I printed these with a color laser printer. The caboose in the first photo was clear coated with Krylon UV Resistant Acrylic. The red has visibly faded in one season outdoors. The RR yard does not get any direct sun light.
The Cardinal has faded to almost yellow on this caboose. A standard clear acrylic was used on this caboose. Ralph
A lot of inks are just not color fast. I’m not sure what else you could do other than try a different brand printer. A commercial sign printer can probably do them for you in colorfast inks designed for outdoor use. I have some digitally printed color signs at work that have been outdoors for 3 years and still look great.
The top one actually looks pretty good for a weathered look. Just need to add some dirt to the pretty white railings and gray siding :o
Jon Radder said:They were outside all year. I guess the twelve inches of snow that covered them cleaned them up a bit ;) Ralph
Just need to add some dirt to the pretty white railings and gray siding :o
And it is hard to get a red pigment that doesn’t fade in sunlight. That old physics professor explained why in optics class, but that was a long time ago.