Making decals

[Edward Matthews]

Hi all,

I want to make my own decals for a model.... I can get clear self
adhesive film to print onto using my deskjet printer, but what is the
best software to use to scale scanned images to the size I require
and then print them?

Has anyone done this and can give me some advice?

Regards
Eddy

[Stuart Badger]

Eddy!

I use Paint Shop Pro for enlarging/reducing images. In fact sections of the
plan for the model of Old Trafford I am building have been enlarged by a
factor of 2 using this software. To reduce scanned images to make decals you
will need to work at high resolutions - say about 250dpi minimum. Otherwise
the reduced image may lack crispness. You don't need to buy the latest
version of paint shop pro - older versions should still be available at
vastly reduced price.

One thing to remember is that printer (computer) inks are not water or
solvent proof - so trying to varnish or seal them will be a disaster, they
are also affected by sunlight (UV) and will fade unless care is taken.

Adobe Photoshop and Corel draw are also suitable for reduction/enlargement.

Stuart Badger

[george britnell]

Dear Eddy,

When I built the Suter I couldn't find the old style
transfer lettering in the size and style I needed so I
figured I would try to make my own. There is a model
car magazine called Scale Auto and they have run
several articles about making decals in the past so
with the proverbial "little bit of information" I
bought some actual decal making paper from one of the
suppliers listed in the magazine. I have an older
version of Corel Draw on my computer but hadn't really
used it too much so the first thing was to play around
with it till I could do what I needed. Not too
complicated. I have a HP Deskjet 610Cl printer and
when I got my artwork ready for printing I followed
the decal manufacturers instructions and started. The
processes required took I sheet of the paper for
practice. You have to coat the finished printed
material with a glaze they supply and it takes a
little practice to get the right thickness. When I got
finished, the decals, (waterslide) were usable but
certainly not like you get from a model kit. One other
thing that you might take into consideration. The
printer will only print black as a solid color. I'll
explain. All colors (red, yellow, blue etc.) come out
as what they call a halftone or dot matrix so that
they can be mixed to give the proper shade of color
that you desire so when you print colors they don't
have the intensity of the real colors on the artwork.
I have read that there is a printer called an Alps
that does and excellent job of doing this type of work
but unless you are planning on making a lot of decals
you certainly won't want to spend that kind of money.
From my readings about decal making I don't think the
amateur decal maker has much luck making the quality
decals that you would like to put on a fine model that
you have just spent a great deal of time on. I hope
this sheds a little light on decal making.

Sincerely,
George

[Joe E Brown]

Hi Eddy,
I use CorelDraw for all my scaling and drawing. I use ink jet decal
paper. One source is http://www.paper-paper.com/
Decal paper designed for laser printers will not work in ink jet
printers. The ink just bubbles and evaporates so be sure to get paper
for an ink jet.

[G Mason]

Hi Eddy

Drop a line to the Alpsdecal list (alpsdecal@yahoogroups.com). There are
people on that list who make their living from making decals on their Alps
printers as well as lots of very advanced amateurs, some of them will print
one off jobs at a reasonable price if you supply the art work. They will
usually ask for the art work to be supplied in a colour separated file from
a vector graphics program like Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator. I do have an
Alps printer but have not yet mastered Corel Draw, so until then it is no
use to anyone, including myself.

The Alps range of printers work a bit like screen printing in that the
colours (magenta, cyan, yellow, black, gold, silver & white) are printed one
colour at a time, the printer draws the paper back into correct alignment
for the next colour run. The big advantage of the Alps is that it will print
white as a colour, it is a thermal wax printing method and is waterproof
and, by all reports, weatherproof. A coating of Future floor polish will
also make Alps decals quite a bit more scratch resistant. Alps USA no longer
have the distribution rights for these Japanese made printers and they are
getting as scarce as hens teeth, second hand units are bringing big prices
on Ebay so don't even think about buying one as a lot of the auctioned ones
(by all reports) are not in working condition when they arrive. Oki now sell
rebadged Alps printers in most countries worldwide except it seems for USA.
Roland and Kodak both sell high end Alps technology printers for industry
but these are way out of reach for the average hobbyist.

The fact that people can make a living from producing decals on a home
printer speaks volumes for the quality of the printing. Fine Scale Modeler
and most of the American model railroading magazines have run articles on
printing decals using Alps printers over the last year or two.

Hope this helps.

Happy modelling,
Graham Mason (Australia)