Does anyone make their own decals, and are you happy with the results. I’m pretty proficient with Photoshop and have a very good quality Canon photo printer that can print down to 300 DPI resolution. I see that Micro-mark offers decal paper, and I’m sure it’s available elsewhere as well…
I’ve printed a few on a couple of different printers and paper types. I have an old Canon BJC6000 whose ink did not sit well on the paper (sort of beaded up rather than sitting). In fairness, I think my current cartridges are 3rd party ones, not Canon’s, so that could cause some problems like that. My wife’s HP all-in-one did fine using HP inks.
The paper I used on the few I’ve printed thus far is Testor’s. I have some of the Micro Mark stuff, I just haven’t gotten around to using it yet.
The decals I printed thus far were for a building, and I was quite happy with the way they turned out. Sometime around the Holidays I’ll probably draft and print a set of decals for locos and rolling stock. That will probably come off the laser printer (on laser decal paper), and I’ll try to remember to let you know how that goes. The biggest problem I can see thus far is not being able to print white.
[#ditto] I have been begging vendors to make white toner at every trade show I’ve gone to since I first got a laser printer in 1991. Now I’ve added begging for white ink. I did find one company that made silver (for weddings)…But I have found I can paint white under where the decal is going to go and with a little image engineering the white will show through in the appropriate places.
But I still I get much of my custom decals from Rail Graphics. I can highly recommended them.
Depending on your scale and detail of decal that might not be sufficient. Probably work OK for lettering and coarse lines. I have a 1200 DPI that couldn’t handle an HO scale moose outline logo I was working on. At anything less it got a really bad case of aliasing.
THAT’S the one I’ve been looking for… Couldn’t remember the name… Thanks.
Back in the 90s ALPS offered dye-sub printers that would print white (not leave white like all other printers do) on laser decal paper (I have 2 - 50 sheet packages of the stuff)… Try as I might, I could not buy a printer that actually worked. Very frustating experience cost me 100s of $$ and I never got a useable decal out of any of it… The ALPS printers were Total CRAP. They are no longer made and the company no longer supports them so if you find one, stay away from it…
I THINK, and it’s been awhile since I read about it, Okidata made (makes) a similar printer that will do white with dyesub cartriges… It comes to mind because it used the same cartrige as the ALPS, all you had to do to use it was move the bar code sticker from one cart to the other. The Okidata printers however were (are) not offered in the USA so if you wanted one, Mail order from overseas… After my experience with the ALPS POS printers, it wasn’t an experiement I wanted to try…
So, for small runs where I need white lettering, I’ll go the rail graphics route… Thanks for pointing that out…
Jeff
It would be nice to have some custom decals made, but is the cost for a single page reasonable? When I think of printing companies, I think of costs that are based on big production runs, not single copies. How much does Rail Graphics charge?
I believe you are correct in your analysis:
http://www.railgraphicsdecals.com/
Looks like the minimum is 25 sheets for $76.
Be nice if you could still get the ALPS printers, here in the states.
I’ve made custom decals on ink jet printers. I use a Canon i560s. It does a pretty good job set to high quality print. The Testors paper is okay, but whatever your LHS sells is going to be better. I was very impressed with the VitaCal over the Testors.
No it wouldn’t… You do NOT want one of those pieces of garbage… You would be Much better off paying the $76 for 25 custom printed sheets… I don’t know about the Oki printer though, may be a lot better…
Jeff
I read on another forum that Epson inkjet printers with DuraBrite ink works well with the decal papers. The DuraBrite ink is oil based and works better with water released decal paper.
I read on another forum that Epson inkjet printers with DuraBrite ink works well with the decal papers. The DuraBrite ink is oil based and works better with water released decal paper.
We have a Mob here in Australia called “Broad Gauge Bodies”, they seem to
turn out a pretty good “Water Slide Transfer” with Screen Printing, you might
concider this as another alternative.
regards,
I’ve used the Micro-Mark paper, sealed with Testors Decal Sealer. Works well. Except the red from from HP Office Jet wasn’t opac enough, and turned purple on my blue box cars.
Nick
I learned that from a member of this forum, and he’s right. The DuraBrite works very well. I’ve made both MRR and R/C airplane decals with my Epson Stylus C66, and they come out great.
Ray
I have used my Espon Photo Pro 300 (standard ink) on Walthers decal film and VitaClear sealer with nice results. Just don’t use decal film setter, it will desolve the ink. This I learned the hard way. All the colors showed nicely on black, red oxide and gray.
Well, folks, since I am “a jack of all trades and master of none” I might just rinse out and charge up my next empty black ink HP cartridge with thinned and filtered Poly Scale white just to see what happens. Maybe Floquil white another time. I’ve got lots of clear decal paper to try this out on, so what’s the harm? Anyone out there ever tried this with a refill kit? I’ll keep you posted on my adventures.
Rich
If anyone could master printing white decal lettering, they could probably get some orders. I have the need of one building sign, white in red. Not worth $76. Phil
OK, I’m going to through a spanner in the works here.
I am from Australia and I make quite a lot of decals as part of my hobby, what do I use/ an ALPS MD-1000, a fantastic printer for decals if YOU are willing to work with it, learn techniques and enjoy what you are doing.
I enjoy making these decals and have done a lot of experimenting, if the machine is treated with respect and careful planning goes into the set-up of the program for printing, the results are outstanding.
I have a flat charge of $20.00 Australian for an A5 sheet, artwork included (as I said, its a hobby, if you want to make money with these machines, forget it), to the states, there would be postage costs which are not all that great.
Here in the land down under, I just charge the $20.00 which includes postage and artwork, no hidden cocts, all I want, is to see the hobby progress and people be able to do what they want.
I can send sample photos of some of the work if you wio contact me, or I can even send a sample decal set that shows the capabilities of the ALPS, don’t underestimate these machines, I even have some commercial manufacturers and custom builders here in Australia that use my decals because - they can - and don’t go bankrupt in the bargain.
The only problem the ALPS has generally, is the operator, give the machine the attention it deserves and it will reward.
You can’t spell aUSie without US, so I am only too happy to assist fellow model railroaders in there endeavours to be individuals.
You can contact me on teditor@bigpond.com.au if you wio chat or have some samples shown to you.
I’m back.
I threw in a couple of spelling mistakes just to get you interested - yeah right!
Go to www.arkits.com
Once at the home page go to AR KITS, then SPECIAL RUNS and take a look at a couple of examples, you may even decide to model aUStralian.
yours in model railroading
Teditor
Rich, skip the Polly Scale paint, I seriously doubt that it would ever go through the print head even thinned and strained.
One possible option would be white ink which is made for technical drawing pens. It might work, and I think you would have a better shot than with thinned paint.
[quote]
Originally posted by rlandry6
Does anyone make their own decals, and are you happy with the results.
I have been making my own decals for about 5-6 years on an Alps MD 1000 printer. This Alps uses ink ribbons, not the dye-sub process of the MD 5000 series - which ahd a lot of problems.
The trick on the MD 1000 to get good white decals is to double print them, then fini***hem witht he finish cart. It is also important to get a good, THIN decal paper. I use paper from TangoPapa, who makes the decal film. I have tried other brands, and some of them were way too thick. Thick decal film won’t “snuggle down” over details, and is very hard to blend in. Walthers brand was the worst - the decals were about like cardboard.
Before I got the Alps, I used decals from Don Manlick. They were very good, as are Rail Graphics decals.
Clay