Making decal paper last?

With inkjet printers, make sure your layout is all at the top of the page, going across.

Print, then cut a clean line under them, leaving the sheet with a top edge at right angles to the sides.

This should work untill you get quite near the bottom, as IJ printers need a 1/4" - 1/2" edge at the bottom of the page to grip the page.

Laserjet printers use heat to fix the pigment powders to the page, so wouldn't tolerate multiple passes through without significant performance degredation.

Fill your page with as many decal designs as possible.

My tried-and-true method is to print a 'test-run' image in the middle of a sheet of plain paper, then just cut a section of decal paper to fit that printed image, and tape it over, top and sides. (The sides is so it won't snag on the carriage, moving back and forth.) Just run the sheet through again, and you're good to go.

Saves a lot of pricey decal stock, and lets me run even single decals if need-be. Also much easier to run an 'extra' if one decal on a larger sheet happens to run or pick up a dust-blob (as always annoyingly seems to happen.)

The edge that goes into the printer first must be a staight, square edge.  So, with my first decals on a sheet, I print them along the top.  I then cut the top strip off.  For my second print, I merely turn the sheet 180 degrees, and then I am putting one of the original sheet edges in first, so it will feed fine (decals still laid out along top of sheet).

If I get three sets of decals from the sheet, I then have to square up one of the edges to ensure proper feed.

Sometimes there is enough of the sheet left to do the amount of decals that will fit on the face of an envelope.  I then cut the sheet to the size and shape of a business envelope, and set the sheet size in the printer as envelope.  Some printers print envelopes widthwise, others endwise, check your printer manual.  Makes no difference to the decals.

Eventually, you will get a remaining piece that is just too small for the printer to handle it- I keep a few of those around to do little pieces where I need to make a solid-color decal, like for hatches and stuff.  These I then trim with hobby knife after printing and sealing.

Greg's method is exactly what I do .  Only thing I'd add is because you are handling small sections of decal paper,  once taped in place give it a wipe with tissue to remove any oils from fingertips.

regards,

Jack