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Hi all,
As a kid in art class, I used dry transfers for lettering etc. and even tried them on a car model. The dry transfer lettering ( "Driver Me ") are still on the Corvette model after 35 years.
My question ; why do all the modelers use decals with all their inherant problems ?
(ie. too thick, too thin, too much carrier film,having to set them with solvaset/micro set etc. ) instead of dry transfers which have none of these problems ?
There must be a good reason decals are so popular and always win out over dry transfers.
I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.
For me, it boils down to price and availability. Dry transfers tend to be more expensive because of production costs and the subject matters tend to be limited. Decals come with the kit and the aftermarket is filled with a lot of options for nearly every subject you want to model. Every now and again, I'll splurge on a set of Archer transfers, but the wife frowns on the added expense.
I surely understand the wife frowning on the added expense KT LOL.
What I don't understand is if dry transfers are better, how did the supposedly inferior decals ever take such a hold on the model industry?
Jay Jay I surely understand the wife frowning on the added expense KT LOL. What I don't understand is if dry transfers are better, how did the supposedly inferior decals ever take such a hold on the model industry?
I suspect many kit mfgs subcontract out the making of decals or dry transfer stuff. There are lots of people out there that make decals- not so many make the dry transfer stuff. It apparently is somewhat harder to do. I think that raises prices, and model kits are price sensitive.
Don Stauffer in Minnesota
Well,I really have not had a lot of problems with decals,a few times I used dry transfers on armor and I wasn't enthralled with them.And I really wouldnt want to dry transfer an entire modern jet either.
Tojo72 Well,I really have not had a lot of problems with decals,a few times I used dry transfers on armor and I wasn't enthralled with them.And I really wouldnt want to dry transfer an entire modern jet either.
Likewise. I find dry transfers great for very small areas, not so nice for large areas like stripes and such. I have a hard time making them conform if applied across a panel line.And, for text, they are fine for a few letters, but for very long words or phrases getting the spacing right becomes a pain.
Dry transfers are crazy expensive, and are actually more difficult than decals and more time consuming. What can be simpler than dipping in water and applying? I see HGW has a set of transfers available for Academy's 48 scale Phantom. I wonder what the reviews are?
There used to be a company that made decals that kinda' worked like dry transfers. You'd cut out the individual marking place it where you wanted it. The placed a couple of drops of water on the backing sheet. In a couple of seconds the backing paper would release and only the printed ink decal remained on the model. This was great for NMF. I still have a set lying around for 1/72 F-104s
I don't remember the name but they are out of business. To bad the concept was great.
"Live life to the fullest and die without regrets"
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