I've done a small amount of trying to make waterslide decals with an
ink-jet printer and there is one basic problem.
Inkjet colours are dyes which are almost transparent.
If you notice, the ads. for the waterslide paper show finished decals
usually applied to white surfaces.
Like on white paper the decal shows up nicely, but try that decal on a
black or dark surface, and it plain disappears.
Even those made on an ALPS printer (which can give you a base white pigment
layer) are very thin on a dark surface.
So you either have to use decals on white paper, which means that you have
to cut neatly round the decal edges, or you have to lay down a white area,
on which to put the decal.
Presumably, commercial decals use pigments ?
Peter.
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> From: Clark Lord <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Inkjet decal paper
> Date: Thursday, January 04, 2001 6:15 PM
>
> Vance: Thank you for your informative reply. I was aware of most of
> your points but I have not actually tried making decals myself. I am
> sneaking up on building my Mikado kit (It has been normalizing for a
> year while resting under the workbench.) and I want to make my own
> decals.
>
> After reading your RGB/CMYK discussions I believe my HP722c Deskjet
> printer uses the CMYK method for color. I know that RGB color is more
> like TV where different combinations of red, green and blue are placed
> next to one another and this forms the color image we see.
>
> Where the CMYK method is akin to process color printing where the
> different colors (CMYK) are laid on top of one another to get the final
> result. Four different printing plates are needed, one for each color.
> This is how color magazines are printed.
>
> So the problem remains for the hobbyist who is making his own color
> decals. What to use? What results can you expect? How much will it
> cost? Is it within my technical ability? That's why I posted what I
> did so maybe some answers could be found. I agree that buying 100
> sheets of specialty paper is way too much. However my suggestion was to
> buy the starter paper kit for $16.95 which included enough stuff for
> five 8.5"x11" sheets of decals.
>
> Thank you Gary Lane for informing us as to using water slide paper and
> the local color copy house. That seems to be a pretty good solution
> provided you can do the art work.
>
> I do have MS Publisher, Corel Draw and Paint Shop Pro to fool around
> with to see if I can do the art. Failing that then I'm left with
> Vance's suggestion of going to a commercial decal house for both the art
> work and finished product. That sounds like $$$$ to me.
>
> Almost time for Diamondhead 2001. I'll be there Wednesday morning
> providing the weather in Dallas is flyable. (LV-Dallas-NO)
>
> Clark
>
> VR Bass wrote:
> >
> > Clark,
> >
> > Inkjet decals have a number of serious problems: the ink is not
water-proof
> > (can be clear-coated, however); the ink is not UV-resistant (it fades
in the
> > sunlight); the ink is not very opaque, so the color underneath tends to
show
> > through your decal; inkjets will only print RGB images (colors made of
red,
> > green and blue). The last is not a problem as long as your image is
made
> > only of these colors.
> >
> > The reason so many hobbyists (and many companies) have started using
> > Alps printers is that the thermal wax printing method doesn't have
these
> > problems. The wax is water-proof, though it must be clear-coated if
it's going
> > to be handled. The pigments are UV-resistant and very opaque. You can
> > print CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) as well as silver, gold and
white.
> >
> > The bad news is that Alps no longer imports these printers, though
Okidata
> > has licensed the technology and there's a user movement to get them to
> > make the printers available again here. The worse news is that almost
no
> > one has been satisfied with the ink-jet decals. You'd be better off
making
> > yourself a silk-screen table and learning how to make them the
old-fashioned
> > way (it's not really that hard).
> >
> > In short, I would say you shouldn't buy 100 sheets of ink-jet paper
without
> > trying one first to see if you like the results. There's a guy who does
model
> > decals full-time on Alps printers who's doing work for Hartford
Products and
> > others. I can give you his e-mail address if you're interested.
> >
> > -vance-
