Office/Store Interiors and Signs

[KenS]

Hobby Dreamer suggested on the thread for the New Kato Office Buildings that "someone" start a thread to post images we could use for building interiors (and maybe set up a gallery). I'll be that someone.  I think the gallery is a good idea, but before I experiment with that here's a quick post to get things started.  And if anyone else wants to set up a gallery and add interiors/signs, please do as I may not get to it for a few days.

 

One note on images: if they're not yours, please attribute the source.  I think the use proposed here (personal use for model building decoration) would fall under the "fair use" terms of U.S. law (but I'm not a lawyer), but if your country has different laws you should think about that before posting.

 

A quick Google turned up several office rental companies in Japan, but the first I found had a Japanese home page with a couple of graphics which would make good window signs (I'll attach those below). These came from the Japanese-language version of the site. Actually, I think these signs might be offering apartments rather than offices (the home page has links to both kinds of rentals, but I only found similar signs on the English pages on the Residential page, not the Office page).  Still, an office for a rental business could have these kinds of signs in its window.

 

http://www.plazahomes.co.jp/

[bill937ca]

In many places store fronts are plastered with advertising signs and behind rows of vending machines. These  are in Akihabara. 

 

 

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/50947224.html

 

You will also find numerous small signs in front of entrances.  Not all businesses are at ground level.

 

 

http://akibamap.info/archives/51233330.html

[rankodd]

As an example, I've taken one of the images of a vending machine (http://www2.akibamap.net/picview.php?img=img2/1107_habanero_03.jpg) and applied some perspective correction. It's not perfect, but it should be acceptable at N-scale.

 

The first file is the full sized image. The second file has been scaled to 13mm high at 300 dpi. (According to GIMP anyway. Seems too big on screen, but it's probably being displayed at 72dpi)[/img]

[bill937ca]

A store covered with signs and hiding behind vending machines.

 

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chichibu-Denki.jpg

 

Links to a couple of other buildings from Wikipedia Commons.

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akihabara,_electronics_district.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CLUB_SEGA_Akihabara.JPG

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakaura_Electric_Shop_2007.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sato_Musen_Electric_Shop_2007.jpg

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tsukumo_Computer_Shop-2007.jpg

[KenS]

I created a few window signs from the banners on the end of the building above.  At 150 dpi these should be about 1/2 inch (12mm) high, by 1.75" (44mm) long.

 

Edit: fixed the "netpro" sign (the original was a .psd somehow saved with a .jpg name, which wouldn't display)

[quinntopia]

Good stuff Ken!  I've resorted to this in the past and still have some of the 'found' images I dug up for similar reasons.  I'll try and dig them up and share as well.