Make your own waterslide decals - inkjet and laser printed model transfers

[@hazmat5118]

Thanks for this video! Clear explanations and demonstration of the techniques = perfect!

[@paterpracticus]

Glad it was helpful!

[@krakenstudios7156]

Use a brush not a scalpel to move the decal off the paper.. microsol red and blue are the best. Good to see you using them. The blue one can be used to remove the decal instead of water the red softens the decal to conform to very uneven surfaces. Use a brush to apply in all cases.

[@paterpracticus]

Thanks. Great tips.

[@CheemsofRegret]

My family recently got an ink-tank printer and I was wondering if I could use it to mass-print waterslide markings for my army builds. This video has helped a ton with that! Cheers buddy!

[@paterpracticus]

Excellent. Make sure your decals are completely sealed before applying. I used an airbrushed clear acrylic varnish, but you can use a spray can - just make sure you build up thin layers gradually, letting them dry in between, to prevent the ink spreading. Good-luck!

[@TexJester-no8th]

Be careful with "rattle can" spray paints - they're almost always enamel, and it cures too hot for decal paper, and eats it. Voice of experience....

[@EternallyDisappointed]

​@@paterpracticusHello. Would Galeria acrylic artist varnish work for this? Thank you, and thanks for a great tutorial.

[@paterpracticus]

@@EternallyDisappointed Should be fine, especially if diluted and airbrushed. But be very careful if applying by brush, you don't want to start dissolving the water based pigment. Glad you liked the video.

[@EternallyDisappointed]

@paterpracticus Thank you. Yes, definitely will airbrush it on.

[@BooklessT]

Great video. I can't justify the cost of a laser printer so have taken note of the comments you make.

[@paterpracticus]

The laser option is really only viable if you have access to a printer at work, although your local library may have one. When you are spraying the sealer for ink jet it is really important to build up thin layers gradually, so they can dry as quickly as possible. Good luck.

[@ssm445]

With laser printers starting at ~100€, I wouldn't even care to think about doing the extra steps needed with the inkjet method :)

[@paterpracticus]

@@ssm445 Presumably that would only get you a mono laser printer. I didn't really get into the design side of things in the video and black and white suited my logo. You can of course print in colour and that perhaps makes the ink-jet option potentially more attractive, despite the extra stages.

[@ssm445]

@@paterpracticus that's right. I don't use color decals because 99% of the time, my background is colored, so colors on the decal don't work. A color laser printer is ~200€, so the point is still kind of valid. I honestly didn't know people are still messing with ink, I haven't seen an inkjet in person for 20 years at least ;-)

[@TryptychUK]

@@paterpracticus You can also use a photocopier.

[@ariallaguing6524]

a very classy tutorial. much appreciated~

[@paterpracticus]

Glad you liked it!

[@shanebradley5284]

That's brilliant thanks for the tips. But could you make a video on how to use the computer step by step on how to make the image size and multiply the decals on screen for printing. As some people like myself don't know what steps are used to print. Many thanks

[@paterpracticus]

Hi Shane, thanks for the comment. It's always tricky to show precisely how to create, scale and repeat images for printing as there are so many different programmes you might be using. I use Adobe InDesign, which most people won't have, so it would be good to know what you (and other people) would be using, and I can try to pull something together with wider appeal. Cheers, PP.

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, I've just posted a new video showing how to set up images for printing, and some simple graphics design, using PowerPoint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZo. I hope you find it helpful. Even if you don't have PowerPoint, some of the techniques will be very similar in other software.

[@Dimetropteryx]

Very useful. If I may share a trick of my own, you can use a word processor for the images if you don't have anything else available. They typically let you scale images with the accuracy of a millimeter or tenth of a millimeter, and will actually print the correct size.

[@paterpracticus]

Indeed. I have found that PowerPoint is actually surprisingly good for layout design: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZosi=6_wb0x7QVWL-TFt8

[@paulpaulsen416]

Thank you! Very useful for my model railroad 👍

[@paterpracticus]

Excellent, glad you found it useful.

[@TexJester-no8th]

I do 1/24 and 1/25 model cars and trucks. I haven't been brave enough to try printing my own decals, but I've found the Tamiya clear gloss acrylic brushes on nicely (I don't have an airbrush, nor is my home suitable for one - if I spray something, I use "rattle cans" on a large cardboard out on the porch) and most decals accept this nicely - then I can start wet sanding and buffing to bring out a mirror shine and not damage the decals. Beware of enamels or lacquers - they cure too hot for the decals and damage them. And beware "rattle can" clear - they're normally enamel. I use needle-fine tweezers to handle the decal; be careful that you don't put too much pressure on it, and handle by the edge. MicroSol helps enormously, but use it carefully - I've found that if I put a large drop on a decal (say, a dashboard gauge) and leave it until it dries, it can all but dissolve the decal! Use enough to let it set in the surface detail (if not smooth), the dry it before the decal becomes too soft and starts to melt.

[@paterpracticus]

Excellent decal advice! I do my airbrushing on our kitchen table, very well protected with newspaper and only use acrylics inside. Anything else I will try to do in the back yard (weather permitting). Perhaps one day you will try and print your own. Start small - even if it does mean wasting some decal paper.

[@theRCcarshow]

thanks for the tips bro, laser printer is good but more expensive than inkjet. greetings from Philippines. liked and subscribed

[@paterpracticus]

Glad you liked it. Laser prints are good, but also prone to scratching. I now coat mine with a very thin air-brushed varnish too just to protect them.

[@ML21_]

Love the video! I was wondering what the look of the decal would be if applied to a background that wasn't white? Maybe like a darker colour instead.

[@paterpracticus]

You can get transparent decal paper, which is useful for printing dark colours to show up on a pale background, but it is not possible to reproduce whites with a standard ink-jet or laser printer, so difficult to do decals on a dark colour without using white paper. This is possible, but it does involve having a design you can trim to the edges.

[@ML21_]

⁠@@paterpracticusI see, so you would use white decal paper instead of transparent decal paper. Then just cut out the desired shape. No printer required I guess. Anyways appreciate the response, thanks for the advice :)

[@paterpracticus]

@@ML21_ You'll still need to print your design on white, then carefully cut around the shape. The white paper has pretty good opacity, so should show up well against a dark background.

[@RolandoRatas]

4:51 For the sealing of the Ink Jet printed decals so that the decal ink doesn't run when you submerge it in water you're just using Tamiya X-22 (which I think is a GLOSS ACRYLIC VARNISH ?) and Tamiya X-20A Thinner to thin down the Tamiya X-22 varnish in the airbrush right ??? I'm just asking as I've airbrushed Winsor & Newton GALERIA arcylic gloss varnish onto miniatures before for the initial sealing layer and I'm wondering if that will work with just a few drops of water to thin down the varnish in the airbrush (for sealing the inkject decals) ?!?!?!??!?!???

[@paterpracticus]

It may seem counterintuitive, but a fine spray of water-based acrylic varnish will seal the ink jet print without the ink running. But it is easy to overspray, so build up layers gradually allowing them to dry in between.

[@RolandoRatas]

@@paterpracticus W&N Galeria Acrylic Gloss Varnish it is then, thanks for the advice. I've airbrushed varnish many times with my cheapo airbrush so I'm well versed in using it. I kind of wasted £7 on a tiny spray can of clear lacquer then but nevermind.

[@paterpracticus]

As always, do a test first. The spray can might be alright sprayed in thin coats.

[@mohammedj5835]

Super useful!

[@paterpracticus]

Thanks. If you enjoyed that, you may want to check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=oJus3JOy-pZpxfkw - takes it to the next level with white backgrounds for dark surfaces.

[@caseyvillemodelrailroad3877]

Great vidio, love that info.Thanks for the morning coffee...

[@paterpracticus]

Great. Glad you liked it.

[@BobTX041966]

I found a local print shop that would laser print a sheet for me for a couple of dollars. I put my work on a thumb drive and took my decal paper in and they did it while I waited.

[@paterpracticus]

Great. You will get better quality print from laser and no need to seal before application - but I’ve found it is a good idea to anyway as it protects the surface.

[@Eyrrll]

Just a note that Laser Jet printers will generally hold their color better in the long term. Ink Jets colors will fade quicker… particularly so under fluorescent lights.

[@paterpracticus]

It is important to use better quality pigment inks, rather than dyes, for non-fade inkjet prints.

[@heavymetalminiatures]

I found even spaying a sealant over inkjet printed decals still causes some black pigment to leech out. However, I'm not printing enough decals to warrant buying a laser printer.

[@paterpracticus]

Building up the acrylic sealant gradually is the answer. Let each later dry before applying the next.

[@mitraudit_]

Can I use an aerosol paint clear coat to seal instead of the one you used?

[@paterpracticus]

Yes you can, but keep the layers light. I’ve found it is easy to over-coat with aerosols, making the ink bleed a bit.

[@mitraudit_]

Thank you ​@@paterpracticus

[@YoureNowOnTV]

Awesome thanks !

[@paterpracticus]

Glad you liked it.

[@RolandoRatas]

The reason why you get 'White' or 'Clear' decal sheets is because almost all laser jet and ink jet printers cannot print white so if you want your decal to have some white on it you have to 'not print' in that area where you want the white and of course choose the 'White' decal sheet for white background. There was other extreme measures to obtain white, i.e. there is a company in Germany named 'Ghost White Towner' which sells a white cartridge which replaces your black cartridge and can print in white but it's expensive and is only available on a few select printer models (which I think are all laser and not ink jet.

[@paterpracticus]

I've actually done a follow-up video exploring exactly this - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=fTkbS0PJCwdrRGff But, wouldn't it be great if someone did come up with an (affordable) 5 colour printer - with white?

[@RolandoRatas]

yes it's strange that most printer manufacturers just don't produce a white ink cartridge that goes in the place of the black one like Ghost White in Germany do. Oddly enough I've already watched that follow up video of yours today and I saw that video of you putting the 'Castrol' logo decal on the side of the green truck and I thought to myself 'there's no difference in the two decals he's putting on first one white decal, second one clear decal and then I realized I guess you were doing it to tidy up the white circle rim (that u manually cut out) with the green on the clear plastic decal. And I'm thinking to myself, 'what a tonne of work for such little detail'. I'm getting worried as my HP Laser Jet 200 is getting really old and is starting to show signs of giving up and I don't know how many more runs it has with the Ghost White Toner I bought for white decal printing. I got myself an ink jet for graphics printing but for decals that ads another stage where you sadly apparently have to seal the ink on the paper.

[@paterpracticus]

Yes, for ink-jet you do have to seal the print. I use an acrylic varnish, airbrushed onto the surface. It is an extra stage, but not that difficult.

[@robertmort5994]

convenient that you chose a white object and black letters. Different completely if it has a darker background and light coloured letters!

[@paterpracticus]

True enough. In this video I really wanted to focus on the application process and differences between inkjet and laser. However, I do address colour printing - with white backgrounds for darker surfaces - in another one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=zw0VBRbCLbEfiMzx which I hope you’ll find useful.

[@robertmort5994]

@@paterpracticus Yes that is more balanced. The quailty of the result is dependent on several things such as matching the background colour, the opaqueness of the print and the whiteness of the film.

[@paterpracticus]

@@robertmort5994 opacity is pretty good. The tricky bit is obviously matching background colour etc.

[@Original_303]

did you seal it? or can you print it straight on the paper and it's ready?

[@paterpracticus]

Inkjet must be sealed before use, but laser not necessarily - although I tend to do it anyway to protect the delicate print layer.

[@test_dude]

I am trying to find a correct printer for printing. Majority white decals, but also white decals. Preferably smaller than A4. What would you recomend to get?

[@paterpracticus]

I’m afraid there isn’t a domestic printer that will print white. I’m currently working on an idea for printing the same image in both transparent and white papers, then superimposing them on the model. I’ll keep you posted of the results.

[@test_dude]

@@paterpracticus i did find sorta a work around. But the stickers arent solid white because of it sadly. But the lightest tint of grey thats possible

[@TryptychUK]

@@paterpracticus One alternative for just white is a labels cutter like Cricut. One can create a stencil that can be stuck on and then airbrushed with white or whatever.

[@waiminkhant1977]

Hi. I'm also gonna try this. But I cannot find waterslide decal paper around my area. Instead, there is one called vinyl sticker paper. I have no idea what is the difference. Is vinyl sticker paper also usable? Thank you.

[@paterpracticus]

I've not come across vinyl sticker paper, so don't know how well that will perform. Let me know how you get on.

[@danielletheprotogen]

Does this work for colour decals as well? I need to print NER Lettering for my models as all the premade ones are out of stock

[@paterpracticus]

Yes, should be fine. But it helps if you have an outline. Otherwise, try to match to the colour of what you are applying to, as in the last bit of the video.

[@TryptychUK]

Decals have recently become the bane of my life. Printing black onto clear is a fairly painless exercise, as are inkjet colours on a light background. But anything else becomes fraught with issues. The problem is white. Not only printing white itself, but also using it to act as a background for other colours when used against a dark backgrounds. It is possible to obtain white inks for inkjets, but they can be problematic. OKI produce an CMYK+W laser printer, but they start around £3,000, so out of most mere mortal's pockets. There is a product called "Ghost" for colour lasers which comes as a toner cartridge, so one prints the white onto a clear transfer film, and then feeding the same sheet through a second time to add the colour. Right now, this seems to be the most cost-effective solution, but is still not cheap for the average modeller.

[@paterpracticus]

Try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=7_cdmedLWbn9owET It’s a bit tricky, but it does work.

[@RolandoRatas]

yeah I've just commented on the problems with 'white' on Decals. I bought a rather expensive white ink cartridge for my HP Laser Jet 200 from Ghost White Toner in Germany and it actually worked, you just swap out your black cartridge for your white and it prints white onto transparent decals. Sadly my HP Laser Jet is on its' last legs and I dunno how many months or years it has left and I moved to a PIXMA Canon for my graphical prints mostly that doesn't have white ink cartridges available.

[@SebastianRamirezH]

There is a problem with that white toner. Since you have to give a second pass. The registry is not the same. Then the white background does not match correctly. I used the white toner from uninet in my hp laser jet cp1025w and I was not able to get a perfect match.

[@TryptychUK]

@@SebastianRamirezH I had a feeling that might be the case. It really needs to be done in a single pass. I have found a service that will print for you, and whilst it's not cheap, they are good, so I wait until I have enough models for an A4 print and order them. Thanks for the heads-up.

[@SebastianRamirezH]

@@TryptychUK the advantages of a first world country haha. I live in Colombia and there is not that service. I could believe I am the first one trying that and I ended up printing white in one sheet and the color in other, then I place them together and it works. In my case is difficult because I applied them to figures that are articulated and two layers of sheet hit the milimetric articulated part and then the decal peels off. Solution... sand the figure but it is more work haha

[@XanthiumIndustries]

this is a great video.I really love model trains

[@paterpracticus]

Making your own decals isn't just good for modelling, you can also use them for labels or to brand bits of your maker projects.

[@ttlegends24975]

Hi, you're very good, but what computer program do you use to make the dimensions of the decals

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, usually I use Adobe InDesign, but that is expensive software, so I have worked out a good way to use the more common Microsoft PowerPoint for layouts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZosi=bEbmr9w8y0skSgds

[@ttlegends24975]

@@paterpracticus Thanks bro👍

[@paterpracticus]

@@ttlegends24975 pleasure

[@parttimebodger952]

Can you spray 2k clear coat over these? Thanks

[@paterpracticus]

Not familiar with that. Is it an acrylic or enamel?

[@parttimebodger952]

@ it’s automotive clear coat.

[@RandomIzSikk]

What pc program did he use to design the logo ?

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, I actually used Adobe InDesign for those designs, but I have also found a way to use MS PowerPoint for designing decal sheets, as it is a more common - and less expensive- program. You can see how to do that in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZosi=e_OvOdg-DiTvNp9G

[@markbass7145]

Would the $89 HP LaserJet on Amazon work good enough or do I need one of those commercial office printers?

[@paterpracticus]

Is that the M110we? I'm not familiar with that model, but I don't see why that shouldn't work fine. However, I'm assuming it will only print black, rather than full colour.

[@markbass7145]

@@paterpracticus Yes that's the one, Thank you. But your right, a color one would be better. Cheapest color one I could find is $200.

[@raymtlee]

Can hou use a colour laser printer ?

[@paterpracticus]

Yes, you can use colour ink jet and laser printers. I do just that in a follow up video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=1tAfEOnkIer3P86K - also showing how to combine white and transparent decals for dark surfaces.

[@SebastianRamirezH]

Is there any difference in quality between inkjet and laser?

[@paterpracticus]

Really depends on specific printers, but laser generally better quality than inkjet.

[@the_Blazaholics830]

I have a question if I use the paper there is any chances that the printer get affected or not

[@paterpracticus]

The paper should not have any detrimental affect on your printer. Make sure you get the paper that is right for your printer - either laser or inkjet. Both should be available in either white for use on a dark background, or transparent for light backgrounds. Even if you use the wrong one, it shouldn't damage your printer, you'll just get some disappointing results.

[@prudencioplata181]

what can i do? i want to print white letters

[@paterpracticus]

Rewatch the end of the video and you’ll see you can print a similar colour to the background around your white lettering, which will mostly blend in. Not perfect, but you can get a pretty good match.

[@hahatran-nv2cm]

Can I ask what kind of ink you used? Or any type of ink is fine? 😮

[@paterpracticus]

Any ink for your particular type of printer should be fine. Pigment inks will fade less than dye ones, so better quality is always good. More important to get the right sort of paper.

[@RedBlueBerryJuice]

Where did you create the design though?

[@paterpracticus]

It was all done in Adobe InDesign on a Mac, although there are lots of programmes you could use for PC. My logo was already designed for the channel icon and I have it as a jpeg, to which I added the type, then step and repeated to fill an A4 sheet. I've had a couple of similar comments, so it would be good to know what software people do have (eg. Microsoft Word) so I can make an accompanying video.

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, I've just posted a new video showing how to set up images for printing, and some simple graphics design, using PowerPoint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZo. I hope you find it helpful. Even if you don't have PowerPoint, some of the techniques will be very similar in other software.

[@TheAviator808]

hey there! can i use a normal printer for this?

[@paterpracticus]

The printer doesn’t have to be anything special. A domestic inkjet printer works fine - but you will need the special transfer paper - make sure you get the right sort for inkjet.

[@Dollectable_Dreams]

What paper did you use? "Glossy side up".....of what paper?

[@paterpracticus]

Hi. You can see the paper I used for laser printing at 1:00 and 4:21 for InkJet - both of which I got from Craftovator, but there are other brands available. The glossy side is the printed side which floats off the backing sheet in the water.

[@Dollectable_Dreams]

@@paterpracticus Thanks!!

[@paterpracticus]

No problem. Doesn’t matter much if you print the wrong side, just turn over and print again.

[@Dollectable_Dreams]

@@paterpracticus Great help! Thanks again!

[@paterpracticus]

Don't know if you've seen it, but I've just added a video of how to design and layout the graphics to print as decals (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZosi=Gnp_4dDOsVCYK_Ao). You might find that useful too.

[@azrizhafran2164]

Can print water decal sticker with inkjet or laserjet printer?

[@paterpracticus]

Yes, you can do both. You will need a different sort of paper for each and inkjet will need sealing before application,

[@randomnickify]

Funnily enough spraying clear on the laser print should make it much more resilient. Laser toner doesn't like water too.

[@paterpracticus]

Excellent advice. Since making that video I now routinely airbrush varnish on laser printed decals too, as I do in my latest video demonstrating a method for producing decals with white backgrounds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-yhZqsjLyhd80si=QD8l-X2rT3r8wlAm

[@adambrooker5649]

What ink jet sheets do you suggest to use?

[@paterpracticus]

I've tried a few brands: Craftovator, Mr Decal Paper and Decals.Ltd are all good. I tend to but them from ebay as you can get them in relatively small quantities - although you'll get greater savings if you buy more at a time. If you are just printing dark colours for a light background, then go for transparent, but if you need them to show up on darker models you'll need to get white ones - and you will need to trim right up to the edge of your design, so they are slightly less flexible. Just make sure you don't order the Laser print ones.

[@adambrooker5649]

@@paterpracticus excellent, thanks for the advice

[@mrPartTimer8]

What’s your printer?

[@paterpracticus]

My inkjet printer is a Canon ip7250. It’s quite old now, but still going strong.

[@mrPartTimer8]

@@paterpracticus is it inkjet or laser? And also is it only black and white? Thanks for reply bro

[@paterpracticus]

That one is a colour inkjet printer, but my logo is only black and white, so I could have used a single colour printer.

[@TS-1267]

... I Had A "FORD TRANNY VAN" 0:05 In the 1980s. Had German Axle's. Used for 'Choring' Yorkshire Stone Slate's. 2.5 tonne Up 'Old Pool Bank' in West Yorkshire at 03:30am & Park Up Quiet Like. Get Washed and Put Clean Clobber On, Get Our Flask's of Tea/Coffee & Sarnie"s Finishing with A Hearty 'Skogie'... Wait Until 06:30am and Fold In With the Morning Traffic... Toodle Pip Old Bean 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@trevorwhitham6742]

I just want to start making custom hot wheels minis

[@paterpracticus]

I’m working on a couple of videos at the moment that you might find useful. First one is how to design your decal sheets using Microsoft PowerPoint. I’ll add a link here when it is ready - hopefully very soon.

[@trevorwhitham6742]

Don’t even have a computer yet guess this gives a reason to buy one

[@paterpracticus]

You'll need something to print your decals from - and a printer. Neither need to be anything fancy.

[@sparklegame1232]

Didn’t understand, why did you print many logos on A4 sheet? You need just 2 pieces

[@paterpracticus]

As the smallest sheet I could print on was A4 it made sense, as even though I only needed a couple, I didn't want to waste the rest of the decal sheet. It meant I had some spares if I messed any up, and I've already used some of the other larger sizes on some other projects. Still got loads left though.

[@bones007able]

Microsoft Paint sucked for this.... make it a certain size on the program... and it prints out either too large or too small...

[@paterpracticus]

Not familiar with that particular application. I’m planning a video for designing decals, so it’s good to know to avoid that one!

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, I've just posted a new video showing how to set up images for printing, and some simple graphics design, using PowerPoint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZo.

[@elfather20]

GREAT VIDEO BUT Is there an app to make the pictures small ? Like the exact scale that is need it for the hot wheels? Any body please help thanks.

[@paterpracticus]

I used Adobe InDesign to make the layout of my designs, but there are lots of alternatives. Even putting images in something like Word would work. I’ve had several similar enquiries, so I think a video on some of the options might be worth making. Would be good to know what software people regularly use.

[@elfather20]

​@@paterpracticusYES PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU.

[@paterpracticus]

@@elfather20 I'm doing a quick survey on Twitter - x.com/PaterPracticus/status/1712479920532971524?s=20 - to see if there is any free page layout software people would like to see in particular.

[@paterpracticus]

Hi, I've just posted a new video showing how to set up images for printing, and some simple graphics design, using PowerPoint: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aouXnKSIh5aapZo. I hope you find it helpful. Even if you don't have PowerPoint, some of the techniques will be very similar in other software.

[@elfather20]

@paterpracticus Hello, thank you. I will check out thanks 👍