There are a million different types of aquariums on the market, and with the number of choices available and the fact that there is no guaranteed formula for success for creating a saltwater aquarium it can be very difficult for individuals to choose which type of aquarium they should purchase. There are a number of factors which should be considered before the would be biologist ever sets foot inside a pet store.
The first is size. As trite as it may sound an aquarium is a definite example of a time when size matters. The size of the aquarium must be sufficient to hold the types and number of fish which the owner intends to place inside. Just as you would never attempt to place a large goldfish inside a small bowl neither should you attempt to place a large saltwater fish in a small aquarium. This is particularly true if you are attempting to add a small carnivore, such as one of the smaller breeds of shark, to your home. These predators need space to swim or they will slowly make themselves mad and perhaps even perish from the confinement (a bit melodramatic and Victorian, but true nonetheless).
There are several options for size when it comes to aquariums, and a good pet shop should be able to help advise consumers as to which size would best suit their needs.
Another consideration is materials. Glass and acrylic are the two choices most widely available on the market at the moment. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Glass is by far the more popular of the two due to the fact that it is less likely to scratch, allowing the sides to maintain their clarity. It is also considerably less expensive, an important consideration as it can cost a great deal of money to establish a saltwater aquarium and every advantage should be taken. Finally, the nature of the silicone sealant used in glass aquariums allows the tank to expand more readily when water is added.
Acrylic tanks come with their own advantages. There is almost no limit to the shape and size that an acrylic tank can take, allowing for a greater amount of creativity in tank design. It is also considerably more durable than glass, an important consideration if the aquarium is going to be displayed in a public place or if the owner has small children. Where a small bump may crack or otherwise damage a glass tank acrylic tanks are made of hardier stuff. It is also easier to adjust the filtration options on an acrylic tank, as it is not necessary to have the number of special tools available that are necessary to cut glass.
Whether acrylic or glass the would-be saltwater aquarium owner will probably have the option to purchase a pre-drilled tank to prevent overflow, giving the tank a much smoother appearance than the antiquated but still popular "hang on the back" method.
Buying an aquarium can be a tricky business; however, the truth of the matter is that as long as the ecosystem is properly designed and the tank cleaned thoroughly prior to use there is no right or wrong choice. It is all a matter of personal preference.
A Acrobat reader - Reading software for sharing electronic documents in PDF format. Using PDF prevents modifying a file and ensures that it will be displayed the same on each computer. Acrobat was developed by Adobe Corporation. Adobe Flash - Multimedia and animation software by Adobe for displaying pictures, sound and motion. Adobe Photoshop - Software for processing images primarily based pixels from Adobe. This software is the most common for photo processing in the market. Alphabetic key - A list, in alphabetic order, of the content mentioned in the book/booklet. An opening letter - A highlighted or enlarged letter, opening an article or a book chapter. Art – An advertising agency position. The Art is in charge of campaigns design. A thousand ran – The following thousand printed sheets for the same graphic job.
B Block/plate - Bullet format. Specific formatting that dip's it in ink or pupil pressure on paper it embeds a design on the grooves. An example: personal stamps warfare. Body text – All the text included in an ad Big – A mark on a folded paper, created by a blank knife. Barcode – An optical code used to mark and identify products. The code is embedded or glued to the back of the product and a reading of it will supply information about the product. Bleed – Overflow. A picture or a graphic that are beyond the boundaries of the file are marked to trim the paper after printing location. Blanket - The cylinder holding the printing paper in an offset press. This technique is suitable best for the textile and fashion industry as well as cartonnage. Bmp – (bitmap) - Format that supports colour depth of up to 24 bits. Format creates large files. Branding - Examination of the brand's position in the market. Brief – a glance summary of critical data to manage advertising campaigns. Bristol board - Bristol thick paper, carton. Bristol American-a type of fancy tough paper. Usually glossy on one side and white on the other.
C Campaign - Contains a series of multiple messages in a specific topic, publication on the various communications primarily for promoting a particular purpose, or social marketing. Capa - Foam board panel. Pictures can be pasted on it. Cartonnage – carton works. Chromo mat/gloss - Paper-less wood coated. Water proof glossy coat is suitable for highlighting an offset press product. This type of paper is most often used for magazines, catalogs and flyers and for high quality internal pages as well as for emphasizing a graphical design for fancy format. Clip art – A general images collection, used in graphic design for non specific products. Collecting – One of the finalizing stages of binding in the printing process. The collecting is done mainly manually, especially on small products. Consignment - The method of sale in shops, that Distributor accepts only payment for merchandise sold at the shop, and getting back into his own hands the goods that are not sold. Contras - A set of 24 sheets of paper. Copy writer - Responsible for the content of the campaigns in an advertising agency. Cylinder printing - This is the highest quality method for printing. The design is engraved on the cylinder which is actually a small Clipboard. Used when printing millions of copies. Cropping method - Crop products, paper or card stock, according to the required graphic outlines. Cropping method – Cut cardboard or packaging by a selected design using special designed knifes. CYMK colours - These are the primary colors in printouts process. Cyan, magenta, yellow, black. By mixing percentages of them you can create almost any colour.
D Digital print - A developing of recent years. In this method the information is being transferred directly from the computer to colour magnetize cylinder. The digital print is used for small quantities like banners and posters and can be printed on a variety of materials. Distribution - The process of giving out copies from a book, brochure and flyers to a targeted audience or private people. DPI - The unit of measurement of the resolution of the printing jobs. (dots per inch(
E Edition - The number of copies that are printed in the same serie at one time. Eps – (encapsulated postscript) - The format used for exporting vector graphics from graphic soft wares. Editable format in Illustrator. Examiners – Manuscripts examiners. Literature specialists who review manuscripts for the publishing houses.
F Film - Film is used for the development of art in analog method. Film is an intermediate step in creating a plate. Finishing/Finalizing - These are all actions made after printing to finish work such as: cover, etc. First thousand - These are the first thousand sheets printed. Because the machine needs special operations like washing the plates, the first thousand sheets printed are more expensive than the following printed sheets. Flexography - printing, using flexible relief plates. Suitable best for various types of food packaging and nylon bags. Font – The structure and style of a letter. Format - The technical settings of a work: dimensions, weight paper, binding type, and more. Front page - Front of a book, brochure, and magazine. Usually will include the product name, the author name, drawing and illustration.
G Gif – (graphic interchange format) - A very popular format for its special qualities; it supports animation and has the ability to show a transparent background. Gif can contain up to 256-colour image digital condensed, using the compression method that doesn't lose information (lossless). Gramage - The unit of measurement of the weight of paper per square meter. Gray scale - A grayscale image. Each pixel that appears in the image can be in the colours: black, white or gray. Greifer – A centimeter wide fringe that does not receive ink because it is used by the printing machine as a handle to hold the paper during the process. Grid - Template used by a graphic designer. Guillotine - cropping facility with a sharp knife paper.
H Hardcover – Hard cardboard cover, mainly used for binding books. Hit embedding - Creating an embedded object by pressing the plate to the paper.
I Illustrator – A graphic program for illustrations and vector graphic design. Developed by Adobe Company. Imposition - Organizing the pages for print in a way that after the printing, folding and cutting the final page layout will be perfect. In design – software specialized in layout for books and magazines. Designed mainly for working with text. Initial campaign - The unveiling of a new brand or product to the public through the campaign early publications. Ink injection printer – Printing in this printer requires a waiting period of several seconds after you finish the print procedure because it squirts the drops of ink on the paper. Insert – A separate advert pamphlet, usually inserted inside a newspaper or magazine. The quality or the insert is higher than the newspaper or magazine as it is not connected to its format of printing. Iris – A colour sample, used in print houses to estimate the colours in the final print. Even though the iris is almost accurate there could be a slight bias in the final print. Italic font - One form of the font. The font tilts to one side. Especially used this emphasizing in a design.
J Jpeg – (portable network graphics) - Another very popular format for the Internet. The format used for transfer pictures and graphics. Also using it on DVD, digital cameras, and software. Can be used with 16 million colours, although the compression might cause some data lose.
L Lacquer - A transparent varnish layer. Protects the colours and also gives a fancy style to the product. Lamination - Nylon-coated paper in order to prolong the shelf life of the finished product. Gives product a fancy look. For example menus. Laser printer - This printer prints on the paper by laser ray and toner powder that melts on the paper. Logo - Is a computerized form of illustration or text that is created to represent a specific body symbol, company or product. Lupe – A magnifier that is used by typists in the printing and graphics to view closely the image points.
M Master - Prototype of a creation. Often used in a page-layout software such as In Design.
N Numbering - It is a component which is located in image setters in order to number the pages.
O Octobo – Means eight in Latin. In the graphics world it refers to a sheet that has been folded three times to create eight pages. Offset printing - The most common method of printing today in the press industry. This method for printing large amounts, such as magazine, book, flyers, brochures and most paper products. This method is a developing and improvement of lithography, a copy of the page that you would like to print "embedded" on aluminum plates which are attached on a roll. The aluminum plates transfer the embedded information to a sheet.
P Page-layout - Procedure of ordering text in a clear and accurate text frame pages, according to what was planned in advance. Often used for making books and other text content in the software In Design. Pantone Colours - The conventional method to set the colours in the world. The method was created by mixing 8 primary colours that create 512 shades of colours. Pantone Company built a "fan" catalog that next to each colour specified the exact formula to create the colour and the colour that is received after the printing. Panton fan – The colours catalog of the Panton Company. Paperback - Soft cardboard cover, stronger than the internal papers. Paper-less wood - Fine writing and printing paper, containing up to 10% wood chewing. Paper sheet - Fixed size unit paper sheet, according to a common measurement method. Pdf – (portable document format) - Is a format developed by Adobe Systems and can be viewed using Adobe Reader, accurate content regardless of the platform. Allows you to save more than one page, and even with interactive capabilities. Another advantage of Pdf is the ability to lock the documents so they can't be changed or printed and thus should keep copyright and prevent distortion of the contents. Perforation - Hole punch in sequence over a sheet of paper, designed to allow easy tear. This technique is used for stamps, and notebooks. Today it is used as well for coupons tear-off from magazines, booklets and newspapers. Plate - Aluminum plate projected for the press. This plate is used in offset press. Each plate can be used for one ink. The printing process may include four-cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, and sometimes even for gold, silver or special plate for lacquer. Png – (portable network graphic) - Designed specifically for Internet format that uses a sophisticated compression method without losing data. The format supports variable transparency, allows 24-bit colour depth. Postscript printer - Is a programming language. This type of printer contains RAM memory and processor. An image and/or text that will be printed using this printer will look better. You can send a PostScript print file without opening it. Pixel - The basic unit of information that describes a single computerized graphic design. Pixel based software - Software rendering based on pixels. Post – An ad produced in an editing studio. Includes the most basic animation and titles. Postal distribution- A method for distributing printed material by postal mail to a large number of recipients in order to publish any information. Pre-post - All the necessary steps to bring the product or the final formatting to the printing press itself. Actions that are at this stage are: closing files, produce hard copies of your colour, imposition, proofing and more. Print - Production of copies of the same design or some template on paper by using ink. Print house – A company, specialized in operating printing machines for the graphic design industry. Printing screen - By measuring the number of lines per inch the screen creates one tone colour out of points. The denser the points are the tone colour will get closer to its original base colour. Process - Process colours are used in offset printing method. Prints all colours using mix of four unique tones of primaries C, M, Y, K: Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow (yellow) and black (Key). Proof - Critical reading and locating and fixing errors in the text. Punctuation - In order to highlight a particular physical element on printed paper it is possible to "knock" using block on paper so the element will punctuate on the other side of the paper. Very common on letterhead or business cards for fancy style.
R Raw - Format that contains all the data, without processing. High-quality photo format used by photographers in fashion productions which require maximum quality and further professional processing. Rebranding - Changing an existing brand of commercial or public body to match the currently existing market. Resolution - This means by the dictionary - separation. The term is being used by many professional areas. In the graphic industry it refers to the quality of the picture. By the amount of colour units given in a certain space. It is customary in screens to refer to pixel per square inch and in print to points per square inch – DPI. Roll-up – Promotional poster that can be rolled up and down quickly. The poster has a special stand.
S Screen calibration - Screen colour matching procedure in order to have the graphic design appears to be adjusted to the printed product best as possible. Screen printing - The graphics and other elements are being transferred according to the density of the net. In our days the net is made out of synthetic fibers but in the past it was made out of silk. The elements will not transfer where the net is Selective lacquer - A transparent varnish layer on parts of the paper not all of it. Service agency – Before the modern methods were introduced, the agencies were the places where the negatives got developed for the printing plates. Sewn book - Book binding in thin cover. The method of attaching the pages is by sewing, the same as binding hard cover books. Shading - A method of creating a feeling of 3D or for emphasis by creating a separated layer between the image and background. Sheet - Unit for measuring the texts, the amount of paper for printing. According to this unit, it is customary to quantify edit and translate large jobs. Slogan - The central statement of the campaign. Spin - Information that shows a new product, or partially for marketing purposes. Spiral binding - is the most economical form of mechanical binding when using plastic or metal. It is commonly used for atlases and other publications where it is necessary or desirable to be able to open the publication back on itself without breaking the spine. It is made by punching holes along the entire length of the spine of the page and winding a wire (like a spring) through the holes to provide a fully flexible hinge at the spine. Spot - A single exposure within the TV advertising campaign, which typically consists of hundreds of spots. Spot colours - All print colours other than black or alternate colour that should be emphasized, that came out for separating plates as a single colour. Staple binding - Stapling through the centerfold, also called saddle-stitching, joins a set of nested folios into a single magazine issue; most American comic books are well-known examples of this type. Sticker - A sticker or any graphics, glued on any product. Sublimation printing - is a method of computerized printing where ink is passed through heat. Can print on a variety of high quality materials and very high fault tolerance. Is used primarily on fabrics and plastics. Sun copy – Enable to check the location of text, photos and pages without colour before printing. S.W.O.T – (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) - The fundamental features of the product analysis, a vital element in any brief.
T Tampon print - A method used to print on round products such as balls, pens, etc. Teaser - An advertisement based on clues without specifying a visible product. Tiff – (tagged image file format) - A very common format for transferring files. Supported by many soft wares. The format supports a variety of colour management methods, can contain pictures CMYK model, printable colour advanced compression method. Tints - Dilution point that gives the colour another hue, measured as a percentage of the original colour. Typography - Typography is the art of designing the letters, page-layout and the order of the letters. Typography deals with the size of a letter and in which shape it is organized on the page. The main goal of typography is to create a clear but interesting type experience for the viewer.
V Vector software - Software that allows to increase our formatting objects as much as we want without damaging the quality because it is based on vector rather than pixels. Vector software Freehand - Vector graphics design software, a multidimensional. Hardly in use because Adobe bought it stopped developing it. Instead the company encourages the use of Illustrator software.
W Water lacquer – Water based Lacquer. Clear and doesn't turn yellow over time. Is commonly used in order to protect the print colors. Wmf – (windows metafile) - A vector file format. Editable format in Illustrator.
If you have decided that you want to build your own model railway, one of the first and most important decisions you will have to make is which model train scale you will use. You may think this is a simple case of just choosing which one you think looks best, but there are some other more important considerations that you will need to take into account if you want to keep your dream of building the perfect model railway on track.
Model train scale is the measurement of how many times smaller the model train is compared with its prototype (original train). This is displayed as a ratio, for example N scale model trains are 1:160, which means they are 160 times smaller than the prototype train. What does all this really mean to a model railway builder though?
Well, this can influence many decisions when considering which model railway trains you want to buy and what layout you will be able build. This leads nicely on to the first point, which is that the scale of the model trains will have an impact on the size of model railway you can build within a certain area.
For the same size room, you will be able to fit less of an HO model trains layout in than you would if you were using N scale model train parts and accessories. Therefore, if you only have a small space in which to build your model railroad, but you have big dreams of what you want to fit in it, then you should choose a smaller scale, which even gets as small as Z scale, at a ratio of 1:220.
This brings up another factor, which is important to consider too and that is choosing a model train scale that is manageable for you. If you have fingers like sausages like I have, then handling the tiny Z scale trains can be incredibly fiddly and near on impossible! My father, whose eyes aren't want they used, can hardly even see them and so it doesn't bode well for getting any satisfaction from watching them run around the track!
At the other end of the scale (if you'll excuse the pun!) is the last point I would like to mention with relation to choosing a model train scale. This is that you will also may also need to choose a scale that suits it's environment and that is designed for purpose. I am talking here about G scale model trains, or as it is also known, the garden scale. These trains can actually be various different scales, but are designed to be used both inside and outdoors. As you can imagine, the larger size lends itself well to fitting in with the naturally surroundings of your garden.
The likeliness is that at the end of the day, you will have to make a compromise with all of these points taken into consideration. The key is to always do you research and plan your model railway carefully. For more information about model train scale, including more different scales explained, images to show the differences in sizes, additional advantages and disadvantages of each scale and the difference between model train scale and model train gauges, visit my website by clicking on the links below.
Tim McCarthy is a model railway enthusiast with many years experience in the field of model trains. For further information on model railroads, including more on model train scale, please feel free to head over to http://www.modelrailwaytrainstips.com/model-train-scale.
The largest scale standard is known as the O gauge and is mostly used as museums and shows. The reason for this is because the size is too big for most people's garages or bedrooms so the average hobbyist cannot make a layout that big. On the other hand Z gauge is the smallest sizing standard and is very popular with a lot of railroading hobbyists because the train models at this size are much cheaper than the ones at the O gauge.
Large scale models as museums are a very good exhibition in my experience and if you have kids then it is always a good day out at the weekends. There is something about the automated trains moving around a very well detail and rich model landscape that the kids get drawn in by. Landscape features such as buildings and bridges really helps improve the richness of a model train layout. It can make the difference between a boring set up and one that really catches the eye from the distance and then engages a person's imagination for at least 10 minutes.
The disadvantage of large scale model trains is the price is so high that the hobby can become very expensive. For instance some layouts can cost upwards of ,000. However if you have some talents at arts and crafts then you have the ability hand craft the models yourself. This process does take a lot of practice and time but when you complete each model you do get a big sense of satisfaction. To add to that when you complete a whole layout with your own hands it really is something to be proud of and show off to your family and friends.
For the model train enthusiast, purchasing the rolling stock is only the start of what will become an extensive, and possibly life changing project - maybe very costly, certainly very time consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable.
The major part establishing a model railroad project is the design and implementation of the layout – the diorama with scenery, structures and appropriate scale track for operating the trains.
The size of the layout you can design, build and operate depends on the amount of room in which you have to set it up. Some layouts can be quite small - shelf-top designs that can be accommodated in a very small space. Others can fill part of a room, or even a whole room or basement.
For a small, simple layout, a table will usually be adequate but most model railroaders aim to establish larger, permanent layouts. These will usually require construction of suitable benches, often fixed to the walls of the room to provide a high degree of stability.
An important aspect of any model train setup is the arrangement of the track itself. There are at least four basic layout patterns for setting out the track, and countless variations of both track configuration and subsequent station placement.
Four of the more common basic patterns are:
* point to point - this is merely a straight line of track with a station at each end, with trains going from the station at one end to the other station;
* continuous loop – in its simplest form this is either a circle or an oval and the trains move around it continuously, but it could be modified into a ‘dogbone’ shape by pulling two opposite sides of the circle or oval together, giving a double track appearance in the middle with a smaller circular shape at either end;
* out and back – where the train leaves the single station, travels around a pear-shaped layout and returns to the original station;
* station yard only – where a single station is surrounded by a number of short, interconnected tracks, providing great opportunities for shunting.
From these four basic patterns, there are countless variations. Some possibilities are:
* combining two or more of the four basic patterns, for example adding an ‘out and back’ at one or both ends of a ‘point to point’ layout;
* adding double track to any of the first three basic layouts to allow two or more trains to operate at the same time;
* adding branch lines, allowing an increase in the number of stations;
* arranging a continuous loop as a figure-of-eight, even elevating one track over the other rather than having the crossing at the same level;
* using multiple levels, allowing the use of more track, and thus more activity, in small areas;
* adding station yards, with adequate standing tracks, to any of the configurations.
The number of possible variations you incorporate into your track layout will only be limited by the space you have available, your time [and your patience] and, of course, the size of your wallet.
John Vanse is a model train enthusiast who has a number of websites related to ‘the greatest hobby on earth’.
You can find more information about these at The Model Train Guide
For the model train enthusiast, purchasing the rolling stock is only the start of what will become an extensive, and possibly life changing project - maybe very costly, certainly very time consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable.
The major part establishing a model railroad project is the design and implementation of the layout – the diorama with scenery, structures and appropriate scale track for operating the trains.
The size of the layout you can design, build and operate depends on the amount of room in which you have to set it up. Some layouts can be quite small - shelf-top designs that can be accommodated in a very small space. Others can fill part of a room, or even a whole room or basement.
For a small, simple layout, a table will usually be adequate but most model railroaders aim to establish larger, permanent layouts. These will usually require construction of suitable benches, often fixed to the walls of the room to provide a high degree of stability.
An important aspect of any model train setup is the arrangement of the track itself. There are at least four basic layout patterns for setting out the track, and countless variations of both track configuration and subsequent station placement.
Four of the more common basic patterns are:
* point to point - this is merely a straight line of track with a station at each end, with trains going from the station at one end to the other station;
* continuous loop – in its simplest form this is either a circle or an oval and the trains move around it continuously, but it could be modified into a ‘dogbone’ shape by pulling two opposite sides of the circle or oval together, giving a double track appearance in the middle with a smaller circular shape at either end;
* out and back – where the train leaves the single station, travels around a pear-shaped layout and returns to the original station;
* station yard only – where a single station is surrounded by a number of short, interconnected tracks, providing great opportunities for shunting.
From these four basic patterns, there are countless variations. Some possibilities are:
* combining two or more of the four basic patterns, for example adding an ‘out and back’ at one or both ends of a ‘point to point’ layout;
* adding double track to any of the first three basic layouts to allow two or more trains to operate at the same time;
* adding branch lines, allowing an increase in the number of stations;
* arranging a continuous loop as a figure-of-eight, even elevating one track over the other rather than having the crossing at the same level;
* using multiple levels, allowing the use of more track, and thus more activity, in small areas;
* adding station yards, with adequate standing tracks, to any of the configurations.
The number of possible variations you incorporate into your track layout will only be limited by the space you have available, your time [and your patience] and, of course, the size of your wallet.
John Vanse is a model train enthusiast who has a number of websites related to ‘the greatest hobby on earth’.
You can find more information about these at The Model Train Guide
The biggest, the strongest, the grandest American steam locomotive. Only 25 were built and now - for the first time - Pentrex shares ALL 25 of the Big Boys in action in the most incredible display of steam power ever!
A recently discovered film collection of professionally photographed 35mm movie film from 1953, combined with material from the Pentrex archives, makes this new production the ultimate tribute to the Big Boy!
Pentrex is proud to bring you each one of the 25 Big Boy locomotives - numbered 4000 to 4024 - in one thrilling display...
Beautifully constructed display case HO, N, and Z scale trains and hot wheels. Such and elegant way to showcase your collection. 6 wooden shelves with 38" long each for trains and cars. Felt matted background to create an elegant display...
The New York Central Flyer barrels down the mainline with a powerful 0-8-0 steam locomotive leading the way. Equipped with an upgraded drive rod assembly, electronic steam whistle, and puffing smoke, the 0-8-0 is ready for realistic action...
This HO-gauge train set includes a bright-yellow Union Pacific diesel locomotive, two freight cars, a caboose, and a 45-by-36-inch oval track that's more than enough to get the train up to top speed...
== Key Features == / / * Special sine-wave output circuitry provides plenty of controlled power / * Separate, UL Listed power supply keeps the THROTTLEPACK AC footprint small / * Whistle/horn & bell buttons included / * Special "Booster" button for added power when needed / * Precise, slow-speed throttle control for realistic performance / * Direction button / / == Overview == / / The THROTTLEPACK AC features advanced sine-wave circuitry so onboard locomotive sounds will function no matter what the brand...
MRC's Prodigy Express breaks fresh ground in DCC. If you're a modeler running solo, chances are you won't need the multitude of features Prodigy Advance has to offer. That's why we created Prodigy Express...
April 19th, 2011 
dwalton 
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