Making your own decals

[Guest]

Read Barry's article about masks & set my thoughts going.

Some times the decals are awful in the quality of the actual physical material & design work. Breaking up etc very easily & difficult some times to manipulate.

Also for instance on the Trumpeter Wellington, bizarre but the physical material was perfect, but the decals were very basic with very little on for instance, fuel here, fire hose here etc. This was a bit sad after all those hours spent up until decal time. Also the decal red was yucks & I scrounged some from a Lancaster set. Same with the numbers in red hence Lancaster Squadron numbers on a Wellington.. Ha ha no body noticed. Waited for it but no never happened. No got you for cheating.

I spend loads of time producing interiors never again to be seen. But Decals which can make a model or at least enhance the authenticity I just stick on. Plus if a particular squadron or unit is to be depicted I cannot produce.

So. I wanted to have a go at making my own. What do I need ? I produce DVD library cases & DVD face art work plus have experience in architectural art work so that is not a problem. Also for the DVD work I have a high end printer so that gives a good starter. Just the expertise on producing decals.

Any advice on materials needed & the best way of going about it would be appreciated. Please !

Laurie

[Ian M]

Is your printer and Ink printer or a laser printer? This has a significant baring on which type of decal film you will need and how they are treated after printing.

A laser printer need decal paper for laser printers (duh) and ink printers their own type of paper.

With a laser printer you just need to produce the artwork, print it out and thats it, ready for use.

You will need both clear and white paper as very few printers can print white. If the decal is very light or contains white, you will need to use the white paper. Anything else and you can use the clear one.

The decal paper for ink printers, need to be sealed after printing. Other wise when you put the decal in water, the ink runs and the decal is trashed... You can use several different things to seal them with. I have had limited success with clear acrylic varnish, but you need to be very careful, as you know acrylic varnish is also water base. You need to mist coats on gradually to build up a film, letting each coat dry. Or you can buy a special decal sealer that works better with out making the colours run.

I have had OK luck with using Photoshop to do my 'artwork' as I can find my way round in that. Others prefer a vector graphics program like illustrator, some thing about better for scale and enlarging/reducing.

One of the most important things is getting the printer and the screen to show the same colour. Being "in the business", I don't think thats a problem for you. Its a heavy moment when you have used all night to design the decal only to print it out and the colours are all out of whack. So calibrate the screen and the printer. The same goes for a scanner.

Hope that gives you something to go after. I am sure that someone that does it a lot will come with what you really need to do.

Ian M

[stona]

I've done them with an inkjet printer,sealed with Liquid Decal Film and I've taken the much easier option and done them with a laser printer.

As far as I know only ALPS printers will print white so you will have to jump through the hoops described by Ian if you want to attempt this. I've found that printing light colours is very difficult using either system.

I'll use them for things like black serials but anything much more complicated and I'll try and source after market decals or masks.

There are a couple of people who will "professionally" print decals to your artwork.

Cheers

Steve

[Ian M]

There was one ink jet that could print white, but are as rare as rocking horse do do. ALPS printers cost a few bob and the colour cartridges are also rather pricey- on the plus side you can also print Gold, silver and other metalic colours with them, If you can find them that is.

I have in the last month been wondering why they dont make a laser printer that can print with. Laser toner is after all plastic powder.

Like Steve, after some half hearted efforts I keep to serials and codes in strong colours.

Ian M

[Guest]

Thanks both for the input. A feeling in my bones & getting wet feet that I am being grossly optomistic but getting out of my depth.

Sounds most complicated & most disturbingly expensive. I can see also it turning out to be horribly frustrating.

But thanks.

Laurie

[John]

If you have any images you want printing on decal paper I would do it for you, I have a colour laser printer and the results are quite good

[Guest]

Hey John that is very nice of you. Very much appreciated. Service indeed.

Regards

Laurie

[Ian M]

I think that if you give it a go it won't be half as intimidating as it all sounds. Go on, I know you like a challenge.

Ian M

[Guest]

Yes Ian I will think about that in one of my more expansive moments. At the moment challenges are on my negative list. About level with broken undercarts.

Laurie