Trimming Decals

Trim as close as you can to the edge, that'll give you the best results.

Don't trim right up to the edge of the decal because 1) you don't actually want to cut into the decal by mistake! 2) a little clear surround helps the decal blend into the surrounding paintwork, when you're using decal solvents.

In my experience, most modern kit and aftermarket decals are fine as they are, so long as you use standard techniques: apply them to a glossy surface, use suitable decal solvents, apply a further coat of gloss varnish/ Future and then a final coat of matt/semigloss varnish.

Hey Chris,

That's kinda where I was thinking too. Just one question though: The second coat of gloss you mentioned, would that be over the entire model like the first, or just over the attached decals?

Just clarifying,
Jake

Hi Jake! Generally, gloss over the whole model. Varnish tends to darken the paint it is applied over,so not re-glossing the whole model could be noticeable. If you use Future, it dries quickly - touch-dry in an hour, overpaint-dry overnight.

An excepton is miitary vehicles and ships. Here you can often get away with just glossing the panels to which the decals will be applied (e.g. helo deck and hull on a frigate, but not the weather deck or masts). This especially applies if the modelwill be heavily weathered after the decals have been applied.

Hope this helps,
Chris.

It does, good to know. Thank you

Jake

Just a little tidbit on decal trimming: Find a sharp pair of scissors that you can manuever well while cutting with, and don't use those schissors for anything else.

DJ

Concur with that. I use a pair of surgical-quality toenail scissors, which I don't use for anything else, and replace them every 3 years or so (at which age, they're still fine for cutting toenails!)

Chris