What's the best clear decal paper for printing decals with an inkjet printer (locomotive herald/road number)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have a number of undecorated steam locomotives that I would like to add road name/road numbers. I also have a very nice inkjet (pigment) photo printer. I was wondering what the best clear ‘decal’ paper is for printing on an inkjet printer.

Also, are there any hints/tips for printing decals on an inkjet printer

Thanks.

2

I buy my InkJet decal paper from Bel Decal.

http://www.beldecal.com/faq.cfm

I also have a Laser printer and a Alps MD1000, their laser decal paper works great in both printers.

I’ve been buying from them for many years and never had any problems with their products, clear, white and blue backing.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

3

I have had good success using the Evans Design decal paper and an Epson color inkjet printer. The Evans Design decal paper has several advantages over other decal paper brands.

First, the Evans Design decal paper has a special coating designed to absorb the printer ink and so does NOT require a clear sealer overspray before you can apply the decals. Just let your newly printed decals “dry” for at least 30 minutes and they are ready to apply. Of all the many decals I have made with this brand decal paper, only one has ever smeared and that was a round SP decal I couldn’t seem to get straight and so kept hitting it with Solvaset to reposition it. Only after half a dozen hits of Solvaset and pushing the decal around with my fingers did it finally smear.

Another advantage is that the Evans Design decal paper comes in full 8 1/2" by 11" sheets.

Yet another advantage is that you can make both white and clear background decals from the same sheet of decal paper! If you use only water based clears and/or weathering paints over these decals, the background will remain white. However, using solvent based clears and/or weathering paints and the decal background turns clear permanently. Although I haven’t tried this, you can also make the decal background permanently clear before applying it by rubbing a little vegetable oil on the decal. Oh yeah, don’t use spray can acrylics if you want your decal paper to stay white as the aerosol propellants will also turn the Evans Design decal paper clear permanently (don’t ask how I know this!).

Since you are looking to decal steam locomotives, I would assume that most of these are, or will be, painted black. You can make nice white letter/number on black background decals using any brand of white background decal papers. On your computer, first create a black rectangle (or other background shape approp

4

I got my decal paper from decalpaper.com. At the time, I couldn’t find it anywhere in shops or at Walthers. I found it to be a high-quality product.

You can’t print white. What I do is create the image in black-on-white and then flip the colors. Then I paint a white background on the model. When I apply the decal, I get white letters on a black background.

5

Unless you have a special printer which uses white ink you can not print white. Most people that want white in a decal have to buy the white decal paper instead of clear.

I use Adobe Pagemaker to design my decals. If I use an image I can import it from Photoshop. If you print straight from Photoshop your text will have jagged edges because it is an image of the text whereas Pagemaker will resize the font and print the text as text.

I always buy my decal paper from Bel.

http://www.decalpaper.com/product-p/25c.htm

Note: When using an inkjet printer you must spray the decals with Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear High Gloss before putting them into water or the ink will wash off. If you use a laser printer and laser decal paper you don’t have to because the ink is infused in the paper and won’t run.

6

Interesting. I will have to try it.

7

I’ve used the Evans Design stuff and I don’t want to bash it, because it certainly has its place. But it is thick, and difficult to make it schmooze into details. They suggest lighter fluid to soften, but by the time you’ve softened enough, the color has faded. Sometimes desirable, often not. And if you want it to be clear, you have to brush it with vegetable oil, which doesn’t match the sheen of whatever else is around it. Again, it’s a cool product and easy to use, but has some caveats.