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Copy decals?

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  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: The Berkshires/Western Massachusetts
Copy decals?
Posted by pittsfieldpete on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 1:11 PM

Hi:

 

Is it possible to copy a decal sheet onto a plain sheet of decal paper? I want a to copy a set I have for my own use (not reselling). I have a high quality color copier at my disposal that's capable of processing many different types of paper. If anyone out there has done this successfully or can supply advice, please let me know.

Thanks,

Pete

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by batai37 on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2:55 PM

You'll probably get better results scanning the decal sheet onto your hard drive then printing it. That will also give you a back up of the decals, and you can also do modifications using image manipulation software like Photoshop.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 6:32 PM

batai37

You'll probably get better results scanning the decal sheet onto your hard drive then printing it. That will also give you a back up of the decals, and you can also do modifications using image manipulation software like Photoshop.

I agree.  In fact, I always scan decal sheets now, into my computer, just in case the decals are bad and disintegrate.  That way I can always reproduce them.

The one problem is if the decal contains white.  Now, I have a method of doing decals containing white, but not a whole sheet at a time, only the individual pieces.  I am intending to do an article that I will submit to FSM.  So it is a bit labor intensive to duplicate a whole sheet of individual decals if a lot of them contain white.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by batai37 on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7:44 PM

Can't you just use white decal paper for those? I've not had much occasion to print my  own, but I know that the white decals are problematic unless you have an ALPS printer.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, April 29, 2010 6:58 AM

batai37

Can't you just use white decal paper for those? I've not had much occasion to print my  own, but I know that the white decals are problematic unless you have an ALPS printer.

I don't have an Alps printer, so I have to use the white decal paper.  The problem is that the whole sheet is white (white "background").  So you would have to cut out the decal completely, very accurately around the edges of each one.  My technique is to set the background color to the background of the model in the area of the decal.  Fine for a single decal but very laborious for a whole sheet of decals unless the model is a single color.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Thursday, April 29, 2010 3:34 PM

Sure you can, but you then have to trim right up to the edge to remove the white surrounding the decal. This can be nerve wracking work. Miss a sliver of white on an other wise dark decal that is going on a dark background and you have a sore thumb sticking out at you.

 

If you can't do it yourself reasonably, outsource...Draw Decal...he can do single sheets or 10, 100 or even 1000 all at reasonable rates.  Greg will be at the Nats! Check out his stuff! Highly recommended.

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Illinois
Posted by wjbwjb29 on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 12:19 PM

Hello;

At what resolution do you scan your decals?

 

Bill

On the Bench:   Trumperter Tsesarevich on deck Glencoe USS Oregon

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Thursday, August 26, 2010 8:53 AM

wjbwjb29

Hello;

At what resolution do you scan your decals?

 

Bill

Depends a bit on size/scale. If they are big or very simple I use 300 ppi. If they are small and/or very detailed I go up to 400.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Illinois
Posted by wjbwjb29 on Thursday, August 26, 2010 5:57 PM

Thankyou I am going to try printing some.

 

Bill

On the Bench:   Trumperter Tsesarevich on deck Glencoe USS Oregon

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Piscataway, NJ!
Posted by wing_nut on Saturday, September 11, 2010 6:00 AM

For the white in decals a guy in my club explained his method.  He scans and makes his decal on clear paper.  Then make a second one only just slightly smaller.  He applied the smaller one to Tamiya tape as a guide to cut out a stencil to paint a white background.  The decal gets applied over this just smaller patch of white.  The stuff he does is larger for his car models. Seems it would be tedious for a lot of small ones though, but it's another idea anyway.

Marc  

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