I just finished repainting a small switcher with Black True Line Trains Paint. The paint dried in a nice smooth finish but it is not what I would qualify as “glossy” although it is very smooth. There is no indication on the bottle nor on True Line Trains site if this paint is glossy or matte.
Did someone ever used paints from True Line Trains?
Can I put decals over it without having to put an extra coat of Clear Cote followed by a coat of matte finish?
I definitively don’t want to ruin a “nearly perfect” paint job with extra coats if unneeded.
If the finish is similar to what house paint makers call satin, decals should be ok on some you might want to put some of the paint on a scrap of plastic and do a test decal.
I haven’t used True Lines Trains paint, I use Tru-Color Paint (TCP) and it looks very much like the way you described True Line. I’ve applied decals both ways and I can’t tell any difference. I don’t use store bought decals though, I print my own on flat or matte decal paper. I haven’t tried store bought decals since I switched to TCP. TCP is solvent based and I don’t know if that would make any difference.
I apply two coats of Testors Decal Bonder on my decals when they come out of the printer to seal the ink, it leaves a dull or matte finish on the decals. I stopped using a gloss coat when I couldn’t tell the difference. I did try several different clear matte sealers but ended up going back to Testors Dull Coat, it works the best for me.
This is a HO scale fire truck with the door decal applied without a clear coat, the decal is applied directly on the painted surface.
Normally anytime you’re going to decal a painted model, you want to spray the model with gloss finish to seal in the paint. This is especially important if you’re going to use Solvaset or something similar to make the decal ‘melt’ onto the model. Then, when the decal is in place, spray the model with flat finish, then add weathering if desired. If you do weathering without sealing in the decal, it can get under the decal and highlight the outline of the decal.
