Make and print your own decal how-tos....

[seeker589]

Greetings!

After realizing there is a major gap in decal availability in grassroots racing and in autocross markings in particular - I have decided to master some decals on my own.

I have an HP inkjet printer with some good resolution when printing.

I have some questions.

What software is best for mastering decal sheets? I have MS Word and have tried to arrange logos on a document - but can't seem to get them close enough so as not to waste decal sheet material.

I also have Photoshop Elements 6. While not the most powerful photo-editing program - it has many features I am still discovering. I am sure when I have more experience with it - it will yeald some great possibilities for getting what I need.

What is the best way to scale them so they don't look too big or too small? Trial an error may be one way but I would think it would be a bit of a waste of time and resources.

Decal fixative is another unknown. Are there any blank sheets available that don't need it? How does the ink not get softened or disolve when the decal is soaked on the sheets that claim they don't need it?

I've looked on youtube and have done searches but they don't spotlight the printing and scaling as much as I was looking for.

Any help would be great and I would truely appreciate it!

Thank You!

[sportandmiah]

I do know that %99.999 of printers dont print white, other than alps printrs.

[Foxer]

Yes, printing white is the real limit to using inkjets, but sometimes using white decal paper will solve that.

Elements is a good program to use for bitmap images. I use Photoshop, but Elements should be as good for scaling and arranging the images. I put everything across the top for an 8.5 x ll sheet. I can then cut off the decals and reuse the same sheet. Printers don't really care how long your sheet is.

For creating you own decals, such as lines and shapes, a vector program such as Adobe Illustrator will give the sharpest results.

For sealing, you just need an acrylic clear spray. A couple light coats usually does it. Look in a crafts store for some. All inkjet decals sheets need this or the ink will run when wet.

For scaling, you need your calculator. I set Photoshop's paper size to 8.5x11 to match the actual paper and don't re-size the image ... PS will just change the pixels per inch. You can do a test print and check the size you get. I just ratio the needed size over the printed size I need. Say I need a .25" high decal. If the decal prints out at .5". divide .5 by .25 (needed size divided by printed size) and then do an actual resize of the image in Elements. This time you DO want to change the image, in out case, multiply the image size by .5. I usually set up each decal in a separate file using 8.5x11 sheet and only vary the DPI. Then I can copy and paste it to the master decal sheet file and all resizing remains intact with each decal on a separate layer.

Edited November 19, 2010 by Foxer

[Aaronw]

A vector based program like Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator is the best to use because it doesn't have the distortion of pixel based programs. This allows you to make the drawing in a large size which is easier to work with, then scale it down. Also useful if you want to make decals in different scales, since you can just change the size without issue. These programs also allow the work to be done in layers, which is handy for printing with an ALPS or for doing the artwork for screen printed decals (if you get really serious).

Pixel based programs like paint or photoshop use a group of pixels to make the image, when you change the size the number of pixels also change, frequently altering the image. Vector based programs do not use pixels, they measure the distance between each object and automatically rescales the entire drawing. You could draw the artwork full size and reduce it ti 1/25 without the loss of any detail (within the printers capability).

From my experience Corel Draw is the more popular with those doing decals, but either will work if you have experience with Illustartor or get a better deal. You can often find older versions of Draw cheap on ebay, anything from 10 up will work just fine for your needs.

[diymirage]

little trick that i picked up over time is to make a test print on regular paper

then cut out a peice of decal paper just a little bigger then the decal and tape that over the test paper

this way you will know exactly where the decal will print and you only use what you need