I want to print my own decals …I bought some Testors decal paper and the decal looked good when I printed it out, but when I cut it out it was so thick it didn’t look good. What type of decal paper is a good one to use??? I would like to find something as good as a Micro-scale decal.
I have a HP ink-jet printer. Can anyone help ???
Pat
I used a brand-x decal paper (EDIT: it was called Experts Choice by Bare Metal Foil Co.) I picked up at an LHS in New Hampshire. It was OK, kind of pricey, but I had to be very careful as the ink tended to run a bit. I’ve ordered some paper from Micro-Mark, which should be in soon. I’ll keep you posted if it shows up while this thread is still around.
I’ve also got an HP ink jet. In the end, I was very happy with the results. It takes some getting used to if you’re accustomed to pre-made decals. The big thing is that ink-jet is not waterproof, so you need to apply a sealer like Microscale Liquid Decal Film. My experience was that it was always a good idea to wait 24-48 hours between steps - after printing, after sealing (first coat and second coat) and after application - before going on to the next step.
This is my Bowser PCC car, with decals I made in Word:
I downloaded this thumbnail image from the web, made a decal and put it on a wood fence made from coffee stirrers:
This was “clear” decal paper, so all the white space in the picture came out clear. I painted a white box on the fence with clear acrylic and let it dry before I applied the decal over it.
I’ve used Testor’s brand on some prototypes for work. It worked very well. I did find that the decals looked better when you used the maximum quality print settings and not the standard quality print settings as the instructions state. Be sure to use their decal bonder to make sure the ink doesn’t run off when you put the decals in water.
Good Morning!
As long as you guys are talking about printing your own decals. . . tell me, is there anyway to print a white text decal?
Tom Makofski
NorthEastern Wisconsin Free-Mo
Total Membership of 2 and Growing!
Not with a standard printer, because they don’t print the white spaces. An Alps printer will do that, but they don’t make them anymore (I think) and they are now kind of a specialty item.
Instead, think like a printer. For this “Downtown” destination board, I printed a black decal with the word in white. It came out clear on the decal. I painted the space on the car with cheap white acrylic, let it dry and applied the decal.
