Decal Making Software

[62rebel]

is the Testors decal software/kit still available, and was /is it easy to use and accurate? is the decal printing paper still available? thanks in advance for what might be silly questions.

[Aaronw]

Yes, I don't know and yes.

From what I saw of it, the free software was ok, but very limited. You can buy add ons but I haven't heard anyone who was thrilled they had spent the money.

Depending on what you want to make you have a couple of options. The cheapest solution is just use Paint that comes free with Windows. You can use word to make up a sheet of decals and use the ruler function in word to adjust the size. I did this for a number of years and it works pretty well but since paint is pixel based it can get fuzzy if you shrink or enlarge much beyond the size you made the original.

You can also take a photo of something and shrink it down in word. This works fairly well for license plates and such.

A better but more expensive option is to get a vector based program like Corel Draw, this is not based on individual pixels so you can take art work you have designed that is 8" x 8" and shrink it to 1/2" by 1/2" without losing any sharpness. Corel Draw has a teacher / student edition so if you have kids in school or college or you are that knocks the price down to $90 or so.

As far as the paper, the Testors stuff is good for some applications, it is very thin so it conforms well. The down side is it is very thin so light colors over dark colors doesn't always work well. It is also an odd size so you have to tape it to an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet when you go to print.

I prefer the decal paper from Bare Metal Foil or Micro Mark largely because they come on full size sheets. they are also thicker so the color doesn't show through as much. I do use the Testors decal bonder since it is the only one I've found in a spray can.

Also make sure you get the right kind of paper for your printer, laser printer decal paper will not work in an ink jet, and ink jet paper doesn't work in a laser printer.

Edited January 17, 2008 by Aaronw

[Enzoenvy1]

If you need a permanent fix you can buy Photoshop CS3. If you need a temp fix you can download a trial of it at Adobe. This will last a month and will be 400% better at manipulating graphics than paint. It is very user friendly and there are thousands of options to work with. Easily transfered to word if you need dimensions or you can simply resize with measurements. The program will also do better at retaining quality and preventing pixelation.

[Aaronw]

I didn't know there was a free trial version of Photoshop. I agree with you that is a good idea if you only need to do a few decals. I used photoshop a lot before I got Corel.

[62rebel]

thanks for the quick replies; very helpful info, as i saw the kits on the shelves a long time ago and never thought i'd have a use for one. a couple of current builds require some specialized trim and i'm of the opinion that decal film, even thick film is the best way to portray it.