# Homemade Decals



## ThomasJ. (Mar 5, 2017)

Just wondering how many make their own decals. In my situation it was easy since my g-daughter is studying to become a graphic artist and did the art work on these.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Nice work, I just need a granddaughter that does graphic arts and I'd be all set.


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## TimW (Oct 20, 2018)

Very nice! 

I've been making my own decals for locomotives and rolling stock, and found it to be quite easy. I was kind of forced into it since I'm modeling, in part, a local shortline that until only very recently has had nothing available commercially (Fort Worth and Western Railroad). I've been practicing with graffiti decals so far on some rolling stock since it's harder to allege bad results when it comes to duplicating vandalism. The biggest difference I've learned so far between commercially-available decals and the ones I make is that the homegrown ones are a bit more fragile to handle and some of the ink will run if you did not do a perfect job of sealing them.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I have made my own with PowerPoint and an inkjet printer. It works very well.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i've been doing it for a few years now ... fictional short line ...
decals are yellow letters on a black background , on white decal paper, don't remember what brand right now ..
lettering is brush paint with runs , fits the railroad !


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

I tried. Using Blinggasm brand laser printer printable decal sheets, my results indicated that their transfer plastic is *not clear.* It's clearish, but it was pretty obvious where the decal transfer began and ended.


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> I have made my own with PowerPoint and an inkjet printer. It works very well.


Did you use standard ink? I would think that would run when it got wet, and more so when you put anything like solvaset on it.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i used standard [yellow] ink, but a sealer coat was applied to the decal sheet after printing, -think- two coats of a clear lacquer varnish krylon spray bomb ..
black background on a white sheet of decal paper..


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Ko Improbable said:


> Did you use standard ink? I would think that would run when it got wet, and more so when you put anything like solvaset on it.





wvgca said:


> i used standard [yellow] ink, but a sealer coat was applied to the decal sheet after printing, -think- two coats of a clear lacquer varnish krylon spray bomb ..
> black background on a white sheet of decal paper..


What he said. First of all, standard inkjet ink becomes much less water soluble after it's had some time to dry, especially if the printed surface is not water soluble. And then you spray it with a fixative, which seals it.


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> What he said. First of all, standard inkjet ink becomes much less water soluble after it's had some time to dry, especially if the printed surface is not water soluble. And then you spray it with a fixative, which seals it.


I seem to recall the Blinggasm brand stuff didn't take a clear coat, either. Like, it suggested, in the directions, that I do it before cutting out the decals and applying them, but the clear coat crinkled up on the surface.


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## ThomasJ. (Mar 5, 2017)

Here's the paper I used. After printing I sprayed 3 coats of Dulcote and it works like a charm.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I used Evan Design white decal paper and a fixer from Testors. Nothing crinkled or warped.


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