After struggling with airbrushing clear coats, I picked up a can of vallejo satin spray. Will this finish be smooth enough to avoid decal silvering? Or do I absolutlely need to do a full glass-smooth gloss coat?
Thanks
A satin finish is smooth enough,think of decals being okay to go on a glass smooth surface (gloss), and a pebble smooth surface (Satin, or Semi-Gloss), but, not on a gravel surface (Flat, Matt, or Non-Specular)
the same process that lets a decal snuggle into detail and panel lines lets it snuggle around the “pebbles” of a Satin finish, because there is no air trapped under the decal as there is with a Flat
Rex
I would do a test before doing the real decals. Finish a scrap of plastic with the satin finish, then find a place on the decal sheet that has some clear decal film showing (sometimes the name of the sheet, mfgs trademark, etc. are also decals. Put one of these spots as a decal over the test finish and see how it looks. It may depend on your airbrushing technique, so what works for one person may not work for another. How satin it looks does depend a bit on airbrush technique.
It’s actually a rattle can. Good call on the leftovers on the decal sheet, I will give it a try