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Making 'white' decals on the printer

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  • Member since
    June 2012
Making 'white' decals on the printer
Posted by arnie60 on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 11:06 AM

I was needing some draft markings and couldn't find what I wanted, so I figured that I would make the decals myself, then it occurred to me that they need to be white and the printers response to white is usually to leave it blank. Anyone have any insight how to overcome this problem?

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 11:14 AM

Use white decal paper?

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 11:18 AM

Unless you have access to an ALPS type, or one of the newer printers that actually prints white inks, your options are severely limited. You could try printing the numbers out on white decal stock, surrounded by something close to the background color, but as forum-member and home-printing decal guru Don Stauffer has pointed out, even if you get the background color tone right, matching the saturation levels is nearly impossible. When I can, I just paint the background color around the white characters on the printed decal (before it is cut out and applied), but for draft numbers that's not much of an option.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 7:27 PM

Look around for dry transfers. They can be pretty useful.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    June 2012
Posted by arnie60 on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 11:15 PM

Thanks for the help all. The dry transfers look like the way to go, and Archer seems to be the place to go for them.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Posted by EdGrune on Thursday, July 25, 2013 6:36 AM

What scale?

 

Hawk Graphics makes sheets of white & black draft marks in several scales 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, July 25, 2013 8:28 AM

I use dry transfers myself.  While I have made white decals, it is a real test of the home decal makers skill, and I would not attempt doing draft marks as decals.  There is a good selection of fonts and sizes in dry transfers.  Now, there is one hybrid approach. It is sometimes hard to apply dry transfers to a small ship model. I have applied dry transfers to a clear decal sheet, cut out the area and applied as a regular decal.  Putting the dry transfers down on the decal sheet while it is resting on a stable, large surface is much easier than applying it directly to hull.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    June 2012
Posted by arnie60 on Thursday, July 25, 2013 10:16 AM

Don: Archer has a great how to video to do just that, but i can't seem to find the classic roman numerals. And although Hawk has them (thanks Ed) I need them in 1/96 scale, also which I cant seem to find, ergo my thinking that I would have to make them myself.. I will double check both sites again tho. Thanks so much for your input. It's been a great help.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Thursday, July 25, 2013 10:37 AM

arnie60

And although Hawk has them (thanks Ed) I need them in 1/96 scale, also which I cant seem to find, ergo my thinking that I would have to make them myself.

Apparently Hawk does 1/96 as well. Floating Drydock has them listed as product #HD9608.

Picture here.

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    June 2012
Posted by arnie60 on Thursday, July 25, 2013 11:31 AM

Doh! How the heck did I not see these on the Hawk site? $21 on HG, $23 on FD, either way a bit spendy for two sheets that I will only use the draft markings from. Thanks for removing my blind spot.

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