DIY Decals

Are you using decal paper? Regular paper don't work. You've got to use special paper to make your own decals. There are 2 types : inkjet decal paper and laserjet decal paper.

Great looking decals, docipaul!

I find dark colored decals to go over light colored finishes pretty easy these days.  Decal papers for home printing have certainly improved over the ten years or so I have been doing them.  I have done both laser and inkjet, but have now settled on inkjet because I can find pretty cheap high-res inkjet machines, but cannot afford a high-res laser.

White or light colored designs to go over dark finishes are something else. I find them a PITA.  I have calibrated my monitor, but have had little luck extending the calibration to the printer.  When using white decal paper you have to match the background color to the color of the finish the decal is going over.  That has been a real challenge. It is amazing how sensitive the eye is to small color changes :-(

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Are you using decal paper? Regular paper don't work. You've got to use special paper to make your own decals. There are 2 types : inkjet decal paper and laserjet decal paper.

 

obviously I'm using decal paper for making decals lol!. The paper setting I'm referring to is the setting of the printer, using plain paper setting on the printer won't bond the toner to the decal paper, you need the change the setting to heavy paper to bond the toner to the decal paper but need to be careful that you don't melt the film.

Don Stauffer

Great looking decals, docipaul!

I find dark colored decals to go over light colored finishes pretty easy these days.  Decal papers for home printing have certainly improved over the ten years or so I have been doing them.  I have done both laser and inkjet, but have now settled on inkjet because I can find pretty cheap high-res inkjet machines, but cannot afford a high-res laser.

White or light colored designs to go over dark finishes are something else. I find them a PITA.  I have calibrated my monitor, but have had little luck extending the calibration to the printer.  When using white decal paper you have to match the background color to the color of the finish the decal is going over.  That has been a real challenge. It is amazing how sensitive the eye is to small color changes :-( 

Thanks Don, two things I'm planning, one is to leave the background white so you can just touch it up with your paint using your paint brush easily or two, try to use the colour of the background and print it together on your decal paper. Since the model I'm going to use it is painted black, I just print the black together witht the white artwork.

Looks like you're rolling, my friend, and your artwork is very nice.

Just a tip---I've had pretty good luck on matching background colors on my homemade decals, but those printed on white decal paper may need the cut edges touched up. It's often easiest to do this before applying them, using proper color markers or paint. But if you use paint, be careful---too much and you'll seal the edge to the backing paper, making it very difficult to separate. [Voice of painful experience speaking, there.]

Good luck with your projects!

gregbale

Looks like you're rolling, my friend, and your artwork is very nice.

Just a tip---I've had pretty good luck on matching background colors on my homemade decals, but those printed on white decal paper may need the cut edges touched up. It's often easiest to do this before applying them, using proper color markers or paint. But if you use paint, be careful---too much and you'll seal the edge to the backing paper, making it very difficult to separate. [Voice of painful experience speaking, there.]

Good luck with your projects! 

Many thanks Gregbale; yes, matching the background colour with the printer colours are difficult. I'm planning to asked the modellers to trim the background as close as possible, apply the decals to the model and paint the edges with the model's colour. Just fed up of looking for a printer that will print white which is not expensive (I'm not planning to sell one of my kidney lol!).

docipaul

 

 

Don Stauffer

Great looking decals, docipaul!

I find dark colored decals to go over light colored finishes pretty easy these days.  Decal papers for home printing have certainly improved over the ten years or so I have been doing them.  I have done both laser and inkjet, but have now settled on inkjet because I can find pretty cheap high-res inkjet machines, but cannot afford a high-res laser.

White or light colored designs to go over dark finishes are something else. I find them a PITA.  I have calibrated my monitor, but have had little luck extending the calibration to the printer.  When using white decal paper you have to match the background color to the color of the finish the decal is going over.  That has been a real challenge. It is amazing how sensitive the eye is to small color changes :-( 

 

 

Thanks Don, two things I'm planning, one is to leave the background white so you can just touch it up with your paint using your paint brush easily or two, try to use the colour of the background and print it together on your decal paper. Since the model I'm going to use it is painted black, I just print the black together witht the white artwork.

 

Yes, I find black an easy color to match.  My white on black decals generally work fine.  I have real problems matching reds and yellows, especially.  Cutting the decals very close to the design helps, as it minimizes the area of the off color. 

Also, there is a very fine white border even when I match the background reasonably well- the white color layer in the decal is amazingly thick, so that leaves a slight line around the decal that does need to be touched up.  I paint that edge with one of those sharp-pointed toothpicks, which is smaller than any paintbrush I own. But I paint that edge after I apply it to the model, as painting that edge first may affect the decal seperating from the backing paper.

Don Stauffer

Also, there is a very fine white border even when I match the background reasonably well- the white color layer in the decal is amazingly thick, so that leaves a slight line around the decal that does need to be touched up.  I paint that edge with one of those sharp-pointed toothpicks, which is smaller than any paintbrush I own. But I paint that edge after I apply it to the model, as painting that edge first may affect the decal seperating from the backing paper. 

Yes, that what I normally do, cut the decals and apply it tio the model. After it dries, I touched up the edges with paint just like I've done with my FA-50 and my Islander.