Black SS Trucks and SPW?

[Special K]

Help, has anyone done Black SS versions for trucks and SPW's which can be printed off?  I'd really like to put a few units together for visual effect.  Might do this in paint and switch colors but first wanted to see if anyone had already done this.

thanks!

[Special K]

Oh, and a Wirbelwind and Jadgpanzers IV and V would be magic. They produced a lot of leaders on the countersheet but took up loads of space.

[plloyd1010]

Help, has anyone done Black SS versions for trucks and SPW's which can be printed off?  I'd really like to put a few units together for visual effect.  Might do this in paint and switch colors but first wanted to see if anyone had already done this.

thanks!

They wouldn't be that hard to make, but I don't really feel like making a sheet of them. I always liked the SS camo for its uniqueness in the wargame world. What I could is make some vector images. Then you can make a sheet from those. Are you up to that?

[Special K]

Yes please, thanks! If you have any links handy on instructions for counter making that would be great. I'm a novice!

[plloyd1010]

Ok, so let's go over some basics and options. I use Inkscape to make my counters. From there I can make svg, pdf, and png files. I will give a brief description of the path for using each, you tell me the format you wan to work with.

1. SVG would require Inscape, or a similar application, and that you have the Helvetica fonts on your system. If those elements are in place, duplicating and aligning the counters (rescaling if you desire) is quite easy. Inkscape however does not print directly very well, so I tend to export my countersheets as pdf's and print those.
   
   
2. PNG is probably the easiest for you. I make the image and create a 300 or dpi image. You make lots of copies in a basic drawing app and print. PNG files scale downward well, but like all bitmapped images don't go upwards in scale. That is why the dpi of the images would be so high. Alignment an spacing my be difficult depending on your drawing app.
   
   
3. PDF, we all can open those files. Unless you have Adobe CS, working with them directly is impossible. You would need to import the file into Inkscape or you snapshot the counter/page and use it as you would a png. The advantage her is scalability, the problem is that you cannot work directly with the counter file.
   

So which format would you like?

[Special K]

Inkscape sounds good and exporting to pdf shouldn't be an issue. So option 1 I think. I'll download it so can get familiar. Thanks for your advice!

[zaarin7]

I prefer pdf for printing.

[plloyd1010]

Ok svg's it is. I'm going to New Jersey tomorrow, they should be done by the time I get off the plane. You will need to have the Helvetica bold and Helvetica compressed fonts installed, otherwise the type will look funny. When you are ready, we can arrange a time when I can walk you though some of the finer points.

Keith, those would have would have been single counter pdf's. Nicely scaleable and easy to make a bitmap from, but not suitable for printing. If you ask Private K nicely, he might share when he is done.

[Special K]

Wow, cool! Thanks a lot

[plloyd1010]

Actually got them done by the tie I arrived in Chicago. I was about to upload them when I lost the connection.

I took a some liberty with the truck. The reason should be obvious when you think about it. Let me know when you are ready to attempt your countersheet. W can do a Skype or Firefox conversation.