On 20/04/2021 18:37, -hh wrote:
The proper (first) tool for any large signs is a printer that can handle
that size sign.
That's one option. Another is to be content with "tiles" printed on 8.5x11" paper.
What one can do that's KISS waterproof is to use office store sheet protectors:
https://www.staples.com/Avery-Side-Insert-Clear-Sheet-Protectors/product_431492
KISS is always a good idea (as the objecdtive is to do it all at home).
Thanks for that idea of printing directly to the plastic sheet protectors.
Those plastic sheet protectors seem like a good idea for the printed stencil
because I can probably laser print directly to them. Then I can cut out the
stencil lettering which has a couple benefits over printing to paper.
The plastic stencil can be cut directly and the plastic stencil won't get
wet from the spray paint like cardboard might and it may even be easier to
hold an edge for painting when cut than paper would (especially if I re-use
the stencil more than once).
The other KISS option is to tape the printed paper to thin cardboard & cut
out the thin cardboard stencil using the printed paper as the outline.
BTW I decided to hone the color to as close to the official blue & red for
USA road signs I can get in a spray can. That official blue & red turned out
to be Pantone Blue 294C & Pantone Red 187C according to this reference.
https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-colorspec.htm
Microsoft doesn't do Pantone apparently so I set Powerpoint to the closest
RGB/HSV colors which for blue is RGB 0 47 108 & for red is RGB 166 25 46
according to this reference.
https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/294-C
https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/187-C
(This exact color match isn't really necessary but it's easily enough done.)
I've got the official road sign fonts embedded into PowerPoint (again not
needed but useful if at some point I send it off to a professional printer).
I'm writing up the full procedure so that we can make it better which as
most of you understood it's designed to be as KISS as possible but still
fully customizable using only a home printer and basic home materials.
--
Regards,
Martin Brown