Ink Jet Decal Printing...

[Johnny Racer]

Okay... so I have a set of decals I want to print on my ink jet at home.

Any suggestions on how this should be done?

Material I should use?

Prep work prior to printing?

Prep work prior to installing on the car?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[Foxer]

Use whatever program you have to print the graphics and use a high quality setting. I print a test copy on plain paper to check scaling size.

I use Micro Mark decal paper and have had no troubles with it. I have a high end graphics printer and it handled photo quality printing well.

After printing I give a day for the ink to dry and apply a couple light coats of acrylic clear. This keeps the ink from running when you put in water!

[Johnny Racer]

Foxer... should I be printing on white or clear paper?

[Foxer]

Depends what you're needing. If you need white in the decal, that's what the white paper is used for. Since ink jet printers can't print white, there's no applied in white ares and the white paper shows through. Sometimes even that doesn't do it if it's too hard to cut exactly around the image. I had a bunch of bumper stickers I needed for a van build and I did them on white paper to get the white lettering. They were nice and rectangular so were easy to cut out. You can see them in my WIP here: near bottom of page.

Most decals want to be printed on clear decal paper so there's no close trimming to do.

Edited August 3, 2012 by Foxer

[roadhawg]

Inkjet ink is translucent, so decals printed on clear decal paper will virtually disappear on anything but a white (or VERY light) surface.

[Foxer]

Inkjet ink is translucent, so decals printed on clear decal paper will virtually disappear on anything but a white (or VERY light) surface.

This is true, but using a high quality setting when printing will get the ink as dense as it comes. The link in my post above shows some applied over a dark blue paint and they came out ok. For additional density you can apply a second decal over the first.

[Johnny Racer]

Great tips. Sadly most of the decals I have to print dont have white in them but there is a little here and there speckled in and of course, they are going to be a PITA to cut out. Ugh. LOL I guess I'll have to take my time and be careful. Thanks guys.

[roadhawg]

A little trick that some have used is the print on white decal paper, but put a border around your artwork in the same color as the surface you're applying it to....if that makes sense. Works so-so for some stuff. Short of printing on an Alps, thats you're best bet. Good luck.

[roadhawg]

Here's an example.....the first picture shows the artwork sized and printed on white decal paper....

then you just cut out the image and apply.....

In all honesty, this particular project didn't work out too well, and I ended up having to get them printed on an Alps, but you get the idea....

Edited August 3, 2012 by roadhawg

[Art Anderson]

Just to clarify here! It isn't whether or not you use clear or white decal paper (incidently, decal paper cannot be clear--you will never see clear paper). Rather, it's a matter of whether the decal film applied to that paper is clear, or white.

Art