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What do I get when I buy a Scalescenes.com kit?
What are the advantages of using a downloadable kit rather than a pre-printed kit?
Can I try building a Scalescenes.com kit before I buy?
What kind of printer do I need to use to print out the kits?
What if I don't have a colour printer?
Can I change my texture once I’ve downloaded it?
Can I combine two colour textures in the one kit?
Can I resize the OO version to another scale?
When I try to open the PDF file I'm getting an error message?
What skill level do I need to build the kits?
What tools do I need to build the kits?
I’m not sure that my printer can print on heavy card.
What if I make a mistake while building the kit?
Can I customise the kit so it fits my layout?
Can I give the kits to my friend?
What do you mean by 200gsm card?
Where can I get the card and paper you recommend?
I’ve accidentally deleted or lost my download, can I download it again?
My order has been processed but I haven't received an email with my download links?
Can I print out just a section of a page?
Who is Scalescenes.com?
An experienced graphic designer and model maker, John Wiffen to begin development of Scalescenes.com in 2003. Starting with a large photographic collection of brickwork and other interesting textures, over the past eight years John has developed an exciting range of downloadable card kits that allow modellers to print and create unique OO (1:76) and N (1:148) scale structures for their layouts.
What do I get when I buy a Scalescenes.com kit?
When you purchase a kit you will receive two PDF files by download. One of these files is the kit, which comprises several A4 (210x297mm) full colour pages. The other PDF contains easy to follow illustrated A4 colour instructions. Simply print out these PDF files and then, mount them on to thicker card as specified in the instructions.
Please note: for copyright reasons, the PDF files are unable to be opened in editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.
What are the advantages of using a downloadable kit rather than a pre-printed kit?
Scalescenes.com lets you instantly download and print realistic model railway buildings from your home computers! Most of today’s home colour printers have the capacity to print at resolutions well beyond most conventional "pre-printed" card model building kits.
Once downloaded, you can print that kit as many times as you need. A modular based system, it allows you to build a Platform 30cm long or 3m long for the same price. Each kit is available in a wide choice of Scalescenes.com’s scale photo-based textures including brick (various colours and bonds), concrete or stone to ensure that the structures on your layout are unique.
Can I try building a Scalescenes.com kit before I buy?
A Low Relief Warehouse kit is available free here. This kit will help familiarise you with the basic techniques used to create Scalescenes.com model card kits.
What kits are available?
The range is always growing, check out the Railscenes or Townscenes sections.
A large range of textures are also available in the Scratchbuilder's Yard.
What is a PDF file?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is the current standard for transferring, viewing and printing high-quality documents on the web or via email. Scalescenes.com kits are supplied as PDF files, these files can be opened, viewed and printed using Adobe Reader, a free program available from Adobe for any operating system or platform.
How do I get a kit?
It’s easy!
- select your kit
- select a texture for your kit (eg. Red Brick or Random Ashlar)
- select your scale (all kits currently available as OO or N)
- click on Add to Cart, this will add your selection to your shopping cart
- continue looking or if you have finished click Checkout
- you will be shown a summary of the kits you are purchasing. Click the "Secure Checkout" button
- you will be transferred to the PayPal website where you can pay with a credit card or using a PayPal account
- you will receive an email to the email address you used when purchasing which contains a link to download your kit(s)
- Click the link in the email or enter it into your web browser and download your kit
- The kit(s) you purchased will download as a compressed zip file, which you can double-click to decompress. Windows XP and Vista have built-in support for extracting zip files but if you are using another version of Windows you will need a zip decompressor. 7-zip is a good decompressor that is free to download.
- Once you have decompressed the zip file containing your kit, open the PDF file(s), print and get building!
How can I pay for kits?
Our payments are processed via PayPal, which is a secure and reputable payment service. You can either pay directly with a credit card (many card types including some debit cards are supported) or if you already have a PayPal account you can use funds in that account to pay. Regretttably we are unable to accept cheques or postal orders.
What kind of printer do I need to use to print out the kits?
Any type of colour printer that will take A4 size paper is suitable. For larger projects access to colour laser printer would be an advantage.
What if I don't have a colour printer?
If you do not have a printer at home take a copy of your kit files to your local colour copy shop, Scalescenes.com kits will print out equally well on colour laser printers. Don’t forget to work out how many copies your modelling project requires before you go. Most copy shops have multiple copy discounting, so it may be cheaper to get them all printed at once.
Can I order pre-printed kits?
Unfortunately not, only you know how large or what type of wall texture your layout needs. Suppling pre-printed kits in all their numerous variations would make production costs too high. Specifying your own kit and downloading it online gives you the flexibility to create any size structure you like and allows Scalescenes.com to keep the prices down.
Can I order CD-ROM versions?
At this stage Scalescenes.com does not have CD burning and mailing facilities, however, as our range expands we may make ‘bundles’ or collections of a particular range of kits available in this format.
What are the texture choices?
Before downloading your Scalescenes.com kit you have the opportunity to actually select the texture that your kit will be printed in. Each kit is available in a wide choice of scale photo-based textures including brick (various colours and bonds), concrete or stone (the range available for each kit is generally determined by the prototype structure)
Can I change my texture once I’ve downloaded it?
No, it is not possible to change the texture of the kit after it has been downloaded.
Can I combine two colour textures in the one kit?
Yes, but you will have purchase two of the same kit in different colours. Due to there being literally hundreds of possible combinations, it is not practical to supply the kits in this form, it is a feature that Scalescene.com is keen to develop in the future.
What scale are the kits in?
Scalescenes.com kits are currently available in OO and N scale.
Can I resize the OO version to HO or another scale?
Yes, if your printer has a scaling option, it is a simply enter a reduction percentage into your printer’s ‘Page scaling’ section. For mor information please click here. Please note: Enlarging the kits to larger scales can be difficult as some page tiling maybe required. Also ensure that you adjust the card thickness recommended in the instructions accordingly.
When I try to open the PDF file I'm getting an error message?
Kit PDF files have been secured using 128-bit encryption, which is not supported in earlier versions of Adobe Reader. We recommended that you upgrade your Adobe Reader to the latest version available from Adobe.com.
What skill level do I need to build the kits?
Scalescenes.com kits are based on the simple technique of forming blocks and then wrapping a texture ‘skin’ over the top. This is a very forgiving process and results in a more realistic ‘seamless’ finish. Generally made up of simple rectangular shapes all kits are designed to reduce tedious and fiddly cutting.
For both the beginner or the experienced ‘kit-basher’ the ability of Scalescenes.com kits to be printed as many times as you require means you can print and build a rough ‘low resolution’ test version first.
What tools do I need to build the kits?
Steel ruler
Modelling knife
Tweezers
Glue stick
‘All purpose’ clear or PVA adhesive
CA or ‘super glue’
Artist's matt spray varnish
Felt tip pens
Pencil
Cutting mat or sheet of thick card
Damp cloth
Fine sand paper
Small engineers square or block
I’m not sure that my printer can print on heavy card
It doesn’t have to. Kits are printed on to paper and then mounted on to one of three different cards (light, medium and heavy). The thickness of the card is determined by the scale you are building in and is explained in the instructions.
What if I make a mistake while building the kit?
No problem, just print out the section that went wrong and build it again!
Can I customise the kit so it fits my layout?
Yes, this is where Scalescenes.com kits stand out. Once downloaded, you can print that kit as many times as you need. A modular based system, it allows you to build a retaining wall 20cm long or 20m long for the same price. The Scratchbuilder's yard contains texture sheets that match your kit's texture exactly to ensure that any kit bashing is seamless!
Can I give the kits to my friend?
Once you have built a Scalescenes.com kit it is understandable that you would want to share the files with a friend. Please don’t. Scalescenes.com (Graphic designer John Wiffen) has invested a lot of time and money on the development of these kits. In order for Scalescenes.com to continue bringing you innovative kits your continued support is vital.
What do you mean by 200gsm card?
Paper and cardboard thickness is often specified by its weight per square metre rather than dimensional thickness. (eg. most copier papers are approximately 80gsm) Try to get as close to the weight or thickness as specified in the instructions as possible (a certain amount of variation in thickness has been factored into the kits).
Where can I get the card and paper you recommend?
Most office supply shops will stock a range of high quality matt inkjet papers to suit your specific printer. Consult your printer’s support documentation.
Suitable weight card is available from good art supply shops. 'Grey board’ or better quality white ‘pasteboard’ are ideal. These are sometimes sold as 1000 microns (1mm) and 2000 microns (2mm). If you don't have a supplier nearby, suitable card can be obtained from online suppliers such as the 4D modelshop or Artesaver.com. Alexander Paper Supplies and Papercutz even offer handy A4 packs of 1mm and 2mm card.
Please note: The kits will assemble just fine as long as the card you use is reasonably close to the recommended thickness, a certain amount of variation has been factored into the kits.
Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately, downloadable products are unable to be refunded or exchanged.
I’ve accidentally deleted or lost my download, can I download it again?
Yes. Please contact us for more information.
My order has been processed but I haven't received an email with my download links?
Occasionally, when the download link is sent to an account, internet service providers incorrectly label them as spam and they don't reach the customer. Please contact us if you haven't received your download link within a couple of hours.
To avoid your download link email accidentally being put in your 'spam', 'bulk' or 'junk' folder you may wish to consider adding '[email protected]' to your address book or trusted addresses list.
I'm using the AOL browser and when I click on my download link it either just returns to the scalescenes.com homepage or displays an error message?
If you are using the AOL browser please could you try again in Microsoft Internet Explorer or another browser (This is due to a well known problem with the AOL browser, and not with our website). If you still have the same problem in a different browser please contact us let us know at which stage the process is stopping and any error messages that you are receiving.
Can I print out just a section of a page?
Yes, you can print a selected section of a page from Acrobat if your printer supports it.
Firstly zoom into the section that you wish to print and then select print. Once in the print window in the 'Print range' section, select 'Current view'. Please ensure that 'Page scaling - none' is also selected. If 'Fit to print margins' is enabled then the selected section will print out at the incorrect scale.
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