I need some training with the use of dry transfer lettering on rolling stock. Large, relatively flat surfaces aren’t too bad but smaller areas like panels between the ribs on a hopper car are usually a disaster for me. I end up with bits of lettering stuck on adjacent ribs, letters out of horizontal alignment, etc. I waste more lettering than I actually place correctly. In one of my past jobs, I used to letter instrument panels with dry transfers and they came out pretty decent. How do you do it on something small like an HO freight car?
As a sidebar, I have had success creating some small custom white letter decals by applying the lettering over clear decal film, sealing it down with clear-cote, and then applying like a commercially made decal. Should I make up my own custom white decal sets this way?
Good luck, I have never been able to master dry transfers for lettering rollingstock.
I have a freelance roadname and use custom decals made by Rail Graphics - very high quality.
I always have good results with decals, would never even consider trying drytransfers again, for all he reasons you related, small spaces, ribs, rivets, never worked for me.
Some have said that they’ve done it - I figured I must be doing something wrong. Never worked out right. I even tried cutting out the individual characters and putting them on a piece of tape to keep them in alignment - bad job! [tdn][|(]
I used to be able to do dry transfers quite well, but it seems I’ve lost my touch since getting back into the hobby. I like the idea of transfering them to clear decal paper; I’m going to have to try that. Have you tried making your own decals with a printer? Many have had good results doing that. I’m going to try doing that shortly. One part of dry transfers that does work for me is the wording and detail that is prepared. I have found that I need to cut out the part I want to transfer though, leaving just enough paper to hold the transfer in place. Maybe that will help. Good luck. [:)]
The durface must be flat/dull coated. With time and a lot of patience it can br donr, but even I have gotten lazy over the years and now usually transfer them to decal paper and then apply them, unless I’m dealing with a true flat surface.