At the suggestion to my wife, I’ve used clear or white mailing labels to make posters, signs & number boards for my layout.
Depending on the quality of printer you have, the clarity of print I found is amazing.
I can read a poster that once was 18’" x 10" that is now a label 1" x 1"
Gordon
I remember an article in the old-style innovative-ish Model Railroader which described taking magazine ads, cutting them out, and then sanding them down from the backside to create a sort of decal, which could be applied to the side of a building to look as though it were painted there. The trouble with the self-adhesive labels is that they are thick, so they’ll always look like a tacked-up poster; this is fine, if it’s what you’re looking for. The point of decals, though, is to look as though they were painted on. Also, I have to wonder how long the adhesive will hold up; usually these things begin to curl at the corners over time. Maybe a clear sealing coat can prevent this… I don’t know.
I have actually been contemplating using my color laser printer at work to print out things like wall siding in order to make scratchbuilding stock; brick and stucco patterns are complex and extremely difficult to create in N-scale, yet rather easy in a computer image-editor. Buildings would thus have no 3-D relief but rather have photographic-quality shading and shadow lines, which at this tiny scale will likely be better. I think I wil rely on a spray adhesive to affix regular print paper to a substrate such as styrene, rather than use a self-adhesive paper.
Ok, you made a good point. But the labels I have are no thicker than paper.
I’ve placed them on an old building I have right next to a decal already applied & you can’t tell the difference.
Gordon
The world is comin to an end. There is an alternative to decals!!!
For posters that are on a flat background, stickers are an interesting solution–for, say, a sign painted on the side of a brick building, the sanded-paper route is probably better for detail. And yes, a layer of Dullcote or other fixative will keep it from peeling up at the corners.
I plan on using this technique for building signs extensively–I experimented with a sign today but it was too wide to fit properly–I’ll try again with a smaller sign.
The advent of the color inkjet printer has definitely opened up new vistas for realistic signage in model railroading–and there’s always those homemade decals when even sanded paper isn’t thin enough…
So, I’ve found a source for blank sheets of decals.
I’ve ordered some. 8"x11" sheets.
I should have them sometime next month.
Gordon
As an effective alternative to decals for rollingstock I much prefer dry transfers. Pitty I can’t fine a method to make them myself with a color printer. Anyone have ideas for selfmade dry transfers?
Randy
The description below is from the following web site: http://www.decalprint.nl/NewFiles/inte.html
“Dry-transfer decals with protective varnish
What is a dry-transfer decal?
It’s printed on a transparent plastic sheet in the following order:
#61623; Varnish
#61623; A mirror image of the text and/or illustration
#61623; An adhesive layer
The adhesive is covered with a sheet of silicone paper to prevent accidental attachment. After removing the silicone backing paper and placing the image in the desired position, rubbing onto the plastic sheet causes the image to adhere to the surface you are applying it to.
Uses
The dry-transfer decal is used on a large number of manufactured products.
The varnish layer gives the decal an excellent chemical and fade resistance and is suitable for outdoor use.Due to the thinness of the decal it gives less problems when being applied to demanding surfaces.
Dry-transfer decals without protective varnish
These decals lacking the varnish layer are similar to the once popular sheets of letters manufactured by firms such as Letraset and Mecanorma.
Uses
Applying letters and symbols to the reverse side of transparant panels or for use when a protective finishing coat is added on top of the decals.”
It appears to me that it would be possible to the print the image using a printer instead of a printing press and then spray the adhesive on, but I found no products offered to do this.
good topic, I just don’t like decals.
Is it posible to make some for locomotives. My LHS dosen’t stock many train items so i’m left to paint logos and such myself…not very good looking
ShaunCN
It is possible Shawn. I’m looking into making some for my new model railroad business venture.
“Werd Leasing”
“If we can’t move it, you don’t need to!”
This is what is going on the side of my AC4400 that I need to get painted for my new locomotive leasing company.
As soon as I have some results, I’ll post them here.
Gordon
Shaun:
If by ‘some’ you mean ‘make your own decals’, its relatively easy if you have a laser jet printer and are minimally computer literate.
All you really need is: decaling paper; an image which you can scan, capture off the net, or create yourself; gloss coat spray (to seal the image once transfered to the decaling paper). If you want, there are simple specialist programs available to teach you how to do it step by step. Your results will be as good as commercially available decals, or very nearly so.
The only shortcoming is a standard printer will not print ‘white’ images. For that you need an Alps model printer. Alps is still made but not distributed or tech supported in the US.
Randy
ok, it seems that you can’t decorate rolling stock without using water slide decals… isn’t there something besides decal paper and dry transfers to be used on rolling stock?
You don’t say what scale you are in. One or two small manufacturers make plastic die cut lettering for larger scales. Those who use them think highly of them, or so I’ve read. I think the minimum size is 1/8 or 3/16 so they aren’t suitable for smaller scale use.
Randy
Paint: At one time painting the road names and harolds was quite common. Most were very crude, but some skillful artists can hand paint successfully.
It is also be possible to make templates and use spray paint.
In the 1970’s I lettered cars for my home road using Leroy lettering guides, pen and ink (very simple lettering) When I was in the Army I had access to some very expensive guides for many different lettering styles, unfortunately all my cars were at home