Making decals... what do I need?

[jacon12]

I’d like to try making decals, something I’ve not tried before, and would like to know what I need and what would be nice to have also.

I want to use my injet printer for making them and I’m a little confused as to whether to buy the clear/white or the white/white paper. What is the difference and when would you use one instead of the other?

I see, in MicroMarks catalog, that there’s a clear glossy acrylic fixative spray and a Dullcote flat lacquer spray. Are they used for different things and do I need both?

There’s also a Deluxe Finishing System, is that a must have?

Decal tweezers?

Decal sissors?

Decal Blotter brush?

Easy lift off paint and decal remover?

I need signs on buildings and engines that look like they were painted on.

Help, I’m lost! [sigh]

JaRRell

[MisterBeasley]

I use clear decal paper. Make sure you get ink-jet paper, since you’ve got an inkjet printer.

I have a jar of Micro-Sol, a jar of Micro-Set and a jar of Liquid Decal Film, all from Microscale.

I use a small paintbrush, a pair of scissors and sometimes a pair of tweezers. All of these are generic and go back into the tool box when I’m done decalling. No “reserved for decalling” equipment here. I blot up excess water with a paper towel.

Computer printers don’t do white. For trains, so far, I’ve planned things so that I print dark-colored decals and apply them to light-colored trains. For structures, I paint a white rectangle (for a rectangular sign) on the building and apply the decal over that, giving me the look I want.

For a clean, smooth decal application, you need a clean, smooth surface. I use a gloss or satin paint finish (or overcoat) to get this. But, if you want a rough, weathered look, then use Dul-Cote, or apply the decal to a flat finished surface like cheap acrylic paint.

The Liquid Decal Film is the coating over the printed surface. You can get spray stuff, too, but I suspect that’s a more expensive option, particularly when you’re doing just a few small decals. And speaking of that, I print 1 row of decals at the top of the page, and then cut them off with a paper cutter so I get another clean edge, and I can feed the same sheet of paper through again. I also set the margins so that the decals start as close to the top of the page as possible. Yes, I’m Scottish.

Once the decal is applied, smoothed and dried, I give it a hit of either Dul-Cote or a clear satin finish.

[jacon12]

Thanks for the information, Mr. B. I appreciate it!

Jarrell

I use clear decal paper. Make sure you get ink-jet paper, since you’ve got an inkjet printer.

I have a jar of Micro-Sol, a jar of Micro-Set and a jar of Liquid Decal Film, all from Microscale.

I use a small paintbrush, a pair of scissors and sometimes a pair of tweezers. All of these are generic and go back into the tool box when I’m done decalling. No “reserved for decalling” equipment here. I blot up excess water with a paper towel.

Computer printers don’t do white. For trains, so far, I’ve planned things so that I print dark-colored decals and apply them to light-colored trains. For structures, I paint a white rectangle (for a rectangular sign) on the building and apply the decal over that, giving me the look I want.

For a clean, smooth decal application, you need a clean, smooth surface. I use a gloss or satin paint finish (or overcoat) to get this. But, if you want a rough, weathered look, then use Dul-Cote, or apply the decal to a flat finished surface like cheap acrylic paint.

The Liquid Decal Film is the coating over the printed surface. You can get spray stuff, too, but I suspect that’s a more expensive option, particularly when you’re doing just a few small decals. And speaking of that, I print 1 row of decals at the top of the page, and then cut them off with a paper cutter so I get another clean edge, and I can feed the same sheet of paper through again. I also set the margins so that the decals start as close to the top of the page as possible. Yes, I’m Scottish.

Once the decal is applied, smoothed and dried, I give it a hit of either Dul-Cote or a clear satin finish.

[gandydancer19]

Yep ! That about covers it.

A few application tips that I use:

All decals should be applied to a gloss surface. That way the decal film itself disapears. Solv-a-set or Micro-sol is used to soften the decal film and allow it to conform to the surface that it is being applied to. Once dry, spray a clear coat over the decal and the model. Flat, gloss, or semi-gloss, depending on the finish you are looking for on the model.