Making Your Own Decals

[D Bellis]

Making Your Own Decals

 

The saying "necessity is the mother of invention" is quite a true statement. Complete lack of decals for Piper Cubs in original civilian markings started me down this path, and if you're reading this, the markings you want for one or more of your projects has compelled you to look into making your own decals too. This is by no means the only way to do this, but it is a simple, successful way using common materials and programs.

 

Nothing about this process is difficult or comparatively expensive, but some practice may be required to get the results you're looking for. Time investment for this whole thing was just over 6 hours from starting to draw the graphics to having ready to use decals, not including drying times.

 

This discussion will cover creating your own graphics in MS Paint, but will also cover using an existing digital image as well. Having a digital image of the graphics you want will make things a lot easier, but certainly isn‘t required. There are better graphics programs out there, but MS Paint is loaded on just about every PC right from the factory.

 

The only drawback to using the method described here is the inability to print white, silver, or shades of gray with a home inkjet printer. Although, some markings can be printed directly onto white decal film, or the printed decals can be layered over white decal film or Bare Metal Foil to get where you want to go.

 

Expect to go through some trial and error because it is a required part of the game.

 

Getting Started: Gathering The Materials

Here's a list of everything you'll need to get started making your own decals:

References - gather all the information you can find on the subject(s) you intend to render.

 

Computer - Any machine will work as long as it has some sort of drawing program loaded, or an image editing program if you intend to use scanned or graphics from a source other than drawing your own. I used MS Paint to create the graphics used in this tutorial. Every PC I’ve ever used has MS Paint loaded on it. Take a look for it under Start, Programs, Accessories.

 

Printer - I used the bottom-of-the-line HP Deskjet 1460 that came with my PC for my decals and it worked fine.

 

Calculator - All of the different graphics will have to be sized to be the correct size in relation to each other. Check your PC’s accessories (where Paint is), or use a hand-held unit. The math is not as hard as it might sound!

 

Ruler or other accurate measuring stick.

 

Decal Film - Experts-Choice Decal Paper produces packages of one or three A4 size sheets of clear decal paper. They sell paper that is designed for inkjet printers, and also paper that is designed for color copiers and laser printers. The manufacturer does not recommend the paper for laser printers be used in inkjet printers. BUT, it works well with inkjet printers after scuffing the surface with a common, red rubber, pencil eraser (more on this later). If you can buy the paper for your type of printer, then do so. If not, you can work around that.

 

Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film - Required to seal your decals after printing them.

 

Laquer Thinner - For thinning the Liquid Film for airbrushing.

 

Airbrush - Needed to mist the decals with the Liquid Film. The Liquid Film can be brushed on, but I never tried this because of the potential to smear the ink.

 

The decal paper and liquid decal film can be purchased from Sprue Brothers.

 

Graphics: Going Digital With Your Design(s)

Start by figuring out exactly what decals you need. For the J-3 Cub markings I wanted, I needed the following:

2 each - Large registration numbers for the top and bottom of the wing (NC 58172 was chosen at random based on the registration number range for J-3s)

2 each - Small registration numbers for the sides of the rudder

2 each - Lightening bolts for the fuselage sides

2 each - Teddy bear holding “Cub” sign for the sides of the fin

2 each - “Piper” emblems for the sides of the nose

 

To make most of these, a good drawing showing the dimensions was found on the internet. Everything but the fin’s teddy bear emblem were clearly shown. Here is a small section of the drawing used:

Having a drawing with all the dimensions is nice, but by no means required. Measuring the actual model and using that as a size guide is almost as useful, and is enough to get the job done.

 

MS Paint has a tool in the lower right corner that shows the dimensions of what you’re drawing in pixels. All of the graphics will be HUGE, so use the zoom tool on paint to help see what you’re doing. A conversion from inches to pixels will be required to make sure everything is properly sized.

 

The lightening bolts were drawn first. The model’s fuselage side was measured and the scale length of the required graphic determined (in this case, 6.5“). This was then scaled up to full scale, and multiplied by 100. The dimensions shown on the drawing were also scaled up 100 times. This provided the dimensional scale for drawing out the lightening bolts in Paint.

 

Example:

The registration numbers are each 24" high and 16” wide in full scale. Multiplied by 100, they become 2400 pixels high by 1600 pixels wide each. When drawing them, the box tool is used to draw a box 2400 pixels by 1600 pixels as the start of each letter or number.

 

The lightening bolts came out to 22750 pixels long by using this formula:

6.5” x 35 x 100 = 22750

Or:

Model’s side’s length from firewall to rudder post X the scale X 100 = 22750

 

All of the dimensions on the drawing were converted by using this formula, and noted for future reference while drawing the graphics.

 

Opening Paint, a blank palette is always present, so the palette just needs to be enlarged using the “Stretch/Skew” tool under “Image” drop-down menu. It won’t matter at first how big the blank palette is, as long as the start of your graphics fit on it. There are tiny blue buttons on the right and bottom sides and corners of the palette that can be left-clicked and dragged to make the palette larger or smaller as needed.

 

While setting up Paint, open the “View” drop-down menu, and select all of the tools (Tool Box, Color Box, Status Bar and Text Tool Bar). If you're unfamiliar with Paint, take some time to try each one of the tools to see what each does.

 

More in 30 seconds...

[D Bellis]

Graphics: Drawing Your Design(s)

 

Starting fairly close to the left side of the palette, use the locator indicator in the lower right status bar to choose a location that will be easy to mathematically use as a starting point because all dimensions will use this for reference. The forward point of the lightening bolt was started at 1200 down from the top and 50 from the left. The first line to be drawn was the lower line extending from the forward point to the bottom rear of the step. Using the converted dimensions from the drawing, the line needs to be 2400 pixels wide by 450 pixels down. This was drawn by placing the cursor there, left-click and hold while dragging the cursor down and right. Once the line was 2400 x 450 pixels according to the indicator on the bottom right, the left mouse button was released. The first line is in place! Use the “File” drop-down menu to save the work you’ve done so far, and use it often. The first save should be done to “256 Color Bitmap” on the “Save as Type” drop-down menu of the save window. This will keep the resolution of your graphics just as you see them. Saving your graphics as jpegs will cause the edges to get fuzzy, and other types of bitmaps will cause less colors to be available.

 

Be warned: the graphics will be extremely large files. My simple Super Cub markings are almost 20MB each at full size and resolution. Your PC needs to be able to handle files of this size (which most can with no problems at all).

 

The line forming the top of the forward point went on next, starting at the starting point of 50 x 1200, then extending 1600 right x 50 down. All of the other lines were drawn in this fashion. It really does go fairly quickly, and gets quicker with each line drawn. Any botched step can be eliminated by clicking “Undo” under the “Edit” drop-down menu before continuing.

 

Once the lines were all drawn, the “Fill With Color” tool (represented by a paint bucket icon on the tool bar) was used to fill the lightening bolts with black. If the entire palette, fills with color instead of just inside the lines, check to make sure all the lines are connected. Use the pencil tool to cover any small gaps that there may be, and try the fill tool again. To eliminate any unwanted lines, use the eraser tool.

 

Now we need to make a copy of this for the other side. Zoom all the way out before doing anything else. Using the “Select” tool, left click and drag a box surrounding the graphic and release. Right click anywhere inside the box and select “Copy”. Left click anywhere outside the box to deselect it, then right click anywhere and select “paste”. This pastes a copy of your selection onto the palette. To flip it for the other side, select “Flip/Rotate” on the “Image” drop down menu, and “Flip Horizontal“. Once flipped, the selection can be moved to anywhere on the palette by left clicking and holding anywhere inside the selection box, then dragging it where you need it. If there isn’t enough room on the palette, enlarge the palette by dragging the right side or bottom out more.

 

For the fin teddy bear, a nice version of the needed graphic was found on the internet and saved to my hard drive. This was opened in Paint, saved as a 256 color bitmap, then resized using the “stretch/skew” tool to be 400 pixels wide. This was much easier than drawing such a complicated graphic, but it could have been done without too much fuss with the different shape tools in Paint.

 

In the case of the J-3 markings, I used 3 different palettes to draw all of the different graphics, then copied and pasted them all onto one palette for the final product. It is possible to copy and paste between different Paint windows as long as the original and destination Paint windows open at the same time.

 

Once everything is on one palette, use the select tool to drag the different graphics to optimum locations on your palette. Leave enough room between them for cutting them from the sheet, but still fairly close and laid out to make the best use of the space available.

 

The longest design in your graphics should be located so that it goes from side to side (or top to bottom, as the case may be) without any other graphics on either end. Another method would be to place the largest graphics side by side with the smaller stuff located below them. This is to make it easy to properly size the graphics for printing, but isn’t absolutely required if you have no way to reasonably make this happen.

 

Congratulations! The most time-consuming part is over!

[D Bellis]

Test Printing Your Graphics

Make sure you have regular paper loaded in your printer for these tests, and NOT your decal paper!

 

Begin by opening up the Page Setup by clicking "File" drop-down menu and selecting Page Setup". Use the following to set the initial settings:

The printable area is about 8" by 10.5". Given that, the longest item in your graphics will need to be less than 10.5". If the longest is 8" or less, set the "Orientation" to "Portrait". If the longest is more than 8", but less than 10.5", set the "Orientation" to "Landscape". If the longest is more than 10.5", you'll have to go back a few steps and cut the large graphics into enough pieces fit into the printable area.

 

Once this is all set, click on "File", select "Print" and "Print" again. Your graphics will print out onto the paper. Grab your ruler and measure the graphics as they are on the paper. They will be the wrong size, and that's ok for now.

 

The longest graphic for the example Cub decals needs to be 6.5" long. For this first printing, they came out to be nearly 8" long. Reopening the Page Setup menu, the right margin was changed to add 1.5" to the right margin (in this case 1.63"), and another test printing done. This should have reduced the size down to the required 6.5", but it actually didn't. After another adjustment and test printing, the actual value ended up being 2.25" on the right margin to get the graphics to print at the proper size.

 

Experiment with the right margin (or bottom margin if printing with the orientation on "Landscape") until your graphics print the size you need them to be. Leave the top and left margins at the smallest value that your program will allow.

 

NOTE: Every time Paint is closed and reopened, the print values reset to the default settings. Don't assume the settings are the sizes you left them at!

 

Once you get the largest/longest design the size you need it, check each of the other designs to make sure they are all correctly sized in relation to each other. If you've done it right, they will be. If not, no big deal - it can be fixed with very little fuss.

 

To fix over- or under-sized designs, use the "Select" tool in Paint to box-in only the graphics to be resized, and reduce or enlarge them using the "Resize/Skew" tool while the item(s) are selected. This will resize only those items selected. Continue experimenting and printing on plain paper until you've got it all the way you want it. If you know how big the design(s) need to be versus their printed size, you can use the percentage in the "Resize/Skew" tool for a one-shot fix. Once you got it, save the correctly printed paper with the graphics, and write the margin information right on that just in case you need it for future reference.

 

Printing Your Graphics As Decals

If you have the inkjet paper, slip it into your printer and print your decals, and skip the next paragraph.

 

If you have the laser printer paper, the surface must be lightly scuffed with a clean pencil eraser before printing. Be careful, go slow and be sure to scuff the entire surface. Holding so that light reflects off of the surface will show you where you have and haven't scuffed. When done, be sure to whisk away all of the eraser debris.

 

With the paper in the printer, be sure your margins are what they need to be on the “Page Setup” menu, and click print.

 

DO NOT touch or allow anything to contact the decals for a few minutes or the wet ink will be smeared. After about 10 minutes or so, the decals can be handled, but care must be taken to avoid smearing the ink.

 

Check the decals for resolution, printing errors or any other problems. If everything looks good, set them in a safe place for at least a half hour to let the ink harden.

[D Bellis]

Sealing Your Decals

The printer ink is water soluble, and MUST be sealed prior to dipping the decals in water. The liquid decal film is too thick to shoot through an airbrush, and must be thinned about 50/50 with Laquer thinner. Do NOT use Rubbing Alcohol (isopropyl) to thin the Liquid Decal Film. The bottle states that the liquid film dries in about 15 minutes, and the drying time is even shorter for the thinned liquid film.

Carefully cut away the section of the paper with your decals, and tape it to a piece of cardboard for easier handling while sealing

The first passes should be just to mist the liquid film on, then heavier coats until the surface takes on a gloss. If you like, the liquid film can be misted on to set the ink, then a coat brushed unto the surface to properly seal the decals.

 

The decal film on the paper is extremely thin and delicate, so brushing a coat on will not make the decals too thick. In fact, larger decals will benefit from a brushed-on coat of liquid film.

[D Bellis]

Applying Your Decals

Keep in mind that the whole sheet has film on it, so cut the markings apart in a manner that allows a minimum of extra film without cutting excessively close. Also cut away about 1/16" of the outside edges of the sheet because the liquid film does soak under the edges of the film and makes it difficult to separate the film from the paper.

 

Otherwise, these go on just like any other high quality decals. I normally use Micro Sol, but Testors' Decal Solvent Solution #2145 actually worked much better on these decals.

Again, be very careful with the larger decals because these are VERY thin and delicate. So thin that I managed to get the top wing's registration numbers slightly skewed, and couldn't get them aligned before the decal started to rip. Now I'm stuck with it, but at least I learned something from it.

 

Once left to dry for several hours, the decals were over sprayed with semi-gloss lacquer which sealed them to the model and blended them right into the paint work. Since there was no adverse reaction with lacquer, most any clear coat should also work fine.

 

So, there you have it. The key is to experiment to your heart's content, and have fun with it. Now you can break out those LSP racers and other odd balls and get them done.

 

Enjoy!

D

[LDSmodeller]

D

 

That's an awesome tutorial!!!!!!

 

Thanks ever so much, for taking the time to put it here on LSP.

 

I previously had purchased a Testors make your own decals, but yours is much easier.

 

Thanks again

 

Regards

 

Alan

[ssculptor]

Hi D,

The problem I, and others, have had is that colored images printed onto the inkjet clear decal paper come out translucent, rather than opaque. I have not tried black as a color, yet. I guess I should try it.

Have you had that problem too and if so, how do you get around it?

I have tried printing onto white inkjet decal paper to give it some opacity but I haven't tried out the results yet.

Also, I spray with Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic coating after printing. It comes in an aerosol can at hardware stores.

I found it best to use two or three light coats, as one heavy coat tends to run and takes the decal image with it.

I use a CAD program in my work (AutoCAD) so I make my drawings on that.

Also, I scan images I want and print those after bringing them into CAD and scaling them to the size I want.

AutoCAD may not be the best software to use but I do not feel like learning another software. I have too much to do now as it is.

I have a lot of experimentation to do yet to learn how to make useful decals.

Stephen

[LSP_Kevin]

Hi D,

The problem I, and others, have had is that colored images printed onto the inkjet clear decal paper come out translucent, rather than opaque.

 

Unfortunately Stephen this is a function of the way inkjet printers (and laser printers for that matter) are designed to work. The printer assumes white paper for colour print-outs, and uses that assumption to compensate its colour output to give the correct tones against a while surface. Inkjet inks tend to slightly translucent anyway (like some model paints), and glossy white paper lends them a certainly brilliance and saturation that they lack on other media. Of course, black should be fine!

 

Toner for laser printers is less translucent, but laser printers still make the same assumptions about what they're being printed to, with effectively the same results.

Even commercial offset-printing works with similar assumptions (CMYK + white media). ALPS printers were popular because, IIRC, the dye-sub models have the ability to print white, completely obviating the problem.

 

I'm sure you knew all this already (didn't you guys used to carve print-outs from wood?).

 

Kev

[D Bellis]

Thank you Alan, and you're quite welcome!

 

The problem I, and others, have had is that colored images printed onto the inkjet clear decal paper come out translucent, rather than opaque. I have not tried black as a color, yet. I guess I should try it. Have you had that problem too and if so, how do you get around it?

With lighter colors, yes I have had that problem. A partial solution is to get more ink onto the paper using the photo-quality printer settings:

 

The ink will take longer than a half hour to dry using photo quality settings.

 

Printing two of the same decal and applying them on top of each other will also improve saturation, and is highly recommended for lighter colors such as yellow. The decals are so thin that layering them shouldn't present a problem on the model. Using both methods (high quality photo settings and two layers of decals) should solve the problem.

 

Every printer is going to print differently, and they each have their own ink qualities. I've had the best luck (given my limited experience with this stuff) on cheap HP printers with their name-brand ink cartridges. Off-brand ink cartridges don't print as well, and the commercial printers where I work don't print with as much opacity as the cheap, home-use HPs.

 

HTH,

D

[ssculptor]

I'm sure you knew all this already (didn't you guys used to carve print-outs from wood?).

 

Kev

Hi Kev,

Wood?

wood?

I do not remember carving wood.

I do remember chiseling on stone, though.

I also remember the inks staining my new leopard skin suit I had just finished tanning.

Stephen the old coot.

[ssculptor]

Hi D,

Thanks for the instructions.

I'll try these settings.

I, too, use a HP printer.

Should be an interesting experiment.

Stephen

[MikeMaben]

Alpses have the same opacity issue. Lighter colors like yellow are the least opaque but even

blues and reds are not completely opaque either. Black is the only completely opaque color. Your suggestion of

doubling the decal will result in a darker and therefore slightly more opaque image but I think only a white underlay

will give you a truer color with solid (appearing) opacity. Kev, all Alps print white not just the dye-subs.

I also have used Microscale Liquid Decal Film for all my Alps decals and I cannot see any reason to airbrush

the stuff over inkjet or laser printed decals. I use it straight from the bottle with a one inch wide (very soft) brush.

Just worry about coverage, don't try to smooth out the brush marks. It looks thick and gooey and the brush marks

look scary at first but the stuff levels off and when it dries it becomes invisible. My point is, don't be frightened by

it's thickness/viscosity. I brush one coat east and west, let that dry about 20 minutes then go north and south.

M

M

...Nice work Darin.

[ara398]

Hi Darin,

 

thanks for the extremely helpful info.

 

Just in case anyone is considering using a product called "Lazertran" - DON'T! The main claim to fame about this product is that it doesn't require any top fixative coating, just print the sheet, let dry then apply. Unfortunately the trade-off for this "feature" is that the material is way too thick to use as decals - there is an obvious edge to the decal film when applied that is impossible to disguise.

 

Adrian

[D Bellis]

Thanks for the additional information and kind words, guys.

 

Mike,

I'm still leary of brushing the film straight onto the printed ink. I've had printed materials bleed all over from water & alcohol, but not from lacquer thinner (this was while fooling around with printing lozenge camo onto Japanese tissue for a peanut scale FF D.VII a couple years ago - successfully I might add). I'll likely try brushing the film straigt on, but onto some scraped test decals before committing to doing it to actual decals.

 

D

[MikeMaben]

I'll likely try brushing the film straigt on, but onto some scraped test decals before committing to doing it to actual decals.

 

Always a good idea Darin. I should have said I never tried it on inkjet or laser but I

figger it safe to assume that as long as the inks are completely dry they would be safe.

M

M

...also, I should have said black 'and' white are the only opaque colors (Alps-wise).