Phil told me that he uses the Laser decal paper and runs it through a laser color copier at Kinko's. That paper does not require an overcoat before applying, and thus is very thin. You then do your clearcoat over that, and the edges go away. The laser copy is cleaner and more intense than you can do with an inkjet, too!
Whoa Larry,
When we talked I suggested using a color copy machine at Kinko’s or any variety of local Copy shop/Quick print stores because those machines will produce relatively good quality and are generally well maintained. Somehow you missed the part about clear coating the decals before application.
It difficult when someone grabs me between flights at a contest and asks for the quick rundown on how to do something, things often get lost in translation. Generally, I use what ever equipment I have available and work with software to get the best results. Over the past 11 years I have used and had excellent results with everything from very inexpensive desktop inkjet printers to commercial equipment costing over $500,000. It always takes some tweaking and experimentation to get the best results.
Guess I will have to write and article on this since so many people have asked.
Making decals is definitely not an exact science but there are some things that are consistent and here they are.
1.) Use only clear film decal paper
2.) ALWAYS spray on 2 coats of clear dope after printing while on the decal sheet
3.) I never use anything but clear dope to coat the decals.
4.) Never use Nitrate dope for anything.
5.) If you use an inkjet printer experiment with coverage and most importantly let the ink dry completely before coating with clear dope. Blue ink dries very slowly and can take as much as TWO WEEKS to dry completely over decal film! Be patient. Ink will also fade and can do so very quickly in direct sun.
6.) Laser and LED printers, which include color copiers, produce much cleaner print and more consistent color saturation. There is virtually drying time. They are also less likely to fade quickly.
7.) After application spray on a quick light coat of clear followed by a second very wet coat of clear.
8.) I complete the process by using automotive clear for the final clear coats as described in several articles I have published.
Topic: PTG " Maiden flight (Read 3821 times)