If you have used the clear ink jet decal paper sold by Micro-Mark, what was your experience? Thanks.
I recently used Testors clear decal paper as well as the white. I had excellant results with both. The instructions were simple and results predictable. Be sure to allow sufficient drying time for the ink - I waited several hours but I don’t know what the minimum should be. The bonding spray that Testors sells seals the ink and prevents runs when dipped in water.
I also use the Testors clear and white with excellent results. Like mentioned above be sure to let the ink completly dry befor sealing the decal or the ink will become blurey. Have a good Thanksgiving, Mike
I’ve used an off-brand clear paper, with Microscale Liquid Decal Film and Micro-Set. This has worked very well for me. I wait a full day after printing before applying the decal film, then another day before the second coat, and then another day before I put the decal on. That’s probably overkill, but I’m happy with the results. This is on a nice, smooth surface:
And this is on a wood fence made of coffee stirrers. On this one, I painted the background with cheap white acrylic before applying the decal to get a white background. Inkjet printers won’t print white, of course, so it comes out clear on the paper:
Glad for this thread. I have just received my decal film from Bare-Metal Foil Co., but haven’t had the courage to try it yet (darn, they’re proud of this stuff, ha!). This brand was recommended to me from several other forum members. Thanks for putting emphasis on letting the ink dry real good before applying the sealing solution, as I probably would have gotten in a hurry with it. Do you guys know of a good web site that has RR decal art work that you can download? EDIT: One more question Has anyone taken a disk/CD with decal film to a commercial copy center and had it printed on their laser?
The white film has been giving me fits. I’ve been fixing the decal as soon as the they come off the printer, as the instruction say , and sure enough the decal runs when I wet the paper. I’ve been using a minimum of water but the line work still breaks up. One guy says he waits a day before fixing and that may be the secret to not running. Other than that the decals work nicely. The trouble with white film decals is thet they have to be closely trimmed or everything will have a white border. The clear film decals need to have a white background to apply to or you lose all your color quality. I like the ability to design my own artwork on variuos projects such as custom noseart for model airplanes and things such asa poster work on buildings and fences. Any more tips offered will be greatly appreciated.
I google for art and posters. I google for fonts, too. There are a lot of sites that sell old advertising and poster art, and they show their products as thumbnails on the Web. Just move the mouse over any picture you like, RIGHT-click and a menu will come up that includes something like “Save Picture As.” Select that option and save the picture. Presto, instant graphics.
I use Microsoft Word for most of my decal printing. Use Insert-Picture-From File and you can bring in any picture, and then re-size it. If you make a single line of decals, you can cut that line off the top of the paper (with a paper cutter, preferably, to get a straight edge) and then you can use the remaining partial sheet of paper again. (Word doesn’t know the paper is shorter than it should be. Shhh - don’t tell it!)
I’m bumping this up. I want to fish for more info on this subject.[D)]
After a quick re-read, I remembered another problem. After applying the liquid decal film, I cut too close to the edge of the ink. This allowed water to seep through the edge, which was not protected, and it got under the film and smeared the ink. This may be what you’re seeing when you cut the white edge very tight to the ink to eliminate the border. Try putting down the film, then do the trimming, and then add another coat of film around the edge to protect it.
I’m happy with the clear decal paper and the painted white background. This one is done with a white painted background and a black outline decal:
I have used most brands of decal film, micro mark so far has been the best for me, My private railroad unit are all decals I made, on my photobucket site most of the trucks for my layout were decals I made from photos of the real trucks. Yes, wait to seal the decals a day, I use krylon clear spray to fix mine. And as mentioned above some where. be careful about trimming too close when cutting the decals out, water can always find a way in, it seems.
Thanks Mr. B! I haven’t thought about being able to cut off the unused portion of paper and reuse it. I’ve been trying to think of all I would have to gather up to fill an entire sheet.