“paint layer to drawing layer” feature is its capability to overcome the biggest drawback inherent in paint programs; their totally inadequate 72 DPI (dots per inch) printing resolution (known as the dreaded “Jaggies”). I produced each image as large as practical within the paint layer. Superpaint then allowed me to transfer the finished image to the drawing layer, where I reduce it at least 50% or more. The potential printing resolution of the image gets better the more it is reduced, and can yield surprisingly good results on a 300 DPI Postscript laserwriter and even on a Linotronic at 1250 DPI. Avoid the use of patterns when doing this to minimize the moire effect (notice the plaid pattern on the front of the modern diesel engine).
Each image (train car, locomotive, tree
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building, boat, baby, etc., and even the bridge steel, track, and brick piers) were produced as separate pieces. Put the pieces together, add lines, and Wa La... you now have a totally new and different composition. This modular quality is also great fun for the artist... and can prove interesting long after the images were first created. It’s kind of like computerized Colorforms. (are Colorforms still around these days?) When I create a professional logo or image on behalf of Fine Line Graphics for a client, I almost always use Adobe Illustrator or Aldus Freehand, but don’t overlook the lowly “crude” paint program, it’s a powerful graphic tool too.