Size of illustrations

[Noddy]

This is something which has been bugging me for a while.

Why is it that illustrations with lots of interesting detail, for example Dave Piddington's illustration of a 19th century gun factory (photo 60, page 289) get reproduced the size of a postage stamp?

Yet, illustrations with little detail end up covering around 1/2 a page?

Do the people who arange the page layout have a technical background? and does Dave get any say on the page layout?

This is an afrea where ME and MEW are falling down badly in comparison to EIM.

EIM is also printed on better quality paper, which better withstands the journey to my newsagent, through Ireland's wet climate.

Keith

[rodwilson]

I agree that there is a lack of appreciation of this in all three mags. and I have already been in correspondence with the tech editor at EIM.

As an ex draughtsman, who required a talent rather than computer expertise, it bugs me too. My main gripe is colour for the sake of it. It doesn't automatically make a drawing clearer.

A drawing should immediately tell you what it is - you then look closer for the detail. Line thickness is important in achieving this.

[peterseager]

When ME did their recent survey, I commented that Neville Evans School class drawings in the sample issue were for once large enough to be legible but unfortunately that was a one off. Better some of his waffle be replaced with bigger drawings.

I agree that colour is also bad. The previous editor seemed to get the message but colour seemed to reappear when David took over. Colour can be hard to see and impossible when you copy a page to scribble on in the workshop.

(The boards spell checker only recognizes "color"!)

Peter

[rodwilson]

Colours, or colors, are often used by CAD operators to define layers or line thicknesses, on the screen. and unless you print in 'black only' this can be a nightmare to read in hard copy.

Like most things there is a British Standard and text is allocated yellow which is obviously not the best to read on white.

Let's stick to, "any color as long as it's black", unless you have a very good reason and then use a sensible choice of alternative

[simonwass]

I may be wrong but I've always thought the 'drawings' in magazines were only to illustrate rather than to be useful working plans. Some designs seem to purposely 'forget' to include some details to make sure the builder buys a set of plans. Saying this my Clayton was built from the sometimes tiny drawings in ME.
On the subject of colour my rapidly increasing set of Paget plans make a big use of colour simply to differentiate bits in the complex cross sections, seems I've stumbled upon industry standard accidentally. The actual plans are in black for obvious reasons and feature only one layer.
The recent design in ME for a 0-4-0 saddle tank had an horrendous set of plans, all in colour and wishy washy colours at that, almost illegible.

[peterseager]

Some designs seem to purposely 'forget' to include some details to make sure the builder buys a set of plans.

Funny, I've suspected that as well. This "forgetting" can be bad advertising. Do I really want to commit to a project and buy a set of drawings that appear to have so many problems? There were at least two projects (not all ME) where I said no.

The problem as I see it is that I only buy the magazine because there might be something useful I can use for the project I am already committed to. If I am dissuaded from using the drawings, no Club News and the price increase because of less discount on subscriptions I could easily be persuaded that I only need to subscribe to EIM.

What about the "free" drawings? I am not sure how much of a come on they are. It just so happens that my Baltic tank is based on Springbok so the current free drawings could be copied on to better A3 paper and put in a binder for easy reference in the workshop. I usually use pages copied from the mag after checking against the drawings.

Peter

[dscott]

As many of you may know, I am designing several engines for eventual publication, these are done on A3 paper which is workshop friendly, working copies can be done with ease and fewer bits on each sheet mean I hope fewer mistakes!!!

I am also building two of each so by the time they are ready, will I hope be warmly welcomed by all who have a go at miniature construction of them.

YES I do have a scrap pile, and this is where bits end up, not left on the drawings. One is in imperial, Which ties nicely in with S.I.M.P. With the other imperial ie 11/32" and all that, metric 6.35=1/4", and on Solid Works.

David.

[peterseager]

so the current free drawings could be copied on to better A3 paper and put in a binder for easy reference in the workshop

Just received the latest ME with another "free" Springbok drawing. Looking at this one, I don't think it is worth copying because some parts are very faint. Perhaps our suspicions about making us buy the drawings are true here as well.

Peter

[Noddy]

Dave?

[kwil]

I scan my drawings and save to disc. When I want a workshop copy, I merely crop the image to show the part I want to make and print just that. I can write all over it or make it dirty, it does not matter, there is always another available.

[davidmew]

Hi There
Long time since I have been here.
Too busy.
The previous editor used colour all the time.
I dropped colour for the majority of drawings although occasionally it is useful.
I don't layout the magazine although can offer suggestions.

Neville's drawings are direct from his cad originals so should be fine for size and clarity.

The free drawings are direct from the originals.
There is no way we have the time to redraw them.
They should be adequate for producing a model.

regards David