Can paint.net be a useful tool for model railroading?

[markalan]

I've been learning about paint.net for a week. I have no background in design, drawing or anything else that would give me experience with a program like this. I'm starting at the very beginning. I have read the rules for the forum, searched etc, and still haven't found answers.

I'm building a city on my railroad.

I need to make signs for the front on my buildings and their windows. I can find images via Google such as:

To answer my own question, I can use paint.net to resize sign images, flip them to make two sided signs and crop them as needed. But, I would like to do two other things and my searching and reading has not provided answers. Perhaps, I don't even have enough knowledge to search correctly or find where to read.

First question--Is there a way to correct perspective? Photos of signs are not always taken straight on. Can I adjust the image so they look as if they were. For example, can this be straightened so it could be used as a sign? The Rotate/Zoom command under layers doesn't quite do it. With this image the top and bottom still converge towards the left.

SOLVED! More work resolved this question.

Second question--Is there a way to create transparent text with a white background or text in outline form with a color within the outline? (Using a text editor I know how to create colored text with a white background but not transparent text. And, I could paint by hand but using the computer and printing on transparency sheets would be much quicker and more accurate.) This is an example of what I'm trying to obtain.

I hope these questions aren't too basic and reflect excess ignorance on part.

Thank you,

markalan

[oma]

you need to explore the items under layer especially the rotate and zoom

swivel that round x ball shape upper left.

by the way that's a nice layout you have there. are you running HO scale? second question I know has been answered before but for the now I couldn't find it using search either. so a quick one

start with a transparent background (open new image control + a and then hit delete)

change your primary color from black to white.

type text

under object > outline

actually when hubby did his windows on his layout he used that clear acetate that you do overhead transparency's and raided my scrapbook supplies for sticker letters.

[markalan]

oma,

Thanks for the help. I got as far as " object > outline " I haven't figured out what that is or how to do it. And, if I outline the text do I then somehow make it transparent and set the background as white?

I'm working in HO yes. I plan on printing my windows the same way your husband did, though my wife has no supplies to raid.

Thanks again,

markalan