Charles Linck has put together a very interesting set of instructions on the process of making decals. On 27 June, he posted it to the rec.model.railroad NewsList. I pulled the three messages that make up his instructions, added the HTML, and herewith present it for the edification of any who can use it. If you'd like to thank Charles, he can be reached at ChasRail@aol.com .
====================================================== From: chasrail@aol.com (ChasRail) Newsgroups: rec.models.railroad Subject: Re: Making Your Own Decals part 1 Date: 27 Jun 1996 00:42:06 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Here is a rather long winded discusion on making decals I wrote for another modeler on the net. I hope it helps. ======================================================
Making decals is actually a simple three step process. The instant answer, for those who don't read directions is :
And now for the details.
Blank decal paper is basically nothing more than paper with a coating of water soluble glue on one side. The idea is to place the printed art work on the glue side of the paper, so that when the paper is soaked in water, the printed art work slides off the paper and applied to the model. A small remaining trace of glue helps the art adhere to the model.
There are various sources of decal paper, most of the commercial supply houses have a fairly high minimum purchase (up to $200 worth) so I'll just mention the two sources that mere mortals can deal with. The first and easiest source is through Walthers. Walthers sells two different sizes of paper. Part number 934-706821 is a package of four 8 1/2 x11 sheets and part number 934-706820 is a package of four 9 x 6 sheets. The larger size costs $7.98 and the smaller size costs $3.98. These sheets work well and although they come pre-coated, they still need a top coat (more on this later). Another source is from Microscale Industries. Microscale sells a line of colored trim film. Trim film is decal paper with a glossy colored coating on it. It's intent is for slicing out strips or other shapes for use where solid patches of color is needed. The trim film comes in many different colors (TF-1 through TF-9 and clear (TF-0). The clear trim film is of interest for decals, about $1.25 per 8 x 5 sheet. This trim film works fine but it does produce a thicker decal. The Walthers paper is better, but the trim film will work in a pinch.
Decal film is a lacquer based, clear flexible paint that is used to make and repair decals. Microscale sells a Liquid Decal Film in a small bottle for about $2.00. A single, one ounce bottle will last about 12 full page sheets. I have used other brands successfully, but most of the local hobby stores stock the Microscale brand.
The decal film is used for two purposes. First, the decal film is used to protect the printed art work by sandwiching it between two layers of film, a base coat and a top coat. This layered approach helps hold the art together. Second, the decal film gives the decal paper a surface that the printer toner can adhere to.
The first step is to apply a base coat of liquid decal film to the glue-coated (glossy) side of the decal paper. Apply the film to the paper full strength, right out of the bottle with a small, soft brush, 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide brush works fine, what ever will fit into the bottle. There is no need to thin the film or use an airbrush. Coat the entire sheet. The film is a bit thick and it will look terrible as you are applying it. I goes on thick with plenty of brush marks. Fear not, just keep on going. Don't try to work the film excessively with the brush, just a nice even coat. As the film dries in about 10-15 minutes, it flattens out to an unbelievably flat, thin, even coat. I was amazed the first time I used this stuff. One suggestion, write on the back side of the paper to indicate that the paper has been coated. I have had great trouble trying to tell whether or not the paper has a base coat applied (no fooling). I write "coated" on the back just before I coat the decal paper. Clean your brush with lacquer thinner. (Insert legal mombo-jumbo about using nasty chemicals here).
This process uses a laser printer to apply toner to the decal paper. It must be a laser printer (some printers use LEDs instead of lasers, that's fine), or more specifically, a printing process that applies a powdered toner that is heat fused to the paper. Just print on the decal paper just as you would print on gum-stock labels. The paper is a bit thicker than standard paper so use the straight through paper path if your printer has that feature.
If you don't have a laser printer, there are two options. First, many print shops like Kwik Kopy and Kinkos have laser printers you can use. For a dollar or so per page, you can take your file, via floppy, and print your art on your decal paper. Call to find out pricing, computer type (Mac or PC), and applications they have. You may have to convert to a format they can handle or bring your own application. The second option is to print your art work on plain paper using whatever printer you have, and photocopy the art onto the decal paper. Most modern copiers use the same toner process as laser printers. If the copier has the capability to print on transparencies or gum-stock labels, they should take the decal paper also. Just make sure you know what side the copier prints to, I have copied art onto the paper side of the decal paper a few times. No great loss, just flip over and try again.
About ink jet printers. I have tried many different brands of ink jet printers, B&W and color, without any success. The problems with the ink jets is that either the ink beads up on the decal paper, or is completely destroyed by the application of the top coat. I don't think the ink formulations have change that much from the last time I tried, but you are more than welcome to try. I have not tried any other printing processes such as thermal wax, dye sublimation, or dot matrix. The thermal wax and the dye sub printers may work if they can handle the decal paper. These printers are very fussy about the paper used.
Color Options. The only way I have tried to get color decals, other than the failed ink jet attempts, have been with color copiers. I first printed the color master using the best color printer available to me, a dye sub printer. Some of the newer color ink jet printers are looking pretty good if good paper is used. I then took my color master to local printers to have it color photo copied onto my base coated decal paper. It took seven attempts before I found a copier that could handle the thick decal paper without eating the paper. The copier that finally worked was a Richo NC 8015. Newer copiers are becoming more tolerant of the paper so check with the print shop to see of their printer can handle the thicker paper. Be prepared to scrap a few attempts. The quality of the copies are not as good as my master, or the B&W laser printers, but it can work.
There are a new line of color laser printers coming out that should work quite well. I have not gotten access to one of these machines yet, but the process they use is the same as with the B&W copiers, they just run it through the process four times, with four colored toners. Note that the toners used are somewhat translucent, to make viewgraphs work. This means that the decal color will add with the car's background color. What I did was to print a color table on a viewgraph transparancy. I hold this color grid against the model to see what the combination will look like.
Here are a few tricks I have used:
It is rare that I will use up the entire page on a single print job. No problem, just trim off the used portions and its ready to be used again. The problem is that each time the paper is passed through the printer, it picks up a fine dusting of toner over the entire page. Not a problem if only one or two passes are made, but by three or four passes it becomes noticeable. Different printers may behave differently, and the age and how clean the printer's innards are affect this characteristic. The solution is to limit the use of the decal paper to a single pass through the printer. Try this. First print on plain paper and use this as a guide to determine how much paper is needed. Cut the decal paper to size and print. How well your printer can handle small and odd sizes will determine if this technique will work. Another trick is to first print on plain paper, then cut a piece decal paper to size and tape it to the printed paper. Use either Scotch tape and tape along the edges, or use double-sticky tape and apply under the piece of decal paper. Tape the decal paper directly over the printed image and send the taped assembly through the printer again. This is an great method to print very small jobs.
Once through the printer or copier, apply a top coat of liquid decal film over the printed art. You can cover the entire page or just the printed portions. Again, use a brush and smoothly apply over the decals. It is important not to work the brush too much over the printed image or the image will smear. I have found that the color copier made decals tend to smear easier so be extra careful here. I found that brushing in a downward direction relative to the image's final placement on the model when top coating color decals helps. If the image does smear slightly, it will look on the model as if the paint is beginning to run down, as can happen as the car ages. (Sneaky way to hide your mistakes - call it weathering).
I made a series of long, narrow decals for a dispatcher's schematic track diagram, 8 inches long and as narrow as 3/8 inch. Such a large decal became difficult to apply to the control panel. I then applied two more top coats of decal film to stiffen the decal. The panels were smooth so I did not have to worry about going over ribs or other details. This made the decal easier to use.
Once the top coat(s) have dried, you can now use them just like store bought decals.
I use Microscale's Micro Set and Micro Sol solutions as I would for any other decal. I have found that Hobsco's Solvaset (sold through Walthers) is a bit too strong. It will tend to dissolve and smear the toner. If you must use it, dilute it with water, use sparingly, and don't touch it once applied.
The toner is a bit stiffer and brittler than commercial decals so it may be slightly harder to lay over tall car ribs. I have found that the color copier toner to be a bit harder to work over car details than the black toner.
Give it a try. One of the nice things about this process is that it is fast and cheap, making experimenting easy. I have tried to give you all the knowledge I have acquired. I hope it helps.
Good Luck, have fun.
Charles Linck
ChasRail@aol.com