White Decals

[Larry Fernandez]

Do any of you fine gentlemen have the means to print white lettering on clear decal paper? if not, do you know who would be able to do so?

Larry, Buttafucco Stunt Team

[Dennis Nunes]

Hi Larry,

Would "White" Waterslide Decal Paper work?


Dennis

These decals were done on white decal paper

[Larry Fernandez]

not sure how that would work Dennis. After printing the white letters on the white decal material, you wouldnt be able to see the letters. also my printer will not print white.
To do what I need, I would have to use clear decal paper and print the white lettering on it, and as I said, my machine will not print white.
I know it can be done since so many model kits had white lettering and graphics on their decals.

Larry, Buttafucco Stunt Team

[Avaiojet]

Letraset rub on lettering.

Been around forever.

Quick Google will get you there.

A paint mask will do it also if the lettering is a decent size.

Vinyl also but you'll have a thicker edge than decal material.

[Dennis Nunes]

If you look at the outboard panel in the picture where it says "BIG BLUE". The background color of the 'artwork' is the same navy blue of the wing and the lettering is white. I matched the background color in the artwork to the base color and everything else was added to the artwork, including the "white" lettering.

Because LaserJet's don't print white, just a combination of 4 colors (magenta, cyan, yellow and black) white artwork or letters becomes transparent or clear when printed allowing the white decal paper to display through.

Hope this make sense.

Dennis

[Steve Helmick]

I cannot believe that nobody has suggested the OBVIOUS: White Monokote Steve

[Tom Luciano]

My work around for this problem would be cut white waterslide decal on a vinyl cutter.

Tom

[Steve Helmick]

My work around for this problem would be cut white waterslide decal on a vinyl cutter.

Tom

Sure, but Larry is the KING of Monokote.  Steve

[Dennis Leonhardi]

I believe Callie Graphics https://callie-graphics.com/index.php can provide what you want at very reasonable cost - white on clear - if pressure sensitive will work for you.

Dennis

[Larry Fernandez]

I believe Callie Graphics https://callie-graphics.com/index.php can provide what you want at very reasonable cost - white on clear - if pressure sensitive will work for you.

Dennis

Hi Dennis, I checked with Callie Graphs and their product is indeed pressure sensitive vinyl which will not work for me. the vinyl is too thick and takes a lot of clear to bury the lettering.
The lettering I need is pretty small and done in a military stencil font,

Larry, Buttafucco Stunt Team

[Dennis Leonhardi]

Sorry to hear that, a fellow Piston Popper has been very pleased with her work.

I'd be tempted to try white (rub-on) lettering on clear decal material then.  I'm not a plastic model builder, but I've been selling thousands of airliner decals on eBay for 6+ years.  The guys who really know their stuff say there are materials you can use to coat decal material that make it really durable - check out the Microscale website for such things.  And Mike at Vintage Flyer Decals is beyond helpful …  Good luck!

Dennis

[EricV]

Maybe get an Alps if you can find one cheap...

Like this:

[L0U CRANE]

The other obvious solution is to mask an outline of the lettering swatch, paint it white, the apply the lettered segment on clear film over it. The color of the decal area around the lettering can/should/could? be printed the same color as the rest of the 'panel' it goes on.

NOTE: no "white" decal paper I've ever used was opaque enough to hide an underlying 'panel' color... I even considered painting the film, say, white, THEN printing the other colors atop the paint. A thin enough coat to work with was also pretty translucent, and I had to consider what would be the effect on my ink-jet's nozzles. The heat in laser printing also should be considered.
 
If painting a white (or other desired background color) - some "maintenance/warning/etc.' legends, etc. were red, possibly some were in yellow. The background color 'field' for such decals should be planned for and applied early enough in the overall finishing process that a masked area doesn't cause obvious raised outline edges above the surface.

NB: I have used colored text on clear decal paper over translucent colored silk - a special effect! Color is changed when sunlight shines through silk then decal! Not always a good thing - only do this if you really mean it...

[ericrule]

Larry:

I particularly liked the white Monocoat  idea. As we all know you have great experience with Monocoat

Eric Rule

[Steve Helmick]

Larry:

I particularly liked the white Monocoat  idea. As we all know you have great experience with Monocoat

Eric Rule

See? Just stick it in the vinyl cutter, push the button and let 'er rip! The white Monokote, I mean... Steve