CREATING A BILL

BOARD

with the help of a computer

 

While building my 'O' scale diorama of "SHELBY'S CANNERY", which was based on the 'Ho' scale kit of the "TOADSUCK CANNING CO.", I liked the billboard on the end wall of the cannery in the 'Ho' kit and decided to duplicate the effect with the new name. The finished result can be seen above.

The billboard was created on my computer quite easily using some clip art, text boxes in Microsoft WORD and a sub-program of WORD called "WORDART". 

First, the background box. This is simply a square box with a pale yellow background and a line border of the same colour. The circle was created the same way, with a very pale yellow fill and a green border. This is placed over the centre of the square. The circle should have the "ON TOP" selection made.

Second, I added the corner scroll clip art seen here at left. The other corners are the same artwork, just turned 90 degrees for each successive corner. Again, the clipart should have the "ON TOP" selection made.

The third step is to draw a TEXT BOX and type in the company name. In this case I typed in "SHELBY'S CANNERY". Highlight the text, then select the typeface, size required and the colour.

Select the text box and set the background colour to "NO FILL". In this case, the type face I used is "Gloucester Extra Condensed". I then place the text box in the centre of the circle. Again, the text box should have the "ON TOP" selection made.

The clipart of the fish was added the same way. The second fish is a mirror image of the original.

 

The next piece to be added is the curved writing. Double click the "WORDART" icon and type in the required wording - in this case "Only the finest deep sea fish canned". Select the typeface and colour required. Then select the shape you want the type to be. In this case I selected the "bottom half circle". This can now be placed over the billboard. To achieve the correct size, drag on of the corner handles. This may take a bit of trail and error.

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat this procedure for the words "Est 1907", but select "top half circle". You find in this case that the words will space out over the full half circle and look a bit strange. To get them more compact and look the same as the bottom curved type, double click the "Wordart"  box and insert 20 spaces in front of and after the type. It will then compact to the desired shape. Again, this may take a bit of trail and error. Finally. place this text into position with the 'move' tool.

There you have it. A fairly easy way to create a billboard or a sign to use on the side or end of a building or as a stand alone billboard.