Art Laski Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 I got tired of playing around (I'd much rather be building models) and that's why I went straight to the printers. Doctor Cranky, As interested as I am in how he did the white, I am also interested in who the "printers" are and what's required to go that route. Can you enlighten me a little on that? Thanks! Art
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Come out, come out, wherever you are! Time to tell us how you are able to print with white ink on a printer where white ink isn't available... Doctor Cranky, As interested as I am in how he did the white, I am also interested in who the "printers" are and what's required to go that route. Can you enlighten me a little on that? Thanks! Art He's talking about companies that print decals professionally, like the decals you get in kits.
Erik Smith Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 (edited) I did a quick google on "Andy's Decals" and on another forum (guitar) he states using an Alps printer - could be a different Andy, but I think it had the same logo. I am not sure if this tutorial was more for the creation of the artwork and less for the printed product. I don't know, but I am curious if there is some way to print white with a regular, inexpensive ink-jet printer. Didn't one of the posts disappear too? Edited May 20, 2011 by Coyotehybrids
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 I don't know, but I am curious if there is some way to print white with a regular, inexpensive ink-jet printer. No.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Art, this whole issue arose when one day I found one of Pat Covert's model, a 1962 Impala he called bubbles, which was part of his book on building models cars and where he talks about getting dry transfers professionally printed. The cost of both dry transfers and decals done professionally is prohibitive. I decided to have a decal sheet printed that not only I can use but that others, if their interested can use too, and then help with the cost. And Harry is right, these are professionally printed the likes of what comes in kits, which is why it's so expensive, and if I told you the cost, you'd have to hear it sitting down! LOL!
sjordan2 Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 (edited) As the ALPs printers have been discontinued and ink stock for them is vanishing quickly, there is a way to print white on an irregular, very expensive Durst inkjet printer for large printing jobs, which is about the length of a 1-story house. Edited May 20, 2011 by sjordan2
Dr. Cranky Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 I've never been the type to want to splurge on a good quality printer, but I have been looking closely at vynil cutters . . . I figure for the price of an expensive printer with a little more thrown in you can get a ROLAND and be set for all your graphic needs for a long time. I know it's a subject that's come up many times before with many of us thinking of pooling resources to purchase such a machine, etc . . . but nothing's ever come to fruition. I think it could work.
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Cranky, are you talking about a machine to die-cut vinyl? If so, you could only do one-color "decals" (stickers, actually).... the color that the vinyl sheet is. Right???
Art Laski Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Art, this whole issue arose when one day I found one of Pat Covert's model, a 1962 Impala he called bubbles, which was part of his book on building models cars and where he talks about getting dry transfers professionally printed. The cost of both dry transfers and decals done professionally is prohibitive. I decided to have a decal sheet printed that not only I can use but that others, if their interested can use too, and then help with the cost. And Harry is right, these are professionally printed the likes of what comes in kits, which is why it's so expensive, and if I told you the cost, you'd have to hear it sitting down! LOL! Gotcha. Thanks.
sjordan2 Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Cranky, are you talking about a machine to die-cut vinyl? If so, you could only do one-color "decals" (stickers, actually).... the color that the vinyl sheet is. Right??? Sounds like adhesive sign and sticker equipment that prints color and is cut out with a laser.
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Sounds like adhesive sign and sticker equipment that prints color and is cut out with a laser. Colorforms!
Dr. Cranky Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 No, I'm talking about a mask cutter for airbrushing your graphics . . . I think stickers never look quite right on a vehicle.
Kit Basher Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 While we're going far afield, has anyone ever tried old fashioned silk screen? I haven't but I was curious. You may now return to the regularly scheduled topic.
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 While we're going far afield, has anyone ever tried old fashioned silk screen? I haven't but I was curious. You may now return to the regularly scheduled topic. Silkscreening is a pretty involved process... probably way more than the average modeler would want to take on.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Well, while we are at it, I might as well make a confession. I make mixed-media art, and I have a whole bunch of rubber stamps and lately I've been wondering how stamping a model car with permanent ink would look . . . (an upcoming experiment in the Lab-RAT-ory) just to see what happens, in particular once you clear coat the ink. That's something I've been thinking about for quite a while. And I think chances are it might just work!
Scale-Master Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 I have done some screen-printing... I still have a stat camera to make the films. But for something so labor intensive, and somewhat cost prohibitve, why use it in this digital age for model decals? Oh, and the results in the home hobby realm are far superior with digital printing.
iBorg Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 You could avoid the camera and use vellum in a laser printer. I've had good luck with it for textiles....but..... I agree. Even removing the camera from the equation, you still have to deal with coating, exposing and cleaning out screens. Way to much work for a short run project. Mike
Scale-Master Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 You could avoid the camera and use vellum in a laser printer. I've had good luck with it for textiles....but..... I agree. Even removing the camera from the equation, you still have to deal with coating, exposing and cleaning out screens. Way to much work for a short run project. Mike Can you get enough light through the vellum when exposing to burn a sharp edge to the screen for details? I would think the vellum would create a soft edge. Not that I intend to try, just curious.
Dr. Cranky Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Mark, it sounds like the perfect experiment to conduct on plastic spoons!
Scale-Master Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 I used printers ink to do the wood grain on my 1:1 Vista Cruiser. Shot it with automotive (of course) urethane to seal and finish it and did not have any running issues. But that was a good ten years ago, I don't know if today's inks will react as favoribly. What happened to our topic starter? I realize the thread has been running wide, but I still would like to know if he has any answers to our questions...
iBorg Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Can you get enough light through the vellum when exposing to burn a sharp edge to the screen for details? I would think the vellum would create a soft edge. Not that I intend to try, just curious. What I've used has a fluid you run the vellum through after it comes out of the printer. The fluid runs through what truly looks like an old PMT processor. Now if you remember PMTs, you're showing your age! I've held fairly small seriffs on textiles. If you've got your exposure time correct, have at least 24 psi vaccuum AND you wash it out correctly, it will work. And now back to the original question, HOW is Andy printing WHITE? Mike
Harry P. Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 What I've used has a fluid you run the vellum through after it comes out of the printer. The fluid runs through what truly looks like an old PMT processor. Now if you remember PMTs, you're showing your age! I've held fairly small seriffs on textiles. If you've got your exposure time correct, have at least 24 psi vaccuum AND you wash it out correctly, it will work. Mike All that effort just to make decals???!!! Geez, do you churn your own butter, too???
Scale-Master Posted May 20, 2011 Posted May 20, 2011 Now if you remember PMTs, you're showing your age! Mike Interesting, thanks. What does it say about me if my PMT processor is less than ten feet from where I am sitting? And yes, let's get back on topic. Paging Andy... Inquiring minds want to know...
Art Laski Posted May 21, 2011 Posted May 21, 2011 Interesting, thanks. What does it say about me if my PMT processor is less than ten feet from where I am sitting? And yes, let's get back on topic. Paging Andy... Inquiring minds want to know... Here's how I predict this will play out: ANDY: Oh, did I say Epson? I meant Alps. You can all go home now...
iBorg Posted May 21, 2011 Posted May 21, 2011 Harry: I don't churn my own butter but I do spin the cloth in my clothing. (Those who know me now are going, "That explains it.") Mike
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