Computer Decals

[rel14]

Does someone make a really Good cumputer program for making decals, as lay outs,

clear pics, easy set up,. Thanks

P.S. do not waste your money on testor, its no good

Well, i can copy the pic i need, but when you make it small per scale,,it looks like a blob..Not Clear and crisp.

Edited June 29, 2012 by rel14

[Scuderia]

I know the testors decal kit came with software, but I have never used it so I can't attest to its ability. I make mine (slowly albeit) in photoshop

[John Pol]

I heard the best program to get to it is Coral Photoshop Pro. And another one would be Microsoft Word for the real small sponcer decals.

John

[martinfan5]

Testor decal program is not a good program is what I have read, the program alot of people use is a vector based program, but I dont think it is cheap

[Harry P.]

I heard the best program to get to it is Coral Photoshop Pro. And another one would be Microsoft Word for the real small sponcer decals.

John

Corel Draw and Photoshop are two completely different programs. Corel Draw is made by Corel Corp., Photoshop is made by Adobe.

Microsoft Word is not good for creating decals... it's a word-processing program, not a graphics creation program.

What you need to make decals is a graphics program, like Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, or something similar that you can use to actually create graphics with. But if you are just scanning existing art, you can import the scans into MS Word and use Word to lay out your decal sheets... but you can't really create graphics with Word.

[martinfan5]

Harry, are those programs you listed vector based?, I asked a guy who makes decals if could makes some decals for me, well long story short he said that the art work would have to be done in a vector based program.

Another thing on the Testor program, I read that it gives a very basic program, and if you have to spend more money to download more of the program to be able to use it.

Edited June 29, 2012 by martinfan5

[Harry P.]

Harry, are those programs you listed vector based?, I asked a guy who makes decals if could makes some decals for me, well long story short he said that the art work would have to be done in a vector based program.

Another thing on the Testor program, I read that it gives a very basic program, and if you have to spend more money to download more of the program to be able to use it.

Photoshop is not vector, Illustrator is. I think Corel Draw is also vector, it's sort of the same thing as Illustrator. But it makes no difference, decal art can be created in vector or raster based programs (as long as you know what you're doing and know how to create graphics correctly for output).

[martinfan5]

Thanks for the info Harry, I dont know a lot about that area of software

[Harry P.]

Thanks for the info Harry, I dont know a lot about that area of software

The biggest problem with most graphics software is the cost.

[Chief Joseph]

To get artwork that you can manipulate and edit into crisply-printed decals, you want to use a vector file format. The free Inkscape program is very good and will make just about any decal art you want. You can download it from www.inkscape.org. Unfortunately, all vector art programs are fairly complicated and require some dedication and practice to learn them. If somebody would make an easy-to-use vector drawing program, they would be very rich in a short amount of time.

Plain old text decals can be made with a simple word processor-- as long as you have the correct font you can print it crisply at any size, because fonts are rendered as vectors. Dingbat fonts often have interesting artwork that can work as decals. Most clipart files in those big clipart collections are vector files too, usually WMF (Windows metafile) format. They can be imported into a word processor and resized with no loss of print quality. Raster/bitmap files can be used to print good decals, but they are severely limited; the decal that looks good printed at 1/8 scale might look like a blob at 1/25 scale.

[Harry P.]

Raster/bitmap files can be used to print good decals, but they are severely limited; the decal that looks good printed at 1/8 scale might look like a blob at 1/25 scale.

Not if you know what you're doing. If you understand resolution and how it works (screen resolution vs. print resolution), you can create graphics with a bitmap/raster program that are just sharp as vector art. But you have to know what you're doing. And I'm talking about actually creating images, not going on google and grabbing images (although that will also work, again as long as you understand the relationship between image size, image resolution, etc.

It gets a little complicated and "inside baseball," but decals can be made perfectly well with raster software. It's not true that vector must be used. But it's probably true that for someone who doesn't really know graphics software too well, vector is more "idiot proof" for a beginner than raster/bitmap.

[Scuderia]

I love the usage of inside baseball there lol. ok sorry back on topic. I think it can also depend on what you want to print. a race cars worth, or a few license plates ?

[1320wayne]

Corel Draw and Photoshop are two completely different programs. Corel Draw is made by Corel Corp., Photoshop is made by Adobe.

Microsoft Word is not good for creating decals... it's a word-processing program, not a graphics creation program.

What you need to make decals is a graphics program, like Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, or something similar that you can use to actually create graphics with. But if you are just scanning existing art, you can import the scans into MS Word and use Word to lay out your decal sheets... but you can't really create graphics with Word.

Everything Harry has mentioned here is very correct and very accurate regarding all of the different graphics programs and how they work and what they can be used for, as well as mentioning the hefty costs for most of them. However, I don't want anyone to think that you can't "create" a decal using a simple program such as Microsoft Word. And yes Harry, I know that what you are saying in the sense that you cannot create a custom image using Word, but you can create a custom decal layout by using images imported from other sources, and even though you also mention this I don't want folks thinking that Word is limiting. For some people that may be as much as they need.

If you are in the same position that I am in, in regards to not wanting to exhaust lots of money on any of these expensive graphics programs, then you rely on what creativity you can acheive using whatever is available without spending a large amount of money.

I have been playing around with simple layouts using Word for about two years now, learning new things with each new creation. It's fun, easy, simple and doesn't cost much other than using lots of ink and decal paper.

The following images were created using Word.

Edited June 30, 2012 by 1320wayne

[martinfan5]

I make my own decals from time to time, 99% of the time I make decals is I need an image already done, so its just find it online, then resize, and done.

[Harry P.]

Everything Harry has mentioned here is very correct and very accurate regarding all of the different graphics programs and how they work and what they can be used for, as well as mentioning the hefty costs for most of them. However, I don't want anyone to think that you can't "create" a decal using a simple program such as Microsoft Word. And yes Harry, I know that what you are saying in the sense that you cannot create a custom image using Word, but you can create a custom decal layout by using images imported from other sources, and even though you also mention this I don't want folks thinking that Word is limiting. For some people that may be as much as they need.

If you are in the same position that I am in, in regards to not wanting to exhaust lots of money on any of these expensive graphics programs, then you rely on what creativity you can acheive using whatever is available without spending a large amount of money.

I have been playing around with simple layouts using Word for about two years now, learning new things with each new creation. It's fun, easy, simple and doesn't cost much other than using lots of ink and decal paper.

The following images were created using Word.

No, you didn't create those images in Word, that would be impossible. What you did is find existing images somewhere (either online or you scanned images)... then you opened up a Word document and placed those existing images into the Word document. Which is exactly what I said Word can be used for.

There is no way you created those images using Word. What you did is use Word as a page layout program, and laid out your page (your decal sheet) by importing existing graphics from other sources.

[fumi]

Rob de Bie has a very good page on designing your own decals:

http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/decals.htm

[1320wayne]

No, you didn't create those images in Word, that would be impossible. What you did is find existing images somewhere (either online or you scanned images)... then you opened up a Word document and placed those existing images into the Word document. Which is exactly what I said Word can be used for.

There is no way you created those images using Word. What you did is use Word as a page layout program, and laid out your page (your decal sheet) by importing existing graphics from other sources.

Harry, would you please re-read my post and tell me where I said that I created these images? Even though you downplayed Word as a useful tool I was simply trying to help by letting people know that Word could be used for something, especially if you didn't want to spend tons of money on expensive programs.

[Aaronw]

The advantage of a vector based program is the lack of pixelation. Harry is correct that you can draw a very crisp decal with a pixel based program, but if you want to rescale it (say 1/8 to 1/25) you have to completely redraw it or you will get distortion as the pixels adjust (3 pixels make a dot in 1/8, but only 1 in 1/25).

A vector based program like Corel Draw does not use pixels, it uses a measurement between points. So in MS paint you will have to redraw your image if you resize it, in Corel Draw you grab the image, change the size and the image is just as clear whether 10x10" or 1x1".

This is very easy to see in action, take a simple image, put it in MS Paint, then change the size. You will quickly see the problem.

I'm not familar with Inkscape, but I know Joseph makes great decals, so it he recommends it, and its free I'd say it is worth a look.

Personally I use Corel Draw, if you are in school or have kids you can get a good deal on the teacher / student edition (I got mine for about $85 in 2006). You can also find older editions pretty cheap on ebay, craigs list etc and for our needs you don't lose much by buying an older edition. I assume the same could be said for Adobe Illustrator if you happen to prefer Adobe products or you find a good deal.

[Harry P.]

Harry, would you please re-read my post and tell me where I said that I created these images? Even though you downplayed Word as a useful tool I was simply trying to help by letting people know that Word could be used for something, especially if you didn't want to spend tons of money on expensive programs.

There's some confusion here regarding how to create artwork for decals vs. putting that artwork together so that it can be output (printed).

The point I'm trying to make about Word, as far as the original question goes (what's a good program to use to make decals with), is that Word alone will not let you create decal art. What it can do is allow you to import images that were gotten elsewhere (either found online, scanned from existing images or created from scratch using graphics software) and re-size and arrange them on a page. But actually creating the artwork itself cannot be done using Word (unless your art is very basic and simple).

In order to create thegraphics, you need a graphics program. And if you have a graphics program that you use to create your decals, you don't need Word at all, because you can size and arrange your decals right there within your graphics program.

[charlie8575]

I found the "Draw" program that OpenOffice.org has is pretty good fro graphics, although it saves in a weird format, it works nicely and it's free.

It's so simple, I can use it. That should tell you everything you need to know right there.

Charlie Larkin

[Fat Brian]

A free program I use is Paint.net (http://www.getpaint.net/). It's pixel based but is fairly simple and supports standard file formats.

[lvnlwd]

brian i used testors standard edition for 10 bucks.... works great. i even make copies of decal sheets with it... and it makes sponsor decals vary small and detailed like the ushra one

[scalenut]

I've been doing scale model custom decals service for 7 years now, I have a couple alps printers and a scale vinyl mask cutting service

+not a Forum advertisement/I'm not able to take requests at this time or place+

I get a bazillion questions and "drawings/skewed photos/visions/iphone pics...lol" from people across the net and it's a real pain to explain to every person why I need to have.... or create.... the artwork in vector format.some understand .. most do not.. and that's ok

if someone wants to get heavy into drawing their own custom decals,,, get a VECTOR software.

If your new to drawing and want to learn a specific software to make decals..start with a VECTOR software.

If you want to draw decals and send them to someone with an alps,,, draw them in a VECTOR software and draw them in layers

..in the case of alps the colors need to be separated onto their own layers,and,have a white hidden/visable background layer added

if you (or I ) go thru a lot of effort drawing a decal set and there is any chance you might want them in a different scale down the road or change/modify them in any way ... draw them in a VECOR program.it saves a ton of work

If you want a custom paint mask from any supplier or custom guy .. it must be in(or converted to) vector format... the printer/cutter does not understand any other language.

yes you can do decals with any program ,at home,on an inkjet.. from downloaded images.... and I know many people have "mad photoshop skilz" (I get that all the time...lol)

but If someone submits a raster image to an alps guy .. it would have to be a pristine image , to exact size, and at very high resolution that can be blown up, (hopefully)converted to vector, than shrunk back to size just as cleanly.

That's so the poor alps guy can easily draw the hidden and/or visual white layer behind the image(so the decals will be opaque). and separate all the color layers .

Alps prints one color layer at a time.and you have to "tell" it what color to print for every layer.It doesn't print dots..it prints solid colors and stacks colors to get other colors... somebody has to break all that information down and feed it to the alps..layer by layer. and even than sometimes it's a guess if the combination of layers will produce a close enough match.

the alps can be told to print in "dot mode" as well.. but the resolution is so low on the old alps technology that a cheap inkjet can do better

trust me... vector is the king of the decal and vinyl cutting/ printing world.

If your a photoshop wizzard Like Harry P , than I assume he can find ways to do this in photoshop

but not many people know photoshop inside out enough to produce some trickery to feed an alps as well as illustrator does.

the best option for vector is get a cheap copy of >corel draw<.. any version from the last 5 years will do the trick.

play with it...learn it... and your miles ahead.I've seen unopend "official" Discs for as little as $12

inkscape is vector and free but I have never tinkered with it enough to recommend it or not

if your just doing the occasional decal at home than there are many easy options,programs and tricks to make that happen and get acceptable results on an inkjet or laser

an inkjet doesn't print layers.. so for home inkjet/laser use only use what software works best for you.just concentrate on getting the clearest image you can at the exact size you need and possibly working around the " printing white" issue .. than hit print

and as witnessed in this thread some people have become darn good at not using vector and producing great results

anything beyond that or any need for white/gold/silver or metallic colors, and you will need to submit it to someone in a vector format.

might as well learn it to start with.the learning curve is no harder than word, paint or photoshop.

Edited July 21, 2012 by scalenut

[scalenut]

sorry for the long post ,it's meant for someone fairly new to drawing decals

it's not easy to explain but hopefully it helps someone understand the differences and the reason vector is generally recommended. It's vastly more efficient for drawing /modifying decals than raster based programs.

unless you are already quite efficient in a good rastor based program and understand layers... but than at that level, you wouldn't need assistance in getting started.

Andy

Edited July 21, 2012 by scalenut

[sjordan2]

I think that since this subject shows up time after time after time, someone (Harry maybe?) ought to edit the various approaches together and pin the subject in Tips, Tricks, etc.

And doesn't this thread belong in Q&A to begin with?

Edited July 21, 2012 by sjordan2