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Model Forum / General / Railroads / January 2006DIY decals
Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using the DIY sheets available? I am having no success whatsoever! I am using Crafty Computer Paper's inkjet decal sheet, and I have tried printing on my Canon i850 at home, and an HP 970 at work. The results are awful. The ink sort of gives a crazy-paving appearance, and there is virtually no opacity - the decal just disappears when you place it on a model. Looking at all the blurb on various websites, you just print your design onto the paper, varnish over it, slap it down and Bob's your uncle. If Bob's my uncle, then I'm a Dutchman's uncle! Any help/advice gratefully recieved. Incidentally, this does have a connection with my thread about Blackham Transfers earlier on. I have issued him with an ultimatum...  SignaturePaul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using > the DIY sheets available? I am having no success whatsoever! I am [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > connection with my thread about Blackham Transfers earlier on. I have > issued him with an ultimatum... Paul, email me and I'll put you onto a 2mm member who has done it successfully. - Nigel SignatureNigel Cliffe, Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/ Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using the DIY sheets available? I am having no success whatsoever! I am using Crafty Computer Paper's inkjet decal sheet, and I have tried printing on my Canon i850 at home, and an HP 970 at work. The results are awful. The ink sort of gives a crazy-paving appearance, and there is virtually no opacity - the decal just disappears when you place it on a model. Looking at all the blurb on various websites, you just print your design onto the paper, varnish over it, slap it down and Bob's your uncle. If Bob's my uncle, then I'm a Dutchman's uncle! Any help/advice gratefully recieved. Incidentally, this does have a connection with my thread about Blackham Transfers earlier on. I have issued him with an ultimatum... SignaturePaul Boyd Paul, We had some limited success a few years ago with transfer sheet that we had from Hobbies in London. However, we drew everything up 10x over size for quality and pasted it into word at 10% of the original (It works, trust me!) and printed them on a colour laser. It was then coated in one of the Humbrol clear cotes (forget which) The only failure was that sometimes grease was on the papers and the ink failed to stick so sometimes half an advert would just flake away. others were as crisp as a photograph! Hope this helps to a point ? Andy "Andy Sollis- Churnet Valley model Railway Dept." <andy@cvmrd44422.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:drm4p3$ei4$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk... > Paul, > We had some limited success a few years ago with transfer sheet that we [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > the papers and the ink failed to stick so sometimes half an advert would > just flake away. others were as crisp as a photograph! Actually Andy, that sounds like a damn good effect if you are after a decaying urban atmosphere! I'm presently working right on top of the line between London Bridge and Blackfriars/Charing X. Every lunch-time I promenade between Borough Market and Blackfriars Bridge, just soaking up the railway archaeology. One of the things I've noticed is that nothing works. Apart from the flaking and flapping paper adverts, even the state-of-the-art triangular slatted ad displays don't work properly. Not all the slats keep to the register, and you end up having to infer what an advert is actually for, from the slats that *are* facing you. Perhaps it's deliberate to draw attention! Anyway, let's see somebody modelling that! Cheers, Steve Actually Andy, that sounds like a damn good effect if you are after a decaying urban atmosphere! Steve Erm, Sorry , one thing I should have said is that it was model bus adverts and destination blinds, but printing on paper would have the same effect as the posters. Stick it witha prit stick and would probably have the same life expectancy with the stickyness! As for the rotating advert, cut it into strips and stick to plastistrut (For non working it doesn't have to be triangular) ? Andy "Andy Sollis- Churnet Valley model Railway Dept." <andy@cvmrd44422.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: > Actually Andy, that sounds like a damn good effect if you are after a > decaying urban atmosphere! [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > As for the rotating advert, cut it into strips and stick to > plastistrut (For non working it doesn't have to be triangular) ? For crisp blacks (e.g. bus destinations and registration plates) I use my HP Laserjet 5L. You can now get laser waterslide paper, but I use the inkjet stuff (or regular decal sheet in any colour) and spray both before and after printing with clear acrylic spray. For destination blinds, I print on clear sheet, and apply it over a slightly smaller piece of white decal (or paint). This prevents white from showing around the edges. For old-style registration plates I print on silver decal sheet and cut out leaving a very small silver border. I also use the laser to produce black lining, both straight and curved. SignatureMartin S. > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using > the DIY sheets available? I am having no success whatsoever! I am [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > connection with my thread about Blackham Transfers earlier on. I have > issued him with an ultimatum... If you're using the clear decal sheet on a dark background, light inkjet colours will not show up. I've used their white sheet successfully, and the clear sheet with darker colours on a light background. You need to print at high resolution but with as little ink as possible to avoid bleeding; I set my Epson to "Photo Quality Glossy Film", 1440dpi. Let dry before spraying with Krylon Crystal Clear or other acrylic coating. Crafty Computer Paper have a product that claims to be able to produce produce opaque white (or gold) images and lettering. Go to http://craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/store/ and click on "Embossing powders for lettering" under "Decal paper or Transfers". I haven't tried it myself so I don't know how good it is. In order to print opaque white or other light colours directly you need an ALPS MD5000 printer - these are hard to find and quite expensive. You will find discussions of this topic in the archives of: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rr-decal/ A US company that has a wide range of specialised inkjet media similar to those offered by Crafty Computer is: http://www.papilio.com/ Also check out http://www.beldecal.com/model_decals.cfm SignatureMartin S. Thanks to all who have replied on this. I have tried various settings, still with no joy, although there is an improvement using white decal paper. I am actually trying to print off Ffestiniog Railway garter crests, which have white in them. I have looked for an ALPS printer, and they are available on eBay, but at a price, and only in the US, so far. That option is not an option! I'll have a look at the various links people have posted when I get back home. The Crafty Computer opaque white sounds interesting! SignaturePaul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ Try talking to John Isherwood at Cambridge Custom Transfers. The worst he can say is no. Andy Thanks to all who have replied on this. I have tried various settings, still with no joy, although there is an improvement using white decal paper. I am actually trying to print off Ffestiniog Railway garter crests, which have white in them. I have looked for an ALPS printer, and they are available on eBay, but at a price, and only in the US, so far. That option is not an option! I'll have a look at the various links people have posted when I get back home. The Crafty Computer opaque white sounds interesting! SignaturePaul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ On 31/01/2006 21:37, Andy Sollis- Churnet Valley model Railway Dept. said, > Try talking to John Isherwood at Cambridge Custom Transfers. The worst he > can say is no. Thanks for the suggestion, but I had a look at his website, and he makes it pretty clear he is only interested in custom transfers for BR era that he can incorporate into his range. The paragraph "Please note that we cannot usually consider commissions for other periods, or requests to print from customers' own designs, as the research and formatting involved is prohibitively time-consuming.", along with other phrases scattered about the site, don't leave much room for doubt! I have given Blackham Transfers until end of Feb to either deliver or refund (it will be 10 months by then, with next to bugger-all communication) so I've got that long to come up with something. Meanwhile, my research on Alps printers might be fruitful! The printing process is a little involved though. SignaturePaul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ On 31/01/2006 22:22, Paul Boyd said, "Please note that we cannot usually... " I know its not on to reply to your own posts, but I just spotted the word "usually" in the paragraph I cut and pasted! I also vaguely remember he used to do GWR transfers as well... I will be asking him after all if I get no joy from deepest Wales. SignaturePaul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using > the DIY sheets available? For one-offs, you could try a very cheap and surprisingly effective method my dad once used. Get an envelope (the "lick to stick" type). Apply 3 or 4 coats of varnish to the adhesive. Paint whatever lettering you need on the varnish. If it goes wrong, start again (you don't spoil your model). Apply several coats of varnish. Cut out, soak and apply. The only thing to be aware of is that soaking takes MUCH longer than commercial waterslide transfers. As I say, the results are surprisingly good. It does, of course, need care and time. PhilD -- <>< > > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using > > the DIY sheets available? [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > thing to be aware of is that soaking takes MUCH longer than commercial > waterslide transfers. That used to be a standard way of doing it and you could get large sheets of gummed paper. A good stationers or arts & crafts shop may still sell them. MBQ > > > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using > > > the DIY sheets available? [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > MBQ Or brown, wide parcel tape. Great for making lining transfers. When you float off the transfer, put a bit of water-soluble gum where the transfer is to go: it helps move it around for positioning, reduces bubbling and improves adhesion - of course. >> > > Has anyone tried successfully making their own decals/transfers using >> > > the DIY sheets available? [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >transfer is to go: it helps move it around for positioning, reduces bubbling >and improves adhesion - of course. You should be able to print on this gummed paper using an ink jet (not I suspect a laser). For this kind of work I use a program called Pressworks, version 2.5 was given away a lot a few years ago, this has a 'whole picel scaling' option which makes for a crisper print. As it allows you produce exact sizes I have used it for making card models and for thin paper 'transfers' glued to the sides of things (handy for stuff like pantechnacon vans railway parcels vans and the like). If using the home made paper transfers be very economical with glue, it tends to soak through and blur the print. I haven't varnished the paper stuff (to avoid bluring the print) but some are five or six years old now and seem fine. HTH Mike |
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