Skull-1 Posted January 23, 2006 Posted January 23, 2006 (edited) How do the geniuses like Anastazi create decal sheets? Those things are amazing. Do you just print them onto a decal sheet with a laser printer? Edited January 23, 2006 by Skull-1 Quote
MechTech Posted January 23, 2006 Posted January 23, 2006 Pasted from a couple of threads down... I know you DID NOT want water transfer decals, but keep in mind you can do laser jet or inkjet really cheap at your local printers ( I did mine when I was back in the UK years ago before I had a good inkjet printer). The same will go for whatever "dry" decal paper you decide to use. All you will need is a diskette or thumb drive to transfer your work to the printers to do up. Give it a shot. For those wanting to try water slide decals, laser jet or ink jet, try: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?M...roduct&ID=81490 In short, draw or paste your artwork onto your illustrating program and print it onto decal paper (inkjet or laserjet). There are severall suppliers, Micro Mark is only one that's been reliable for me. Like I said above, you can even have a print shop print for you. The only limitation is white lettering or marks that are small. As you'll see, the paper comes in white or clear so there are some limitations. Anastazi can print white onto his sheets. Like I said, give it a shot and try it. I've made severall sheets up myself and it only takes a little practice. Quote
Sdf-1 Posted January 23, 2006 Posted January 23, 2006 That link doesn't work, missing merchant id Quote
Majestic Posted January 23, 2006 Posted January 23, 2006 I've had recent successes with decal paper from these guys: http://www.belldecals.com/model_decals.html My inkjet printer worked great with this. I designed my decals using Photoshop and Pagemaker. Just be careful handling the decal sheets, let them dry for a while, then coat them with Krylon Crystal Clear spray varnish and let that dry in a clean environment. Worked great, and really cheap too. You won't be able to print white, however, unless you've got one of the famous ALPS printers. Quote
Skull-1 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Posted January 23, 2006 (edited) INK JET on a decal?????????????? Does that work? Can you use SOLVEASET on these things or does the Krylon repel it? Yes decals are preferable to stickers so... I was going to have Anasazi do some custom markings for me but if I know he is busy so... Out of fear that I may have to do it myself... What about aging? Do the decals crack and come apart over time or do they hold up? Edited January 23, 2006 by Skull-1 Quote
Majestic Posted January 23, 2006 Posted January 23, 2006 INK JET on a decal?????????????? Does that work? Can you use SOLVEASET on these things or does the Krylon repel it?What about aging? Do the decals crack and come apart over time or do they hold up? 363329[/snapback] Yes, Ink Jet, while not the best option, works fairly well if you're careful. I duplicated a few decals just to make sure I got the best print. I use Microset and Microsol, both of which seemed to work as normal for decal application and conforming to the surface, etc. I imagine that once you Krylon them, they'll last fairly well as long as they aren't bent or warped too much. Quote
Skull-1 Posted January 23, 2006 Author Posted January 23, 2006 Yeah I just need to make some emblems for the vertical tail on a 1/55. No bending expected. I still may hit Anasazi up for it. Hmmmm.... I wonder if I could take a decal sheet to PINKO's and let them run it through the color laser.... Quote
MechTech Posted January 24, 2006 Posted January 24, 2006 Pinko's should work. Laserjet transfers can be a little more delicate, just be sure to coat them BEFORE bending or touching. I believe it's Solvaset that makes a clear decal coating for making your own or repairing decals; that stuff's the bomb! I coat my decals with it after the Krylon and it makes them more durable. I would reccomend giving it a shot. You'll never know until you try. Quote
DatterBoy Posted January 25, 2006 Posted January 25, 2006 I ordered a few inkjet sheets last night. I had some laser sheets but they were terrible. They kept getting eaten by the color printer. If you have a laser printer that has more of a straight path for a feed, hit it, otherwise, go inkjet. Once I do my inkjet decals for my JM, I'll post em here so you can see how they turn out. I will be using Krylon for it to kee th eink from smearing in the water and then using Future over it. Here's the laser decals from the laser set. Used it for: - "screws" on shoulder, forearms, and side of chestplate - yellow arrow over the front intake on the chestplate - VF and red and blue "lights" on the leg/landing gear - Macross kite on wing and fast packs Quote
MechTech Posted January 25, 2006 Posted January 25, 2006 Hey DatterBoy, looks like you managed to salvage your paint job. It looks great with markings. The personal touch is way more fun than just gettin' it outa da box! Quote
DatterBoy Posted January 25, 2006 Posted January 25, 2006 The personal touch with custom decals really is what makes the thing special. Truth be told, I like this one more than my Original 1985 JM's in looks. They're pretty plain. If the JM's were released in this detail.. I'm sure they'd sell like hotcakes. Especially if they could slap a -30$ tag on em. :Dat Quote
DatterBoy Posted January 25, 2006 Posted January 25, 2006 One more thing about custom paint jobs... they are less likely to yellow over the years! Quote
David Hingtgen Posted January 27, 2006 Posted January 27, 2006 Very true. While white paint may still yellow, it's nothing compared to white plastic! Also, I tend to believe that it's usually the clear coat that yellows more than the white paint underneath. Acrylic clears are certainly the way to go, they seem to be inherently more "pure" and truly colorless than any lacquer clear. Quote
Mallet21 Posted January 27, 2006 Posted January 27, 2006 I wonder if I could take a decal sheet to PINKO's and let them run it through the color laser.... 363348[/snapback] I've had some success printing the graphics on plain paper then taking them to Kinko's and having color copies of the graphics made on decal paper. Quote
DatterBoy Posted January 27, 2006 Posted January 27, 2006 That's a good idea... does Kinko do white? Quote
Mallet21 Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 That's a good idea... does Kinko do white? 364836[/snapback] They didn't last time I was there, though things might have changed. It wouldn't hurt to find out, but if you don't need 'intricate' white decals the copy route is definately the safest way to go. Quote
DatterBoy Posted January 31, 2006 Posted January 31, 2006 Custom decal sheet: Applied to a 1D JM (not complete yet, need a few more decals) Laser is the way to go for black prints since it does not require any coating. I have had great succes with this. I have yet to try the inkjet but I got my paper. I'll be printing the kite and the leg arrows on that and will post pics of that once I am done. My only real concern is how it will look after the acrylic Krylon and application. Hope it protects the print from the water and stays thin overall. Quote
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