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We spend hours and hours making really cool models but there is that one detail that is
still missing. Decals! Decals take a model from wow! To wicked!
The great thing about decals is they are not terribly difficult to make and personalize
our models. The first part of this tutorial will help
you choose the right do it yourself decal as there are several kinds.
My favorite decal is water slide. They can have a clear back ground that blends into
the model for a clean look. There is a white back ground decal paper that can be used for
other purposes as well. The second kind of decal I have made uses
a clear or white mailing label. This method does not give professional results but work
in a pinch and are great for learning with. The next video will show how to make a decal
using a Microsoft Word Document and simple mailing labels.
Back to water slide. Before you get too enthusiastic about making decals I have one disclaimer.
The method I will demonstrate in the next video works only on white or very light colored
vehicles. I have had success printing black decals on red vehicles.
In this image I printed yellow Haynes Harvesting decals on clear and white decal paper to go
on a red truck. I placed the decal on the roof of the truck
to show what happens. The color washes completely out.
Here is the same logo in yellow font printed on the white decal paper. The white background
stands behind the text. Not a bad thing if this is the look one wishes to have. This
same look will occur if a white mailing label is used.
So can clear paper be used and have the font be seen on dark colors? Easy buy a printer
that lays down a layer of white text then the color over the white.
This decal was printed using a printer that printed white ink then the yellow ink in the
exact same position. The results are remarkable. No white back ground or white behind the text
can be seen and the text really pops out. One model of printer that will give this kind
of result is an Alps printer. Entry level Alps printers Range from $350 to $1000 to
get this quality. Also a clean image created with a good graphic art program is very important
for excellent results. Unless the art is very simple text I hire
graphic artists to create my images. My Rockin H Logo was created by Marketing Mechanics
at tuneupmymarketing.com. Other places to get quality artwork would
be fiverr.com and 99designs. Stay tuned for the next tutorial as I will
show you step by step how make decals using mailing labels and water slide decal paper.
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and because you're awesome and that's what awesome people do. Duuh.
Part2 Water slide decals supplies will be needed.
I'm using decal paper from a local hobby store. Also needed is clear acrylic to seal the your
decals once printed. This keeps the ink from printing from running and give the decal a
nice glossy finish. At this recording the supplies shown cost approximately $20.
Measure the area where the decal will be applied. Today I am making decals for a Freightliner
Cascadia and decals for my own harvest crew with 379 Petes.
Some trucks have a small window on the passenger side. Two sizes of decals can be made to accomadate
the space available. I am using Microsoft Publisher to create these
decals. I am importing Rockin H Logo to go a fleet of 379 Peterbilts. This image is in
PNG format I had created by a graphic artist. I'll crop out Farm Toys part as I want Rockin
H Harvesting. Make sure any image you use is clean and the highest resolution you an
find. I double click the edge of the image to open
down automatically. To get the Harvesting part I open a text box and format the text
the way I want and place it in my preferred position.
I will have up to 8 trucks in the fleet so I will go ahead copy and paste the decal several
times. I always make for than I need to cover mess ups.
I print a test run on regular paper to make sure I have the decal the correct size. Once
I do a practice print I put the decal paaper in and print the final draft. make sure your
print settings give you the highest resolution. Once the decals are printed and the ink is
dry it is time to seal the ink on the paper. Take the clear acrylic and apply a coat of
the label using even strokes across the whole area.
Apply a second coat of acrylic after the first coat, this time spray in the perpendicular
to the first coat. This ensures the whole area is covered.
When the second coat of acrylic is dry cut the decals can be applied to the trucks.
To apply the decals you will need to following; small dish of water, q-tips, fine paint brush,
exacto knife, scissors, and tweezers . I highly recommend sealant. I found that once the decals
dry out they will begin to curl up eventually fall off. This sealant softens the decal up
preventing the pealing affect. Apply a thin coat of sealant to the vehicle.
Cut out the decal and set in the dish of water for 15 or seconds. Remove the decal for the
water and place between your finger and thump. The Decal will slide off the paper. Pick up
the decal with your tweezers and apply to your vehicle. Remove any excess water with
a q-tip and allow the decal to dry a little. Apply another thin coat of sealant and your
decal job is done.
size of decal for your project. In this sample I am making a custom decal for the front of
To make the decal, open your favorite word processing program. I am using Microsoft Publisher.
Make a new document and select mailing labels. I happen to have Avery 5160 white labels on
hand so that is what I will use. Create your shape and use the border of your
choice. Add your text and formatting of choice. In publisher you can double click the border
if there are specifics to follow. Print your labels and they will be ready to
remaining white paper on the outside of the boarder, apply and it is done!