DYI Decals

[2-8-2]

DIY Decals

I'm looking to make my own decals. I have a freelanced road, and my caboose is nearly completed...all I need to do now is add decals. I've been told that you can buy clear decal sheets at your local office store, however, I visited Office Max and Staples today and neither place had any. The closest thing they offered was clear return address labels. I thought they would be too thick for N scale modeling.

Where would I get some decal paper? I want to use PhotoShop to create custom decals and print them off onto a clear decal.

 

[ezdays]

I'm looking to make my own decals. I have a freelanced road, and my caboose is nearly completed...all I need to do now is add decals. I've been told that you can buy clear decal sheets at your local office store, however, I visited Office Max and Staples today and neither place had any. The closest thing they offered was clear return address labels. I thought they would be too thick for N scale modeling.

Where would I get some decal paper? I want to use PhotoShop to create custom decals and print them off onto a clear decal.

Micro-Mart sells both clear and white backed decal paper. It runs about a dollar a sheet. I've run some on my laser printer, but haven't tried it on my ink jet. I bought a sample pack with both kinds in it. Just remember that you can't print white lettering, and I don't know how dense other colors are since as I said, I haven't tried anything but black printing.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Microscale also offers decal paper, in fact the product from Micro-Mark may be made by Microscale.

 

[ezdays]

Has anyone here used decal paper to print lightly or unpigmented colors like yellows, reds or blues? Without the ablility to print white, I was thinking about subsituting yellow, but I have a feeling it would be too transparent.

 

[2-8-2]

Thanks for the Micro-Mark suggestion! :thumb:

Not only do they have the decal paper I need, but a lot of other items I've been looking for as well.

 

[abutt]

Bounced this one off my oldest son. He's a master model builder, especially cars. He feels do it yourself decaling is one of the hardest jobs in modeling. He says he's had great results from press type on clear film. I've linked to his page on Google Images right here which shows a Porsche of his with many of the markings done in this method.

Myself, I chickened out and after preparing the art, had my CNE done professionally by Graphic Decals. They did a wonderful job...in white, no less and I thought the price was fair considering the mess of decals I got. Check them out. They advertise in MR and RMC. Nice people to deal with.

Allan

 

[abutt]

Additional info...The "Graphic Decals" I referenced in the previous post is really www.railgraphicsdecals.com You won't be sorry with these guys. my white decals were perfect. Crisp and opaque. All I could ask for.

Allan

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Don,
I've tried yellow on Vita -Cal clear paper, and it was transparent. Looked like it would work when the decal was on the backing sheet, but when I went to transfer it, you couldn't even see it.
The white paper, it came out nice, but if your not painting a white freight car, pretty much useless. Though would mke good signs for store fronts.