Making Decals

[marvSRG]

I know a lot of you guys in here print decals off of your computers, and I wanna try. I need to know where I can find decal paper. I know there is clear, white, and water transfer sheet out there, I just need to be led to it. Could someone show me where to look?

Thanx!

 

[OKTurbo]

I tried this for the first time just this week. I used a kit made by Testor's I found in the toy section at the local Wal-Mart. (cost about $5) This kit comes with two sheet of decal paper. One clear and one white...both sheets are 5 1/2"x8 1/2". The kit also has a small spray can of clear overcoat...plus a CD with a worthless graphics program on it.

I used MS Word and PaintShop Pro to manipulate the graphics. Printing was done on a HP 940c inkjet printer.

The results were dissappointing. The clear sheet turned out good, but the white sheet isn't opaque enough to make the decals useful on dark colors. BUT...it was a cheap experiment...

So...you might look at your local Wal-Mart or hobby store for the decal paper.

This stuff looks promising for inkjet decals. https://www.supercaldecals.com/

Here's a source from a "rocket guy" https://www.tangopapadecals.com/
but I don't think his paper works with inkjet printers.

Good Luck,
John

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by marvSRG
I know a lot of you guys in here print decals off of your computers, and I wanna try. I need to know where I can find decal paper. I know there is clear, white, and water transfer sheet out there, I just need to be led to it. Could someone show me where to look?

Thanx!

This other thread has a lot of neat stuff. CHECK IT OUT!!
https://rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5905

 

[Fishhead]

https://www.beldecal.com/inkjet_decals.cfm
I've had good results with BelDecal after a little experimenting with print quality and paper type issues (relative to my personal HP printer.) They've got some nice assortments so you can try out the different types before you buy a big batch of paper, which is nice.

 

[Gus]

For smaller rockets, instead of decals, I use a technique adapted from my ACME Spitfire. I create a skin, completely produced in a computer graphics program, and then print it onto full size label paper. The skin is then put on the body tube and sprayed with clearcoat. This allows you a level of control, and the ability to create designs, you couldn't otherwise do. With a little more effort you can use this on fins as well.

If you're interested in the pitfalls of this technique look at the following review I did on EMRR: https://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/kits/est_blu-97b_cluster_bomb.html#SK (under the "Finishing" part of the article).

I've also used this technique with great success on taller rockets.

The attached photo shows a design that was simple to do on the computer but would be almost impossible any other way. Its also a good example of how vibrant the colors turn out once covered with clearcoat.

 

[wyldbill]

Hmmm... With an ALPS MD-5000 and their silver foil ribbon, you could make a real Quasar wrap...interesting....

 

[wyldbill]

Originally posted by Fishhead
"Look here brother/Who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?" - Frank Zappa

or to paraphrase "The crux of the biscuit is the ... Apogee"
-otra bill
("what kind of a guru are you, anyway?")

 

[marvSRG]

Thanks for all the help, guys! I'll be looking into this soon!

 

[SecretSquirrel]

I can print custom decals for you. See my post in the "Yard Sale" section. An advantage to the decals I print over inkjet decals is that no clear coat is needed to keep the ink from running. That gives you a thinner decal to apply to your rocket.