Printing Decals For Precision Colors

I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible. I have a Rust-oleum Brilliant Blue on a rocket. I have some white printable decal material as well. I’m trying to match the color of the paint, so that the background color on the decal is the same. I want white text on this shade of blue.

I couldn’t find the “Pantone” or whatever, color code, either on the can nor the website paints specs. I’m sure I could scan a blotch of this color on some kind of flat surface, bring it into Corel Draw, and use the “eyedropper” tool to match the color, but I don’t believe this is the best approach. I am wondering how you might go about getting the correct RGB or PMS color to match the paint. Anybody got a clue?

Gary Byrum said:

I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible. I have a Rust-oleum Brilliant Blue on a rocket. I have some white printable decal material as well. I’m trying to match the color of the paint, so that the background color on the decal is the same. I want white text on this shade of blue.

I couldn’t find the “Pantone” or whatever, color code, either on the can nor the website paints specs. I’m sure I could scan a blotch of this color on some kind of flat surface, bring it into Corel Draw, and use the “eyedropper” tool to match the color, but I don’t believe this is the best approach. I am wondering how you might go about getting the correct RGB or PMS color to match the paint. Anybody got a clue?

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Gery:
Been using Corel Draw for many years. Color matching a rustoleum or any other color with something on your screen or worse your inkjet or Laser printer will be "at best" a trial and error process because there is NO direct RGB to CYMK color matching system period. As a matter of fact even us professional Sign Manufacturers can't color match anything exactly every with precise color forumlas...Ain't nothing on this earth perfect! Best your going to do is get pretty close to the color your trying to simulate, your EVER going to match it exactly.

If you already have the model painted with the background blue you might want to try getting someone with an Alps printer to double print white on opaque silver on clear decal paper. Even if you get really close on your white printed background decal paper when it's appled over the Blue Background your white will appear discolored or dark through the white.

Yeah. That's what I thought. I'd be better off having the text cut on vinyl and going that route. Mark at Stickershock is not available right now, and my preferred custom vinyl cutting artist isn't really as available anymore. I guess it's time I made the investment and buy a plotter.

You could use clear vinyl decals and print white text on them, then you wouldn't have to worry about matching the color.

Inkjet printers don't print white, so that's not an option.

I was having the same problem, even had fastsigns print a dozen little color sample of slightly different shades which I stuck on a painted test piece and then clear coated to make sure the clear coat would look the same over both. They got extremely close but in the end I had them cut a negative of the image on white to use as a paint mask to spray the original paint.

Gary Byrum said:

Inkjet printers don't print white, so that's not an option.

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Oh yeah. duh... lol

Ravenex said:

I was having the same problem, even had fastsigns print a dozen little color sample of slightly different shades which I stuck on a painted test piece and then clear coated to make sure the clear coat would look the same over both. They got extremely close but in the end I had them cut a negative of the image on white to use as a paint mask to spray the original paint.

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My graphics friend used to cut all my text for me until he moved away. I liked using the vinyl. Since I had to resort to making my own decals, white text has become problematic. It can get a little pricy having some company cut these for me. If I can't find a a way to match colors for the background, I may take the plunge and invest in a desktop plotter. US CUTTER has one for a couple hundred bucks that might be a worthy investment.

Interesting thread.

With Stickershock offline for now reducing our vinyl options, and the problems Gordy at Excelsior has been having with his ALPS printers making waterslides harder to get, I've been increasingly concerned about the future of decals for my own rockets. I'm still shocked that there is no replacement technology for ALPS that can print white and metallics.

I don't know much about ALPS printers, or that Gordy was having problems with his. I always thought white had to be screen printed. I can go either way with decals or vinyl, but there are limits to what I can print. I just made some with black text on clear, and they turned out very nice. Even though you have to clear coat these before you can use them, they're already about as thick as vinyl and you can basically soak them and peel the backing off and apply by hand. Not near as thin as the material used for real decals, but it works.

Gary Byrum said:

I don't know much about ALPS printers, or that Gordy was having problems with his. I always thought white had to be screen printed. I can go either way with decals or vinyl, but there are limits to what I can print. I just made some with black text on clear, and they turned out very nice. Even though you have to clear coat these before you can use them, they're already about as thick as vinyl and you can basically soak them and peel the backing off and apply by hand. Not near as thin as the material used for real decals, but it works.

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Gary:
My Alps printer has been working with some problems for several years now. To truely print white for use over a dark color background one first has to print silver, then two passes with white to get a good opaque white decal.

You really should Check out Sihouette-Portrait Cutting Machines. www.sihouetteamerica.com SWEET Little inexpensive Vinyl cutting machines! They are intended for the scrap-booking and craft industry but Man what a sweet little vinyl cutter the "Portrait" is. The Portrait cuts up to 8-1/2" wide by whatever length you design. So far the longest single I've cut is 6.375" x 31" but worked like a charm. I think I spent under 200.00 for the Portrait Machine, extra blades, Software and cutting mats (you do NOT need if cutting only vinyl). Very Fast Set up and the software is included with upgrades, Very easy and quick learning curve. Cuts anyones adhesive backed vinyl cleanly and Quickly. Weeding is a breeze with a #11 X-acto. I'm using it for Micro, Standard and MPR size vinyl sticker type decals and detail stripping and roll patterns. I've been very impressed with the process and speed so far, I've only had the machine hooked up about a week now
One more thing, don't bother with the Roll feeder attachment unless you have about 20" x 15" of desk space to occupy. it's a 40 buck plastic paper weight I got one for fee by mistake so no great loss, but I'd never buy one.

They have a bigger model Cameo or something like that (More expensive) but for the extra bucks I couldn't see the need.
Sorry not photos at present...it's so new I haven't taken the time to take any.

Scanning in a color won't work well unless you have a complete color matching system (CMS) configured for your input and output devices. Your best bet is to somehow get a hold of a Pantone swatch book and simply match up your paint color with one of the swatches. Pantone currently has a 'bridge' product that attempts to provide color formulas across mixed plaforms such as CMYK, sRGB and solid PMS colors. That's their most appropriate product for what you are looking for. https://www.pantone.com/color-bridge-coated

The fan fold books eventually fade and many high-end users replace them every year or two. You might be able to call up some of the larger printers in your area to see if they have any older ones sitting around that might have the tiniest amount of color shift that wouldn't matter too much for your purpose.

That's a nice shade of blue! So what's the project? Would you be able to get by doing the trial & error color matching method?

For whiter white decals on dark paint, you could either undercoat the decaled portion grey-then-white, or add an extra layer of white decal first.
If the model is weathered or sun-faded, you could blend the blue decal into the paint (easier if you have an airbrush).
Or if you were able to cut a mask or stencil as Ravenex suggested, that would work but it sounds like it's complicated (text?).

Good luck! I'm looking for a solution too.

I've been having good success with one of these- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GZUPFA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

kj

Gary Byrum said:

My graphics friend used to cut all my text for me until he moved away. I liked using the vinyl. Since I had to resort to making my own decals, white text has become problematic. It can get a little pricy having some company cut these for me. If I can't find a a way to match colors for the background, I may take the plunge and invest in a desktop plotter. US CUTTER has one for a couple hundred bucks that might be a worthy investment.

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+++ , for the US Cutter, I have one I love it

White vinyl is definitely the win for this kind of situation, as long as the pattern doesn't have anything too small to cut. I have one of the Silhouette Cameo cutters (12" cut width x semi arbitrary length) that I got at Michael's and it works great. US Cutter seems to be a go-to place for bigger cutters and supplies. The transfer tape they carry is great and really inexpensive, I got a 100 yd x 1 ft roll for ~$43 including shipping.

Customizing decals to get a desired effect, is not what I really want to do. I've been putting off buying a plotter for years, and maybe it's time I just indulged myself. I could get the 14" US Cutter for $219, which is a desktop model for which I have no desk space for, and only has a 10" cutting width, VS springing for the 28" model for $80 more that has a stand and a 2.5' cutting width. I'll burn through more vinyl on the little one than I would on the wider one, and I'll get adequate cutting width for my needs. I use stripes a lot, so 2.5' width will work well. I also cut the names for the rockets and certain accent cuts for things like fins and whatever. These cutters will cut from Corel Draw and Autocad, so that's right up my alley. I'd be really ill with myself if I got the 14" model, wishing I had bought the bigger one.

Gary Byrum said:

Customizing decals to get a desired effect, is not what I really want to do. I've been putting off buying a plotter for years, and maybe it's time I just indulged myself. I could get the 14" US Cutter for $219, which is a desktop model for which I have no desk space for, and only has a 10" cutting width, VS springing for the 28" model for $80 more that has a stand and a 2.5' cutting width. I'll burn through more vinyl on the little one than I would on the wider one, and I'll get adequate cutting width for my needs. I use stripes a lot, so 2.5' width will work well. I also cut the names for the rockets and certain accent cuts for things like fins and whatever. These cutters will cut from Corel Draw and Autocad, so that's right up my alley. I'd be really ill with myself if I got the 14" model, wishing I had bought the bigger one.

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Gery:
Unless your planning on making signs and panels or covering the entire exterior of large rocket bodies I can't see a need for anything larger then the 14" model if your set on buying the US Cutter.

As mentioned in my earlier post the Silhouette-portrait I have cuts Up to 8.5" wide by whatever length you input long. If your using 8" letters on a 4 or 6" diameter model you'll only see part of the copy.
Silhouette like the US Cutter cuts directly from Corel Draw or several other graphic programs. As mentioned the Portrait has a very small table top or shelf foot print. It cuts and rolls anyones adhesive backed vinyl and I believe the machine itself was 179.00.
If you have a need for the 14" or 28" wide machines they do seem to be a good value. I just do not see a need for anything wider then the machine purchased as the largest body I might wrap would be a BT-80 @ 2.6" would be 8.168 plus a 3/16" overlap 8.355"
Which ever machine you end up with I'm sure you'll find it a help down the road.

You could get some sort of decal stock then spray it with the same RustO color that you want to match, then have Fastsigns cut the white lettering for you.

Gery:
another option would be to either hand cut or have cut frisket paper or a masking film paper lettering, pre-spaced on transfer paper.
applied to your white decal paper then spray the sheet with the rusteloum Blue. Remover the frisket paper letters and apply as a wrap decal.

I Know that seem like the long way around but it would certainly give the color match your looking for