Zerro wrote:
The Trumpeter kits come with name plates but the background is the same color as the text. Any trick in getting them to be different colors?
I use this technique on photo etch raised letter number plates on car models, but the same method applies: Spray the letter colour of your choice over the part, ensuring plenty of thickness in the paint on the letters and/or border frame. Spray the background colour of your choice over the entire part, keeping the paint as thin as possible over the raised areas.
Now with a fine grade (minimum of 3600 grit working up through the grades to 12000 depending on how shiny you like the finish) of sandpaper or polishing compound rub off the paint on the raised areas. The sandpaper needs to be kept dead flat or there is a risk of polishing through the raised outer edges of the letters through to the plastic base colour. Patience is the key here, but any small rub through on the letters can be touched up by small brush, rather than strip the part back to bare plastic and start again, which is easy on photoetch, less so with a plastic part.
Another variation on this technique is to spray your first coat (letter colour) in lacquer and then top coat in enamel or acrylic. Then with a lightly moistened cotton bud with a thinner that won't attack the first coat carefully wipe off the paint on the raised areas.