I remember a while back there was some experiments with making water transfer decals.My question is was anyone successfull? I know that a lot of people are interested in getting reproductions of all our favorite brands. Dan
Hello, Dan. I've just taken delivery of some sheets of waterslide decal paper suitable for use with an inkjet printer - sounds strange, but apparently it dries waterproof after 30 minutes or so I've not yet had the chance to try it out. Downside is the cost - certainly over here. It was about ?18 GBP for 8 x A4 sheets. It is produced by a company called Lazertran (www.lazertran.com). It's made in the UK but I'm sure you'll be able to find something similar. I found it with a Google search. Hope this helps, Steve
I've made some basic w/t decals with paper supplied by craftycomputerpaper They print on a BJ printer and need fixing with acrylic or spirit based varnish (several coats or the colours tend to run when the decal gets wet) but they are pretty straightforward to use. Larger decals can be a bit of a handful and it can be dificult to get all the air bubbles out from under them. They don't say anything about giving them another coat or three of varnish once they are on but I think it may be no bad thing on painted backrounds, and with careful masking on polished metal.
Steve that was easy. I found a US company that offers 25 sheets for 19 bucks.Now comes the hard part ,creating the decal to scale and proper color.Oh Boy this could get crazy. Considering what a putz I am with a computer.Hey I love a challenge. Dan
Time to start messing with your paint / photo shop prog., Dan. having something definite to do is a good thing and makes you more keen to get it just so. You will probably learn quite alot of new stuff if you set out to make a fair copy of a decal. You will also probably experience the frustration of having something turn out good without you being quite sure why it did so and having to figure out what you did to make it happen. Have fun !
Ian first thing I suppose is to figure out the lighting to get accurate color in the picture without glare.Some of the decals I am after I have to find good examples of.We have reproduction decals available for some Coleman ,Sears etc. but they are vinyl stickon's.The web site that sells the paper says to coat the sheet with a spray clear plastic before installation. Dan
I think the most useful thing in this execise is a model to refer to for colours, fonts, proportions, sizes. This model need not be an absolutely perfect example although the better the model is, the easier it is to get the copy right. I did a copy of an Opti 111 sticker last year and used the image of one in an ebay listing as the model ( it was the best I could find at the time). If you have a good, or not so good, example sitting on a stove or lantern, take a picture of it, square-on and in daylight, and get it onto your computer. Make a note of its pricipal dimensions. And start on your copy. How good you want the end result to be is entirely up to you. I'd say that a copy that will pass casual observation but may not stand close scrutiny will do. "Where did you get the sticker/decal ?" is a more pleasant question to hear than " Did you make the sticker/decal yourself?"
I must admit I find it time consuming. I recently completed the Primus 71 decals but my decal printer is putting lines through them - hopefully it will be something as simple as changing the cartridges. Here's some useful links: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/aungstdecal/CustomDecals.htm http://www.tangopapadecals.com/page2.html http://www.beldecal.com/model_decals.cfm
hi how did the decals go in the end? Can those of you that made and used them post photos please? Im thinking about investing in some of this decal paper but would like to see the results first. cheers
