Decal Making programs

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m trying to make custom decals for my RR and can’t find a decent program. Any ideas, recomendations, as well as how long you’ve used it, cost and ease of operation.

Thanks,

Trent B.

2

Depending on your computer

I have Adobe Illustrator 200.00-600.00 or I should say use to rolled over it accidently

I used Corel Draw 8 bought on ebay for 12.00

Upgraded to Corel Draw X3 I can import AI artwork with it worth the 300.00.

I have used Word for lettering and some artwork. I have heard of people using mspaint also.

Also are you using an alps or the inkjet paper.

If your using the inkjet paper you have to purchase the white paper or the background (locomotive or rollingstock oaint color) will bleed through. Inkjet ink is see through.

For an Alps you have to remember to make a white layer so you can print with the white dry ink then print over that with the color.

Ony times you dont need a white background is when you print in black either Inkjet or Alps, and you dont need a white background if you print in silver or gold on an alps. Inkjets dont print gold.

3

Paint Shop Pro is a good program , more reasonable in price than most.

http://store.corel.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?partNumber=OL_PR11&srcid=&pculicenseid=&promocode=0&countryCode=US&storeId=10302&catalogId=10103&langId=-1

4

I do everything with a combination of MS Paint and MS Word. For straight lettering, I download whatever font I like and then use it directly in Word. For graphics, once again I use Google Images to find what I want, download the picture (right-click, Save As,) and then import it into Word. I can resize the image right in Word, also.

“Word Art” in MS Word will allow you to do limited stretching and shaping of text strings.

MS Paint will let you do simplistic drawing with text. You can also do “negative” printing, like white letters on a black background, which is useful when you want to get white lettering but you’re using clear decal paper, and your printer, of course, doesn’t print white.

I find that the trick to getting good results with MS Paint is to create images which are much larger than I want. Then I save the image to a file, and import it into Word, where I can resize it down. This reduces the jagged-edge look to the point where you can’t even see it.

I usually do just a narrow strip of decals at the top of the sheet at one time. I create this strip in Word, and then print on plain paper until I see what I like. After I print the decals, I cut that strip off with a paper cutter, which gives me a nice smooth new “top” to the page, which I can feed right back into the printer for another row at a later time.

5

I use MS Paint and the Testor’s decal maker program.

6

Are you looking for “decal making programs”, which there aren’t really any, or a graphics program that you can use to make a logo, then print into a decal? Suggested replies in previous posts are suitable for the graphics programs.

Testors offer (or used to) a decal kit (not a program) that included two sheets of blank decal paper, one clear and one in white, a can of spray fixative, and a mini CD that includes mostly designs for car models.

7

I have been making decals for over two years. I use PSP 9 and the cost is reasonable,works real well no complaints with finished product. I am doing a tutorial on this subject for another forum step by step for the beginner or advanced.