I have scanned thru this forum and dont see anything about which type of printer is best for making waterslide decals at home
Is a laser the better option? - can it do white?
Thanks in advance
Rich C.
current builds zoukei-maru 1:48 F4-S - VMFA 232 1984 and GWH F-15C MSIP 71st FS 2004
I have a Brother inkjet. Before that I had a Ricoh laser printer. I think I prefer the inkjet, but the quality of the print on paper is indicative of the quality of the print on decal paper.
Be sure to order the paper that’s designed for one or the other. I have tried a bunch and get better results with the stuff from Micro Mark than the Testor’s paper.
Paper comes in white or clear. You cannot print white, only big industrial printers can do that.
There’s a bunch of clever work arounds, depending on what you intend to do.
Probably the hard part is creating the art. I don’t know how to use drafting programs, so I’m limited to using stuff I find online.
I also scan most decal sheets before I try to use them. That has saved me many times.
I think making decals is fun.
I find now that lower princed inkjets have better resolution and better colors than lower priced lasers. Compare.
I have made decals from Canon, HP and Epson. I do find Epson inks take quite a while (several days) to fully dry. Greg suggested that. Now that I wait about three days before coating them- no further problems.
So I would say that any popular brand is okay. Note that laser printers require a sealing clear coat just like inkjets.
After a lot of trial and error, I have found the Testor’s Decal Bonder Spray to be a good clear sealer.
Print, wait two-three days, seal one light coat.
I have found Testors Glosscoat or Dullcoat works well too (whichever matches the desired final finish). I do one light coat and then one heavier coat for good measure.
Hi Don, do you have any suggestions for hopefully free graphic software. It’s ironic as I own a company that employs people who turn out complicated stuff with expensive systems, but they can’t help me as I have no idea what they are talking about.
Thanks!
Bill
I had an HP inkjet years ago and when just printed, the decal images looked really good. Then about 5 minutes later, when the ink dried, the colors ran together and it looked terrible. That convinced me to get a Brother color lazerjet printer. The resolution of the image determines the output quality, and at the highest resolutions, it looks good. I have been using Papillo decal paper and it seems to be okay, but sometimes the temperature is too high and you get trash. You do need alot of decal softener to apply to curved surfaces. Haven’t tried any other type of paper. Anyone have suggestions for color lazerjet decal paper?
Temperature certainly is a factor. Much better results when the printer is cold.
There is a system called “ghost” for laser printers that allow you to print white in a two-step process.
Much could be written about it here but I’d advise you to seek out the companies website for at least two reasons:
1> Preparing the artwork and the two-step printing process may not be for everyone. Their product videos help explain much better than words IMO.
2> The “ghost” system is only available for certain model printers at this time. Again, the list of compatible models is on their website.
The software that comes with Windows (paint3D) could probably do the job if it is a simple decal. The most powerful free graphics program is GIMP. However, that program has a shallow learning curve. That is bad- a steep learning curve means you learn the task quickly (Learning curve is proficiency vs time). Shallow means it takes more time.
I use Paint Shop Pro, from Corel. It is about 70-80 bucks. The Adobe equivalent is Photoshop Element for about the same price (both occasional sale prices). These are powerful graphics programs. I use my graphics program a lot for modeling. I am even doing CAD on it since CAD prices have gone through the roof!