Home made decals

[rronning84]

I got the testors decal maker but it is a pain to use. Any pointers or better products?

[Nick Winter]

I got the testors decal maker but it is a pain to use. Any pointers or better products?

I personally like to use BMF brand Decal paper and Microscale Liquid Decal film to cover them after printing, I get pretty good quality decals.

[highway]

I personally like to use BMF brand Decal paper and Microscale Liquid Decal film to cover them after printing, I get pretty good quality decals.

I think Ryan may be talking about the Testors decal making computer program, not the paper.

[Nick Winter]

I think Ryan may be talking about the Testors decal making computer program, not the paper.

Matthew his first post said " Any pointers or better products?"

[cargostar]

I have a friend who has used this system with good results.

http://www.pulsarprofx.com/DecalPRO/index.html

I've watched him use it and it is fairly straight foreward. I was a little confused on it at first, but after watching the videos, and seeing it done first-hand, its a slick system.

You still have to have a graphics program of some sort to create your art work.

[rronning84]

I have a friend who has used this system with good results.

http://www.pulsarprofx.com/DecalPRO/index.html

I've watched him use it and it is fairly straight foreward. I was a little confused on it at first, but after watching the videos, and seeing it done first-hand, its a slick system.

You still have to have a graphics program of some sort to create your art work.

Thanks for the link

[highway]

Matthew his first post said " Any pointers or better products?"

Yeah, but I have the Testors Decal Program and the little I have messed with it, it can be difficult to use. That's why I've just played with it and not made any decals with it, yet, I still have to figure it out first!

[falcongeorge]

I use CorelDraw.

[Aaronw]

I use CorelDraw.

I do to, it has a bit of a learning curve but it is worth the effort. You can get older versions like 11 or 12 pretty cheap and for making decals these older versions seem just as good as the latest version.

[Wagoneer81]

I'm not familiar with the Testors Decal Maker so I can't pass judgement on it. I use a 10 year old copy of Printshop 11 for my graphics program and print them out on a $30.00 Canon Inkjet printer. I use clear and white decal sheets, depending on what I'm needing. I get those from Micro-Mark. Anything you can save to your computer, you can import to Printshop and print out on a decal sheet.

[highway]

Thats very dissapointing because I just ordered the add on a little bit ago because I need something to make decals for my truck im working on right now. I have the basic one but the one I ordered is where you can import your own images.

Don't get too disappointed, Justin. At the time I made the comment you quoted, I had only had it for a few weeks! I've still not made any decals with it yet, but I've designed and modified some pics with the program, and finding it easier to get along with. I just needed more time to learn what I was doing.

[mackinac359]

A good printer will help too. My 3 year old Epson C88+ no longer prints clear decals or photographs.

Tim

[phoneguy]

I found the Testors program to be not completely worthless, but just a pain to use. When I first started making decals, I would copy & paste to MS Word then print to My epson inkjet. Make note however, if you choose to do inkjet decals, there are some pointers.

1. If using clear decal paper, it will only be good to use these on light or white colors otherwise you will have bleedthru.

2. You will need to use a good sealer on the decals--I still use the Testors decal spray as well as a few other clearcoats. (side note--the ALPS do not require it, but I use it as extra protection against scratches)

3. Allow ample dry time after printing before clearcoating and after. This process can take up to a week depending on how good you want it.

4.With the Testors program you are limited on a few things unless you go online to purchase the upgrade. Since I took over modeltruckin.com, I have learned a lot more when it comes to making decals. I use Adobe Illustrator for the artwork, however I can still do some the "old fashioned" way as mentioned in the beginning.

Any questions, you can pm me or drop me an email.

[highway]

Also one other question is is it possible to have a decal set of something and to be able to print an exact copy of it onto decal paper?

If you mean making an extra copy of a kit's decal sheet, like if you want a backup if you mess a decal up, you can scan the kit's decal sheet into your computer and reprint them. I would suggest printing it on regular paper before the decal paper, though. That way you can make sure the decal will come out right before wasting the decal paper if it is messed up or colors might be off.

[phoneguy]

How well does that work?

Also one other question is is it possible to have a decal set of something and to be able to print an exact copy of it onto decal paper?

Highway is right on his suggestion.

As far as the copy & paste, it worked good for me and still does from time to time. You do have to be careful of the margins tho, if you're working with large decals or a lot on the sheet. Once you get things in place, then try the "print preview" option before printing.

[Nick Winter]

Also when using decal paper on inkjet printers after you print a few decals onto a sheet and then use them would you be able to feed the decal sheet back in to print more or will the sheet not work as well anymore?

Justin,

If you have coated the whole sheet, no, if you have only coated the area where the decals you printed are then yes.

Nick