Photocopying images onto “decal” material?

[frank mccune]

              Hi:

              How may one use his home printer to make colored decals?

                                                                               Tia,

                                                                               Frank McCune

[Avaiojet]

              Hi:

              How may one use his home printer to make colored decals?

                                                                               Tia,

                                                                               Frank McCune

Frank,

I don't do decals or I'd do it for free.

You could send the art to Callie, I believe she prints vinyl.

Good luck.

CB

[Brett Buck]

How may one use his home printer to make colored decals?

   The Micro-Mark decal kit seems to work fine for this. The only limitation is not being able to print white areas. They are very thick by decal standards, but usable.

    Brett

[Jim Kraft]

     I have been using Testors decal paper for ink jet printers for years. it comes in both white and clear. Once you get the graphics in the computer, you can resize them to what ever you want, and then print them with your printer. They recommend a decal sealer spray for them, but I use clear butyrate dope brushed on to seal them. After they are applied I brush a few more coats of dope over them to bond them and seal the edges to the dope finish.

[Avaiojet]

     I have been using Testors decal paper for ink jet printers for years. it comes in both white and clear. Once you get the graphics in the computer, you can resize them to what ever you want, and then print them with your printer. They recommend a decal sealer spray for them, but I use clear butyrate dope brushed on to seal them. After they are applied I brush a few more coats of dope over them to bond them and seal the edges to the dope finish.

Jim,

Nice! I might just give that a try. Thanks for the information and the photo.

CB

[Sean McEntee]

I’ll have to experiment a bit with dope compatibility , but I’ve been using Avery #8126 shipping labels on FF models.  They are advertised as waterproof (which is important on most contest days) and are pretty opaque so that they can be placed over old shipping labels without bleed-through...or bleed through of paint underneath.  I used these pretty extensively on a FAC Jet Catapult model as an easy-does-it method of adding invasion stripes.  The subject was a 100th anniversary color scheme from the 107th FS “Red Devils”.  Rest of the graphics made by Callie Graphics. I think the stripes only added a gram or two.

[TigreST]

I’ve printed to Avery label sock also.   I’ve uses the white and what I think they called the semi invisible stock. It worked ok over white dope finish which hid the film rather well.  But I did find that ink Jet ink may not be as UV proof as I’d have liked.  There was some color fade over time when exposed to sunlight.  That is after being over Coates with spray coats of Brodak clear.  Sure is nice making your own decals though

There was a company that produced a color sublimination (think that’s the lingo)printer many years ago. The ALPS-100 and ALPS-1000 printers.  These are long out of production.  They used some sort of heat transfer medium for colours and could print in white.  Big hit with some of the plastic scale model guys that produced there own water slide decals.   The units where spendy to purchase but the output was very good.  It was rumoured that another company had bought them out and were to produce the units again. No idea if this ever happened.  Of course these printers required there own set of consumables to function.