Coating decals, let's review the proper products...

Hi folks,

I'm back to building a few from scratch, and this time making my own scaled decals, hence my other thread on the software side of things.

I want to make sure I'm using the right stuff, given that I will be printing them via a color laser printer (though, my current project just uses the black cartridge).

I'm using the decal films for laser printers purchased from MicroMark. In addition to a few packs of the waterslide papers, I got a starter kit that had a variety of sheets plus a can of Krylon 1303A Acrylic Coating. They recommend I coat the decals with this.

Now, I've read many threads on decals and I know from the knowledgeable folks here (such as Micromeister) to be careful about clear coatings that can yellow, and that Krylon 1305 (gloss) and 1309 (matte) are often preferred due to the UV inhibitors they contain. However, the 1303A says "non-yellowing" so I presume it has inhibitors.

I'm also aware of the Krylon Workable Fixatif 1306, though I'm more familiar with using it on top of water based things like inkjet printouts perhaps.

So... given I've got laser printed decals, and the final clear coat will be any of: clear lacquer, clear enamel, or Future acrylic, what's the best product to spray my decals with after printing each sheet?

I'm concerned due to the possibility of a final lacquer clear wrinkling some of the Krylon products on the decal if incompatible.

These days I'm more likely to use Future than anything else, but want to cover my bases.

Thanks for any review you can give me to select the proper product. I've done a quick spray of the 1303A on a test print via the laser (just on regular paper) and it seems to handle sort of in between a lacquer and an enamel. I'm not sure what it really is...

Marc

So I coated them with thev1303A product. A couple light mist coats in quick succession then a heavier coat to flow it out. Looks good. No problem between laser toner and the coating. Will be a week or three before I can use them.

Future is fine, especially if you apply with an airbrush. If you're set up with a spray gun, good two-part automotive clear is fantastic. If you're not setup for spraying, it can be a bit pricey to have a shop do it for you...

This thread is about the coating after the decals are printed, correct? And not about clear coating after they are applied to the model, because some of the responses are for each topic.

Typically for protecting the freshly printed decals I use Krylon Krystal Clear, the heavier or more coats will make the decal easier to handle (less prone to rolling). I have also used the Microscale product applied with a airbrush (Decal Film iirc) it works but is a pain to have to setup, use, then clean the airbrush. The Testors decal film coat works well too and like the Krylon its in a convenient spray can.

rharshberger said:

This thread is about the coating after the decals are printed, correct? And not about clear coating after they are applied to the model, because some of the responses are for each topic.

Typically for protecting the freshly printed decals I use Krylon Krystal Clear, the heavier or more coats will make the decal easier to handle (less prone to rolling). I have also used the Microscale product applied with a airbrush (Decal Film iirc) it works but is a pain to have to setup, use, then clean the airbrush. The Testors decal film coat works well too and like the Krylon its in a convenient spray can.

Click to expand...

Right, exactly... Coating decals after (laser)printing them. Choosing right coat so that they apply easily and the coating doesn't have incompatibility with eventual clear gloss or matte coats that may be lacquer or enamel.

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