magnetic mine paste.
But if you have to blow it up that much to see it...

[pnolan48]

I enjoyed this thread because it taught me things I didn't know before. Pete's original post wasn't at all a bash to my reading, but just fascinating.

[Bob Bufkin]

As I do some military modeling at least I know what Zimmeri is and the more i look at the car, the more it looks like it.  Wonder it that method would work on WWII Germany tanks?