I was attempting to print some custom text letting on Decal paper & had an issue where the paper was glossy enough that the areas of the actual printed (filled) areas were (lack of a better term) marbling off the sheet.
I am using (attempting to use) an HP PhotoSmart 4600, with standard HP supplied ink cartridges.
I have used both Microscale & Micro Mark clear decal sheets.
On the MicroMark sheet, (attempt #2) I buffed it with 800 sand paper, but it was not that smooth of a surface, kind of blotchy (Auto repair folks will recognize this, & normally back down to a more course paper to smooth the surface), that printed example was only marginally better.
I have used & accepted many of these in the past, as they look slightly distressed & weathered! However, I have some on this particular sheet that represent a new scheme & want it to have an even coverage.
I am thinking of trying to flat coat the next sheet to allow the ink to adheare, as these are all very glossy, but I am concerned about cracking the surface of the sheet, like when embossing dry transfer letters…
Do any of you have a tried & true method for printing on a standard inkjet printer?
I would appreciate any suggestions & techniques anyone may offer.
I assume that you are using ink jet decal paper (did not know Microscale made ink jet decal paper since that could take busines away from their decal line).
ON your Printer Settings, what paper type are you selecting? The “Transparency Paper” setting is recommended in some instructions I have seen, “Photo Paper” is recommended by others.
I am not sure adding a clear coat to the decal paper before printing would help the overall decal installation. The clear coat would add some thickness to the paper. You will still have to seal the ink with another clear coat to prevent it from running wien you soak the decal. The result of 2 layers of clearcoat could be that the edge of the decal film would show when you apply it to the model.
Hi George,
Thanks for responding!
I am using the standard & premium paper settings, I had ttried tranceparency before & it had similar results.
One new developement is that I set these aside in a safe & conditioned area overnight, & they actually got worse, & degraded even more that the original look off of the printer.
As mentioned before here, the inkjet inks do take quite a while to cure. However I never expected the amount of degratation that I am seeing here & now! Wow! Last night they were somewhat acceptable!
I have used Dullcoat & Fixatives in the past, & they still bled a little, but I thought I was spraying them too soon off the printer. Now, I am thinking I may have actually prevented more bleed. When I did seal them, I was very light & cautious with the sealant, there would have been minimal buildup, so that is & was not a concern to me.
Both my papers are gloss & the Micro Mark one does say it is ink jet compatible. In the past I had flat decal paper that took Laser & Inkjet printing well, but it was so thin or aged that the film fell apart when it curled in the warm water at application time.
Heh heh, at least my paintng & other efforts are going pretty well this weekend!
I have used an HP Photosmart printer to print decals quite successfully. The key is, make sure you have ink jet decal paper (not laser), they are NOT interchangable. Second, set up your printer for the highest photo quality you can set. Third, before printing, view a magnified image of what you will be printing. What you show above could be the result of a low resolution image that you’re trying to print.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the suggestions! I think I have a 3rd set of film that is designated as true Ink Jet paper, I will pursue that & the Photo Quality setting.
As for the actual print jobs, they are crisp & clean on normal paper,(exactly waht I wanted), as I did some testing to get the correct registration on the sheet to maximize the space & allow for the drag marks from the printier guides I experienced in the past.
What is funny is that I couldn’t (& wouldn’t attempt to) engineer something that nasty, had I been in my drinking days, we could say I mistakenly Dullcoat sealeded them with PAM cooking oil! Ha hah heh heh…
I have printed decals using an old Epson ink jet printer, on decal sheets made by both Testors and Evan Design specifically for ink-jet printers, with excellent results. Not quite commercial standards, but good enough for my use.
These films are slightly porous, to absorb the ink. Ones designed for laser printers are not. Similarly, spraying anything on the sheets beforehand might interfere with the absorption of the ink. There is a “decal fixer” which you can spray on after the ink has dried (an hour or so) to prevent them from smearing in water.
I’ve never used either Micromark or Microscale paper, but they’re reputable manufacturers, so I’m kind of baffled. I suspect, though that you’re on the right track with the thickness issues that you’re chasing. That, or the paper you’re using isn’t ink jet paper.
CTValleyRR,
I think you nailed it on the head there, the sheets I’m using are gloss & do not, well, are not designed to support the ink & printing method I’m using. The Photo papers are much thicker & highly absorbent, where these sheets respond more like Turtle Wax & RainX to my printer ink.
I do not fault the manufacturers in any way, it is my process that is in error.
That said, I’m willing & positive to try again & get past it.
Maybe, this will caution & inform others, so they dont repeat my unsatisfactoy results.
On the other hand, it shows I have challenges too, not all of my projects are better than mediocer… Ha hah…
I have used both Testors and Micromark clear as well as Micromerk white ink jet decal paper. I did get one bad batch of decal paper, other than that, I have not had problems.
I do not use Dulkote for the clearcoat, I found that the solvent attacks the ink from my Epson printer. Micromark sells a starter kit for doing inkjet decals that includes Krylon Acrylic Gloss clearcoat spray. Their site shows a picture of the can. (Without going downstairs to double check) I think it is part number 303, you can get it at hardware or craft stores. I tried a number of clearcoat sprays when I started doing my own decals, and many of them attacked the ink, that includes Dulcote, Floquil Crystal Coat, and a couple of hardware store brands - test ANY new clearcoat on something you can throw away before using it on something large and/or important.
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