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Sizing Images for Decals


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9 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

Use graphics software that has sizing tools........otherwise it's hit and miss until you get the size you want. 

Actually, I played around with it and got it to about the right size, but my printer sucks!!!!

I set the printer for the best quality that was possible, and all I got was a multicolored smudge!

Any ideas?

Is there anyone out there that can print it for me?

 

Steve

 

2v2EYVicFxwUbWP.jpg

 

 

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I played with reducing an image for printing using Windows Paint and got a poor result, but when I used the printer's scale reduction (Canon MX492) I got a good result.  In checking for ink jet printer types I found that Epson uses different technology for their print heads and is described as better resolution. I don't know this to be true or not.  I also don't know if the Epson's printer scaling would work as well as the Canon.  

If your printer has the scaling feature built into it's software try it for the size reduction.

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What type of paper was it set to print on? Also best quality is not necessary for black and white images. I have an EPSON and it does not work on Papilio brand paper but works on all other brands.

Edited by 935k3
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1 hour ago, CabDriver said:

Got a CVS or a Rite Aid near you?  My local store prints photos for 35 cents...and their printers are WAY higher quality than about any desktop machine.

A UPS Store or a Staples can do it too...but they're usually more expensive...

You'll probably need to bring your own decal paper with you

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1 hour ago, Flat32 said:

I played with reducing an image for printing using Windows Paint and got a poor result, but when I used the printer's scale reduction (Canon MX492) I got a good result.  In checking for ink jet printer types I found that Epson uses different technology for their print heads and is described as better resolution. I don't know this to be true or not.  I also don't know if the Epson's printer scaling would work as well as the Canon.  

If your printer has the scaling feature built into it's software try it for the size reduction.

My printer is an Epson XP-400 and as far as I know, there is no "scaling feature".

 

 

Steve

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Your original image as posted is not pure B&W .  Try to find it's original source in native format, not .jpg.  Hopefully a vector image.

I edited my post.  The scaling feature was in Paint, not the printer.

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1 hour ago, 935k3 said:

What type of paper was it set to print on? Also best quality is not necessary for black and white images. I have an EPSON and it does not work on Papilio brand paper but works on all other brands.

I set it to print on "Ultra Premium Glossy Photo Paper" and was using clear decal paper.

The printer only gave me 2 quality options for the image.

"Text and Image" and "Best Photo".

I chose best photo.

 

Steve

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3 minutes ago, Flat32 said:

Your original image as posted is not pure B&W .  Try to find it's original source in native format, not .jpg.  Hopefully a vector image.

I edited my post.  The scaling feature was in Paint, not the printer.

Okay, and where do I find that?

You're talking to a computer illiterate here.

I had enough problems finding the image that I did.

 

Steve

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First, you are better off finding the image of what you need already assembled.  I have found pictures in car brochures and instruments for sale on eBay Motors.

image.png.48baa293ede9357a8d0264d8fcd520ec.png

This is an instrument panel for a 1950 Ford pickup from eBay

image.png.8114b59afb49af479dc78a0e757a8f31.png

Tested on a spare dashboard

I bring the image into Word, and then scale it down in 5% increments across the sheet.  Then I print it on plain paper and compare the size of my images against what I need on the model dashboard.  Sometimes it takes a few tries.   Once I get the image the right size I will print a dozen of them across the sheet.  Again print on plain paper, you do not need decal paper for this.  Cut it out, and install with white glue.  

image.png.488660fbc95563c25d97d1deeb5674b1.png

And a final copy on the model.

Edited by Tom Geiger
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Where exactly did you find it??  If you simply copied it from a decal site like Premium Dash Decals it won't work because the site images are usually .jpg.  Adobe or Corel Draw probably can convert it to pure B&W.

Your image has color information being .jpg. It seems to be full scale so I scaled it to 4% in paint and printed in grayscale on glossy photo paper and it prints, but the printer uses all the colors in the black and the image is not crisp like you would get with pure B&W using a laser printer.

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1 hour ago, BigTallDad said:

You'll probably need to bring your own decal paper with you

Ahh, I didn’t consider that this would be about printing decals - for stuff like gauges and licence plates and so on I’ll use printshop on regular photo paper or thinner...but yes, printing on decal paper might be tougher 

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Might it work to insert it into a MS Word or LibreOffice document then click on the corner of the image box and shrink it, then print the shrunken image?

I tried resampling it in Corel and that didn't work but shrinking it in Word and Libre seemed to retain the detail.

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I use photoshop CS6 and crank up the resolution if needed then size it down to my needs. Those images you posted seem to be high enough resolution but they are taken from a slight angle and skew towards the top. If I knew what size you needed, I could give it a try for you.  You would still need to print them though so I don't know if it helps.

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As Tom and Earl mentioned, I get the best results resizing images in Word. I also have an Epson XP 400 series and as Dale said, it will not print on Papillio paper. It makes exactly the mess you showed in your picture. I have not tried it with other decal paper, since Papillio is all I have. It is definitely the printer because I can print the same file on my ALPS printer and it comes out perfectly. If Tom's suggestion of not using decal paper will work for you, it's worth a try. My Epson will print nicely on photo paper, and make a mess on decal paper.

Edited by Kit Basher
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2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I did that, but it automatically reset to color because of a conflicting setting.

Probably because I had it set for "best photo".

 

Steve

I have an EPSON 630. I usually get  blacker images by using  the text and image setting. I also set the paper to gloss not premium. I have also used the plain paper setting with good results. Make sure you are using decal paper for inkjet not laser.

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I use Corel Draw and Photo Paint - these are graphic editors which allow for very accurate scaling.  Then there is this bitmaps vs. vector-based images thing. And printing is yet another subject.  It takes lots of experimentation to get optimal results. Ink jet printouts are often too fuzzy for small images like 1:25 gauges. 

In your example, if you want to use a bitmap, first convert it to black/white (sometimes called line-art color space).  No colors, no grayscale.  The actual  scale image should be at least 600 dpi (but 1200 or 2400 will be even better).  When printing try to find a selection in your printer properties where it will only use black ink (sometimes it is called grayscale).  Then you will need to mess around with the print quality and different paper types to get best results (with minimal ink blooming).  Often using lower quality printing (like draft) will yield best results with small black/white images.

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I really didn't have any problems with the resizing part of the situation, it's the printing part that is not working.

This is the exact size that I need.             2v2EYCqbrxwUbWP.jpg

It looks pretty good on the screen, but my printer will not co-operate.

I'll try again with a couple of different things, but I don't have a lot of confidence that I will be able to get it to work.

I appreciate all of your suggestions guys.

 

Steve

Edited by StevenGuthmiller
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Then all i have left to say is: When the Print Properties box pops up after you click the Print Button, you click on the Properties tab and change the Color selection to Greyscale as someone else suggested. When printing B&W images, the danged printer usually makes a mess of things by attempting to blend edges with colored inks. Good Luck!

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I copied your image and reduced it to 3% (rough sizing, not accurate) and printed as gray scale on the old Laserjet and got this.  CorelDraw is on the home computer in WA state.  Did this test in 5 minutes.  Not the best paper (also at home) and draft mode

 

DSCF2076.JPG

DSCF2077.JPG

Edited by Exotics_Builder
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I then copied your reduced image (which appears a bit blurred) and printed on same paper at high quality and got this.  Photo quality paper would be better, but the bitmap image, on reduction, is also an impact.  If I were doing this, I would likely consider a trace in CorelDraw to a Vector image.  

DSCF2078.JPG

Edited by Exotics_Builder
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