i want to print my own decals...any tips

[bmc010]

so i dont have access to an alps printer, how ever i do have access to both high quality professional grade inkjet as well as digital high speed presses with amazing quality. I am wondering what the better papers and better techniques are for printing my own decals. I am a graphic designer by trade so the design end is no issue, i have tried a google search and am just not overly happy with the results as they are not really model car based. I am looking to print on both white and clear sheets and they will be for pro mod bodies that i have laying around. Some are my own masters and i have several so screwing things up is not a huge issue. Any help will be much appreciated! thanks guys

[Foxer]

I just use paper from Micro Mark but I understand one of the best is papilio. There are many opinions here on this.

[Greg Wann]

http://www.pulsarprofx.com/decalpro/

Perhaps this kit will be of interest to you. It is cheap but you need a laser printer. They sell another kit that would allow you to create photo etch parts too. Give Frank a call. He won't let you down. He will buy the kits back if you don't like them. There are several steps to create a decal. You can even apply the image to decal paper and make a water slide decal. If you are into tattoos, you can also create temporary tattoos. Great stuff if you are into school activities with kids or money raising functions. Kids these days are into this stuff and they can be easily removed. They should open stores that do temporary tattoos. You could still get funky and look like a walking billboard. You would just remove it and then put on a new billboard. This would be great for undercover cop work. Images from this kit can be applied to cloth as well. I sure wish I was rich!!

[hooknladderno1]

Matthew,

You may wish to try Papillio.com They make a wide variety of inkjet waterslide decal paper in both clear and white. I can speak from experience, that their products are very good. I also have an ALPS, which is great for metallic and white, but often struggles with dithering to achieve certain colors. I use a lot of stripes on my models, and the Papillio did great on my Epson Workforce inkjet printer. They also sell their own fixative which works very well. The striping on this project that is "In Progress" was done with the Papillio white decal film.

This is 1/35 scale Hope this helps!

David

Edited June 16, 2013 by hooknladderno1

[phoneguy]

Matt, you know all the headaches that come from designing the graphics. Printing "can" be as much of a headache due to the lack of printers that can print white. Until something better comes along, I will continue to use the ALPS. I have printed on white and clear inkjet in the past, but just couldn't get the necessary results to continue that way. I have pondered some of the newer technology, but haven't found anything as of yet, at least for the small, home-based business like myself.

Outside of trying to find a good ALPS printer, I can't give you much advice.

[ScaleDale]

I have printed decals on an Epson 1400 at 300 and 600 dpi with good results at max quality settings on Testers decal paper that is available from the local shop. You need to let it dry thoroughly and spray it with a fixative before applying it or the ink will wash off. It's a two day process for me. Inkjet decals work best over light paint jobs. Even dark colors like black will vanish into a blue paint job. And remember you can't print white ink, but designers know that.

Dale

[bmc010]

i am decent at laying the paint down, so areas that need to be white or lighter colors i can plan for that when i lay my paint. i am looking and seeing that papilio papers would be a decent option. I do prefer "laser" printing as i occasionally run a digital press at work, that, all said and done is basically a 30 foot long laser printer. Im also seeing that printing myself, will lead to having to spray a coating over the printed area. How thick or thin do i need to lay this down in order to have a sucessful run? As i said in the op i can make my own bodies and test these all day long, but i would rather try with the best results from the get go and learn from there. And, as said before i can lay down paints to work with the decals i print myself weather i use a white back or a clear back. so with that said....is there a benefit to a decal being printed laser or inkjet? I understand alps is the way to go but i just dont have access to it nor am i willing or wanting to pay the 20+ after shipping for a sheet or decals when i know i can print my own and with a little duct tape and bubble gum make it look like the high end stuff. Thanks for all the replies btw. Greg you actually tapped on something i have been thinking about getting into is printing my own photo etch parts. I know there are some fabulous parts from futureattraction and the dirtmodeler but i find myself wanting other parts or kit sets that are more complete than offered so thank you for that link! Again thank you all for the support, i am a member to several forums involving all of my hobbies and it seems that across the board all my questions are stupid questions....i didnt know such a thing existed go figure. Again thanks.