Can anyone help with making decals?

geedub wrote:

What type of waterslide decal paper for inkjet printing do you recommend - i want something i can airbrush clear enamel over?

Man, I could go on and on about this stuff.... The decal paper at Micromark is very good.  I'm not really sure how to answer this question though -- Most of the decal papers suggest sealing the decal sheet (after printing, of course) with a glossy clearcoat of acrylic spray sealer from a rattle can.  I do not know if enamel will be a good mix or not!  I would think you could always use the acrylic spray to seal, let it dry for a few days, and then apply to your model and use whatever sealer you want over the whole project.

However, I think I'd run a test decal FIRST, and use the acrylic sealer, let it dry, transfer it to a piece of scrap styrene, and then hit it with your enamel clear and see what it does.  I'd do a thick coat, too, just to make sure the two sealers 'get along' with each other.  If you do a thin coat, you won't know what will happen if you accidently put it on a bit thick when you are actually applying your decals to the model.  I've never had a complaint about people and the decals I sell, and I have to think that SOMEONE has used enamel spray sealer at some point in time by now, so this may not even be an issue worthy of discussion.  But if it were MY model, I'd test it first! 

Good luck with it -- let us know how you do!

--Henry

Dave --

Hi-res photos are great.  I can reduce them sharpen them up, and then print to decal paper.  The only issue might be the size.  I'd need you to tell me, pretty precisly, exactly what size the finished decal should be.  I can usually get pretty close!  If you like, email me at tsdsebay@hotmail.com and I'll email you some samples of what I've done.

--Henry

What kind of artwork do you need? I think the best I can come up with is hi-res digital photos. There might be something online............... I'd like to come up with a set of Swift logos, which is extremly common, and a set of Franz bread logos which is not so common.

 Thanks for the reply

Dave

pdxdave wrote:

I'm kind of in the same boat, though I'm looking more for 1/25th semi truck carrier logos. If anyone knows of someplace that does that kid of custom work I'm be deeply thankfull, all I can find is 1/87th scale.  Dave in Portland

 If you can provide artwork and size specifics, I can do it.  --Henry

I'm kind of in the same boat, though I'm looking more for 1/25th semi truck carrier logos. If anyone knows of someplace that does that kid of custom work I'm be deeply thankfull, all I can find is 1/87th scale.

 Dave in Portland

roguemodel wrote:

I am doing a presentation for the retiring General of the Iowa ANG. I am doing a 72nd kc135 refueling an F-16 in midair mounted on an acryllic obelisk. Now, I can fanagle the 72nd KC135 using existing decals sets for the 185th ARW in Sioux City. But, to do the 132nd FW out of DesMoines. no decals exist. I have pictures of the artwork. I need the decals for the 72nd F-16. I NEED HELP WITH MAKING THESE DECALS. I would gladly reimburse for your time and supplies. I have about 600 men and women from Both ANG wings that I would rather not let down. To have a custom company do it I would have to order at least 100 decal sets. Any help is humbly and greatly appreciated!

I might be able to help -- email me if you are still looking!

--Henry

Try this link, scroll down about 3/4 of the page to get a list of folks that do custom decal work.

You can also read the instructions on the page to try to produce the decals your self.  

http://www.xs4all.nl/~robdebie/models/decals.htm