Inkjet Decal Paper

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zog139

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Greetings !

Who out there in TRF land is using "inkjet" decal paper and getting good results ? I have some paper I bought that is curling up and does not want to bond to the surface. It also is losing it's brilliance after a dip in the water.
 
I got some of that same brand. Pretty crappy compared to the paper I previously got from Ebay. I haven't noticed any problems other than getting it to go through the printer straight.
 
Greetings !

Who out there in TRF land is using "inkjet" decal paper and getting good results ? I have some paper I bought that is curling up and does not want to bond to the surface. It also is losing it's brilliance after a dip in the water.

Hi Jim,
I've been using the "inkjet" paper from Micro Mark for years with fantastic results. I typically use two or three coats of Krylon "Krystal Clear" or similar, to seal the inks and give the film a little body; It also holds a nice gloss. The trick is to spray them about 4-8 hours before use. If you wait more than a couple of days it has a tendency to curl and hold that shape. If the adhesion is a little weak, try disolving a few drops of white glue into the dip water. FWIW.
 
Hey Troy,

Thanks for replying. I think the paper I have is from Micro-Mark ?? I have tried using Krylon UV clear to seal the decals. I've also tried using the Micro-Scale Decal Liquid with no change. I beleieve it is the paper itself. Someone once told me that "most" of the decal paper made all comes from the same source out of England and the quality control went out the window.
 
I seem to remember Scott had a similar problem. The last pack I got from MM was about June. No problems with that one but I need to order more soon. Well se how it goes. Did you get the clear or the white?
 
I seem to remember Scott had a similar problem. The last pack I got from MM was about June. No problems with that one but I need to order more soon. Well se how it goes. Did you get the clear or the white?

I think I also ordered from MM.... not sure now though. I ordered a mix pack with both types. If and when you order another batch, please let me know what your results are

Thanks
 
I have used the Testors paper a few times and its worked pretty good, you can get it at Hobby Lobby only problem is in only come in 5x8. They have the spray coating there too. The quality of the print really depends on your printer the last printer I had sucked and all the decals I printed sucked too, but this new printer is pretty good.

That said by the time you buy all the paper and the clear coat, and the headache of making them your self you could have Excelsior or Stickershock make you a sweet set of decals for what ever you need and the cost is almost the same. Unless you are all about doing it all from scratch your self because its fun. :)

TA
 
+ 1 for using Excelsior / Stickershock.

I did buy some Testors paper to play around with decal making, but once the 2 packs of decal paper are used up (one clear, one white), I doubt I'll ever buy any again. IT's just so nice to have the deals made up for you by someone with real skills, and an ALPS printer or vinyl capabilities...
 
I have been getting mine from Micro-Mark and have had Zero problems with it. It appears to be the same stuff that Testors put in their pkgs at twice the price (or more). I use an Epson printer and make sure to print at the highest quality setting to get the maximum amt of ink onto the film. Once sprayed with a good quality clear coat, the decals work just fine. I have even had them laying around the shop for months with no curling or loss of adhesion.
 
PF5.jpgPouches.jpgI use these photo laminating pouches ($3.96 at WalMart) with good success in my laser printer. Just have make sure I seal them with clear lacquer before application so they don't flake off.
 

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I have used the Testors paper a few times and its worked pretty good, you can get it at Hobby Lobby only problem is in only come in 5x8. They have the spray coating there too. The quality of the print really depends on your printer the last printer I had sucked and all the decals I printed sucked too, but this new printer is pretty good.
Ditto on everything you said. My previous printer only did black well. If I tried an colors, I got thin white stripes about 1/4" apart. Strange that I did not see this on photo paper. When I bought a new printer, the decals started looking nice.

Note the instructions for this paper say to set your printer for plain paper and normal quality. I found I had to set it to glossy photo paper and high quality. Otherwise the results were not good.

That said by the time you buy all the paper and the clear coat, and the headache of making them your self you could have Excelsior or Stickershock make you a sweet set of decals for what ever you need and the cost is almost the same. Unless you are all about doing it all from scratch your self because its fun. :)

For small decal jobs, I find doing them at home is pretty easy and economical.
 
a lot has to do with age , decal paper has a limited lifespan
 
Can't speak for the other brands but the paper I get from Micro Mark call for a paper setting of "Transperency Film" or if not available on your machine, use a setting of "High Gloss Film". I have run hundreds of decals and the only problems I've had have been user based: Wrong paper setting, Low ink, ect. One thing that helps; If you have seperate black and color ink cartridges and the software to do it, make sure you change the color mode of the image from RGB to CMYK. It will give better color/black contrast and a truer image. FWIW
 
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