Belgian decals - AAAAAAAK, I must be nuts! Help!

Have you considered making your own decals of tail badge using a photo/graphics editor program, surething decal maker and some decal paper. Its not that hard and is more acurate than trying to paint them onto decal film. I make custom decals this way. There are many free photo/graphics editor programs around online to download. You can try Google's Picasa which is free.

Air Master

Have you considered making your own decals of tail badge using a photo/graphics editor program, surething decal maker and some decal paper. Its not that hard and is more acurate than trying to paint them onto decal film. I make custom decals this way. There are many free photo/graphics editor programs around online to download. You can try Google's Picasa which is free.

Uhhh, no I havent, but it sounds interesting. In fact, I dont even know what youre talking about! Well, not the details anyway. What is a "Surething" decal maker?

dahut wrote:

Have you considered making your own decals of tail badge using a photo/graphics editor program, surething decal maker and some decal paper. Its not that hard and is more acurate than trying to paint them onto decal film. I make custom decals this way. There are many free photo/graphics editor programs around online to download. You can try Google's Picasa which is free. Uhhh, no I havent, but it sounds interesting. In fact, I dont even know what youre talking about! Well, not the details anyway. What is a "Surething" decal maker?

Surething Decals Maker is a computer program that allows you to create custom decals even those of your own design and print them out on decal paper with your inkjet or laser printer. You can buy it here.... http://www.decalgear.com. Make sure you purchase the standard edition.

That is awesome! $20 bucks and Im in the decal business - is this a great time to be a modeler or what?! I already found some bat AND wolf insignia that should work. This version of the 11th Sq bat is already in a useable format, I think. Heres what it looks like:

What do you think? It should do without editing, eh?

Here's one of the Wolf, which of course will need editing from the photo:

And here's the Bat-on-Tail badge, also an edit job:

Any one of these will do nicely I should think. You, my friend, are the Man!

A stripped down version of the Surething program is also included in the Testor's decal making kit, which comes in a box and includes that program, a few sheets of white and clear decal paper, and a spray can of decal fixative.

Judging from the photos and graphics you already have, you're in good shape. You do need a few more things to do these by yourself, though - an ink jet printer and the patience of Job. Patience because your first few efforts may or may not work; like everything else in modeling, there's a learning curve. And to get the white areas of these designs, you're going to have to use white decal paper, which means you're going to have to cut out the decals very close to the edges so the extra white decal film doesn't show.

But yeah, it is sweet to hit the Print button and see exactly what you want come out the other end. Even sweeter when you finally get it on the model!

mfsob wrote:

A stripped down version of the Surething program is also included in the Testor's decal making kit, which comes in a box and includes that program, a few sheets of white and clear decal paper, and a spray can of decal fixative. Judging from the photos and graphics you already have, you're in good shape. You do need a few more things to do these by yourself, though - an ink jet printer and the patience of Job. Patience because your first few efforts may or may not work; like everything else in modeling, there's a learning curve. And to get the white areas of these designs, you're going to have to use white decal paper, which means you're going to have to cut out the decals very close to the edges so the extra white decal film doesn't show. But yeah, it is sweet to hit the Print button and see exactly what you want come out the other end. Even sweeter when you finally get it on the model!

For decals that absolutly must have the white background you must get white background decal paper. For decals that are all color and no white at all I sugest clear background decal paper.

Here is a link where I buy my decal paper...  https://www.papilio.com/hps/home.php. It's cheaper than Testors decal paper in the half sheets. They sell full 8.5x11 full size sheets in packs of 10 for 8.50 plus shipping. Better bargan than Testors decal paper.

Be prepared to do alot of resizing and test prints on PLAIN PAPER before you get decals to scale and ready to print on decal paper. Dont waste decal paper.  

Have fun!

Air Master 

ThHis is great and I thank all of your for your help. An idea that comes to me is to mask and paint the white areas and just use the clear decal sheets. 

SO the full feature version of Surething and enough sheets is still only about $20-25, right? ANd if I toss in the white sheets, well, I suppose this means that I will have to stop buying kits :( 

I don't think you necessarily NEED the Surething program - quite honestly I fooled around with it for a bit and haven't touched it since. All you need is a program that will allow you to capture and manipulate images, and even the Paint program included in Windows will work. Most computers come with some kind of image management program preloaded, or if you have a digital camera, that software can usually be utilized to at least crop and enlarge/shring images.

What I have done several times is pull an image off the web and save it as a .bmp file. That allows me to "erase" any unneeded areas using the Paint program. Then I save it as a .jpg or .gif file (crisper resolution). After that, I can paste the image into Word, or even Wordpad, and make test printings in black and white to see if it's lined up. Then, and only then, do I put in the decal paper and print it out in color. To recap, all you really need is:

1. Some kind of image-management program.
2. Color inkjet printer.
3. Clear and/or white decal paper.
4. Patience.

Yep, I just did all that and it worked fine. I can make the image about any size I want and only need some of the right decal paper. Lemme ask this, though:

Once printed in color, will the inks "bleed" from the water? Do I need to varnish over them with some clear enamel gloss first?

mfsob wrote:

I don't think you necessarily NEED the Surething program - quite honestly I fooled around with it for a bit and haven't touched it since. All you need is a program that will allow you to capture and manipulate images, and even the Paint program included in Windows will work. Most computers come with some kind of image management program preloaded, or if you have a digital camera, that software can usually be utilized to at least crop and enlarge/shring images. What I have done several times is pull an image off the web and save it as a .bmp file. That allows me to "erase" any unneeded areas using the Paint program. Then I save it as a .jpg or .gif file (crisper resolution). After that, I can paste the image into Word, or even Wordpad, and make test printings in black and white to see if it's lined up. Then, and only then, do I put in the decal paper and print it out in color. To recap, all you really need is: Some kind of image-management program. Color inkjet printer. Clear and/or white decal paper. Patience.

mfsob,  

I disagree. I use Paint Shop Pro 9 for creating the decal templates then use Surething Decal Maker-Standard Edition to resize and arrange decals in the same manner as you see AM decals or kit decals. Surething decal maker also allows for test printing on plain paper. I see it as an important part of making custom decals, at least for me. I prefer to print my decals as a set not one by one. Arranging decals to print as a set with MS Word, PSP or Photo Shop is very difficult. Surething has the settings to print in full or half sheet sets. MS Word, PSP or Photo Shop will not allow him this.

Air Master

If, like me, you only want to make a decal or two, then I can see where any basic editing program will work.  If you wanted to make whole sheets or do other things, well, maybe not. Like all purpose designed tools Surething is built to best at one thing. Everything else is a compromise, naturally.

I expect to get it, just because I can and because I expect to have this problem again. Never happy with the kit renderings, I am currently looking forward to my next project - a Ju-87 G-2 that ISN'T marked as Ulrich Rudels surrender plane. This will take a few special markings, too, I already know.

dahut wrote:

If, like me, you only want to make a decal or two, then I can see where any basic editing program will work.  If you wanted to make whole sheets or do other things, well, maybe not. Like all purpose designed tools Surething is built to best at one thing. Everything else is a compromise, naturally. I expect to get it, just because I can and because I expect to have this problem again. Never happy with the kit renderings, I am currently looking forward to my next project - a Ju-87 G-2 that ISN'T marked as Ulrich Rudels surrender plane. This will take a few special markings, too, I already know.

Dahut,  Dont mind me, I just disagreed with mfsob on Surething. Just use your best judgement and do it your way. All we did was offer advice and help thats what we are here for.

 Air Master 

Air Master,

How about if I "mind" you and him? There is room for both opinions and it's okay if there's disagreement. When something is new, it's best to keep an open mind until you learn what works for you, especially when advised by experienced folks.

In this, the Modern Age of Modeling, it is downright cheap to try custom decaling and there is little reason not to try many of the options available.

I thank both of you for your input.

Another option for colour and decals with white is to prime with white, then mask the decal areas with the finished test paper, backed with sticky back tape. Cut the paper image as close to the actuall size, then apply the decals printed on clear carrier film sheets.  This helps in a couple of ways. First you won't get backgound colour bleed thru. The white sheets tend to be translucent and there less need for double up of decals. Secondly the colour will be bright like when on the test papers, so there's no color adjusting needed. There is also less need to cut dead edge close on your decals. Lastly be prepared to do some touch-up paint on the edges no matter what way you go. Avoid pure blacks dial 'em back to dark greys. On every paper I've tried the pure blacks seem to crack, like there too much ink being laid down. Hope this helps

 Forgot some things, If you have a or access to a laser printer or copier, the colours, even black are printed better. Be sure to use the right decal paper for the right outsource. Laser  printer out-puts are best also the most expensive. Laser copy prints are very good quality if you print your original on smooth low gloss photo stock with your inkjet printer set to best/photo quality, and don't mind making a trip to Kinko's or your local printer. Go the inkjet way if you want to keep all in-house and follow the tips here and above.

By the way, to set up my decals I use (all, some, or one) Photoshop, Illustrator and Correldraw, Correlpaint, & Fractal Design Painter, all second or third gen back. You can pick these programs up(disks only) from between $9.99 to $29.99

dahut wrote:

BTW UPDATE: The Belgian Alpha has taken the plunge into the parts bin. So it goes.

Why? What happend?

Honestly? I buggered it up yet again and decided I'd had enough of it. I was trying to make a silk purse from a sows ear with that old ESCI kit and probably took on more than my meager skills, and tools were up to. It's all good... it's still on the "someday" shelf.