Huge back drop printing.....

[unittraincoal]

So far the largest printer I have been able to find prints 156" on photo quality paper.... I would like to print about 300" to remain seem less...

I have already test printed a 9 foot section and like the printed sky much better, than the painted sky and cutting out the landforms. I know most people are using this technique, but I really like the real sky and clouds better if I can find a printer........

[Chris333]

Did you ask Trackside Scenery how wide their printer is?

[unittraincoal]

I need about 40"x300" the 40" could be a little higher or lower, not quite as important as the length. 

I will contact trackside... I was going to try to find a commercial photo printer first....

[peteski]

Um, are you talking 156" (and 300") width or length? I suspect that you mean length.  That must get pretty pricey for such a long image.  How large is the image file and what is the dpi value?  Are we taking Gb?

Just a word of warning about long continuous ink jet prtined images:  I live in New England where it gets humid in the summer.  Several years ago I had a standard size poster (24 x 36 inch) printed on one of the HP wide-format ink jet printers on glossy paper.  I then had it framed by one of those framing stores. Aluminum frame with glass on the front. The poster was laminated to a foam-core board using spray-adhesive and put in the frame. After couple of seasons the ink jet paper started wrinkling badly as it was detaching from the foam-core.  I tried to flatten it but I was never able to get it perfectly flat (like it was originally).  So my warning is that large areas of ink jet paper are affected by humidity.  I assume that the paper expands when exposed to humid summer air.  You might want to consider that when fastening the backdrop to the wall.

[Chris333]

Plus how do you mount a 25' backdrop 

[unittraincoal]

It will be in a temperate controlled basement in Colorado... It is dry( very dry) year round.  About 14' will only have about 1 foot of sky exposed and that section will be cut down accordingly.  Only about 11 feet will be the full 40" when mounted. Basically it will be 11'x40" with a 14'x12" tail after its cut down.... The main thing I want to do is keep the sky seem less.  People seem to be comming up with different ideas on how to mount these big back drop, I have a couple ideas (kind of hard to describe here though) . I could also print it on wallpaper, but haven't seen a great printer of this yet....

[unittraincoal]

Vinyl is an option but not sure how well it holds up over time....

[unittraincoal]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] This is a 100" x 40" test print temporarily hung on wall to get size correct, etc...

[unittraincoal]

The backdrop is this scene (Kindig Curve) on Tennessee Pass... The other side of Peninsula will be the Mitchell Curves....

[seusscaboose]

Ask William at trainjunkies.com what he uses

It might be commercial though

[basementcalling]

Why no cork or foam roadbed under your tracks?

[unittraincoal]

The track is not laid yet.. just taped in place At This one spot to get perspective correct...

[unittraincoal]

Ask William at trainjunkies.com what he uses

It might be commercial though

96" is as big as they go....

[seusscaboose]

Jeez
300 feet of backdrop is impressive

I thought my 86" run was long!

[Joetrain59]

Peteski, spray mount adhesive likely affected the print. That stuff usually isn't archival. For framed prints. I use a matte that I just tape the corners of print to. I used Twin-Tak for non-framed prints on Fomecor.
 UTC, you'll need lot's of hands to help mount a print that big.
 Joe D