Hello everyone. 

Something i've been putting off has been backdrops. An important feature of a model railrad. A friend of mine doesn't really like the photo backdrops as he says it takes away from the modelled portion of the layout. But as one of the backdrop providers says on their website, a backdrop is a model too. 

I'm proficient with Adobe Photoshop and with editing I can produce a nice backdrop with high quality images, if I have them. 

I've used masonite in the past and even curved around the corners, but I don't have a car to transport the materials from up the road. It is cost effective. However, I've decided to go with foamboard from our Dollar store, cheap and at 2 1/2 feet wide, 20 " tall (that i'll have to ajust to proper height) as a starting base. 

Now, with a 10' wall, I will have seems. It 'seems' inevitable in photos of other great layouts with their fantastic backdrops. I went the same route with foam board 5 locations ago when I first started my Ontario South Central layout and tried to spackle and sand the seem. But it didn't work. I never got round to painting them before I was on the move. 

Here is a mock up of 1 foamboard I cut in half. As you can see there are wires from the lighting going vertical down the wall. Stapling the wires horizontally is an option. But I would prefer the backdrop meeting the ceiling at 20" tucked behind the lights.

My question to you, what would be the best method to hiding the seems? The backdrops on backdrop providers websites i've seen only come in at 6' feet max. And I would go with the most minimal design and layer my own images on top especially where road meets the wall, etc. And at their price of close $100 usd plus shipping to Toronto I just don't see it as cost effective as I won't be happy with the results. The other option is to design the backdrop and send to printer and get a roll with adhesive but I would need high res photos and I could intersperse them. Another thing I decided was to have taller structures, silos, maybe even a cel tower, where the seem meets. I once saw a layout here they had a seem in the backdrop,and a tall water tower just left of it!

So ideas please of what you do to make realistic looking backdrops without the eye being disrupted with the dredded seem problem.

Thank in advance,

Brad, Toronto