The Dirty and Dusty is busy stripping decals off engines and cars. It is time to give it personality. Are you using your injet printer to print decals? I’ve been seeing some really nice work at LSC. What tips do you have for a newbie?
Thanks
I use my inkjet for signs and stuff printed on waterproof vinyl, but most of my decals are white and I get them from Robert Dustin.
The issue I had at first when printing my own decals was the printing lifting off. I found just using spray clear coats not adequate to fix the lettering. I now give the decal sheet an initial spray coat then follow it up with a coat or two ModelMasters brush on acrylic clear coat (comes in flat, semi- and gloss). That fixed my issue with lift off. I use a setting solution and softening solution for irregular surfaces (MicroSet/MicroSol). Then the next day after application, give it a couple of coats of matte clear coat to blend it in.
-Brian
Mike Williams, member here as well as our club, custom paints and weathers equipment. He just finished my RGS mike and used Del Tapparo decals. http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/DelTapparo/ I may be wrong, but I believe Robert Dustin is out of business.
I did not like the ink jet decals. I had good luck with laser ones. Del does good work, they are vinyl he cuts on his machine, can go down to about 1/4". They can be the lettering, or a stencil you put on and paint, then peel off, one time use only. For white or colored decals Stan Cedarleaf does good work , he uses an Alps printer(no longer made). [email protected] He just did decals for my trolley in gold.
I use a color laser printer to print decals.
My first attempt did not go well. I used a clear laquer after printing and
again after installing. The second coat of laquer actually ate holes
in some of my decals.
Black was fine, but every color faded badly within a month.
This time around I’m using a UV resistant acrylic spray. So far, so good.
Ralph
Just saw an add for Robert Dustin in either GR or NG&SLG…don;t remeber which though…
I thought Robert Dustin stopped the decal business but still had number plates, etc…
Anyone know for sure if he stopped making decals?
I just looked again…Pg 102 of the Aug GR…its number plates only…
my inkjet ones close up- clear -
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/boxcab/boxcab33c.jpg)
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/boxcab/boxcab33e.jpg)
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/dunkirk-water%20tank/bobberclsup.jpg)
white -
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/dunkirk-water%20tank/dunkleft2.jpg)
(http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/altterrain/dunkirk-water%20tank/dunkclsup.jpg)
-Brian
Dang. Those look nice, Brian. White on the inkjet? Details!!!
I’ve seen those in person, but I didn’t realize you’d done them on the inkjet.
Its pretty much the same as the clear with one exception
-print out in reverse with a black background (done in Word)
-one coat spray clear coat, two coats paint on with ModelMaster Flat Clear Acrylic
-apply decals with MicroSet and MicroSol ( http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=FINPROD )
exception
-blended in black paint around the edges of the lettering as the inkjet black and paint black don’t quite match up
-a couple of final spray matte clear coats to blend in the edges
-Brian
So Brian - are you saying they are a clear mask with a black background applied over white paint?
I did the same over gold on my coaches. Just use word to print “White on Black” and print onto clear decal paper. I’ve got a photo somewhere…
Jon Radder said:Sorry Jon. I'm down on vacay in the OBX so I missed this. The decal paper is white so you print the black background around the letters. I apply the decal and then use the same paint as I used on the loco to blend in the paint to the decal black.
So Brian - are you saying they are a clear mask with a black background applied over white paint?
-Brian
PS - good weather and fishing this year but the skeeters are big!
Thanks Brian
Same way I printed the stripes and lettering on my locomotive tenders…
I had Stan Cedarleaf make some custom decals for me, with white lettering. He also did some decals of my herald in white.
When I personalized my BBT “annie”, I had intended to use white decals for the number 1 and the name “Cristine” on the side of the cab. However, I had difficulty getting the existing lettering/lining off, and messed up the surface a bit. So I used my inkjet printer to print up a vinyl panel to cover the whole area. It’s black with white lettering and a white border.
There’s a new product on the shelves of your local craft store called the “Yudu.” It’s a personal screen printing system. I haven’t been able to find any on-line references to people using it to produce decals, but I’d think that since many commercial decals are screen printed, it’d work. I suppose it depends on the ink. The system uses a photoreactive process to create the screens. You design the artwork on your computer, print to clear plastic, then use that to create the screen. The screens are reusable–you just rinse them with a cleaning agent to clear out the mask and create a new one.
At $300 to get started, it may be a bit steep just for a sheet or two of decals, but if you see yourself doing loads upon loads of them for fun and profit, it may be something to look into. Otherwise, find a friend with an old ALPS printer and buy him a case of his favorite beer.
I did find a shop up in Vancouver that does dry transfers. Again, for just one sheet/one locomotive, it may not be the most cost-effective way to do business, but if you want to get sheets done for a fleet of cars (hopper cars, passenger cars, etc.) it’s not unreasonable–and far simpler to apply than decals. (Worth the extra cost just for that, in my opinion.)
Later,
K