decals

I pinched some signage off the net a while ago...I wanted the 'new' BT ''openworld' van signage...my son was a bit particular about what he wanted for a birthday.......and the current signage was not available through the usual sources [ebay]...on a tranny van.

See a recent issue of Model Rail......they carry an ad for

decal paper

I got some a couple of years ago..

Once you have downloaded the 'image' you want..use something like photoshop to get it to the size required...plus, if you use something like 'Word' you can arrange several images to make best use of the decal sheet size? [a bit like [planning an etch??]

...then print directly onto the decal sheet as per instructions....I used an ordinary cheapo inkjet printer....an epsom C60?

[don't forget to set up the printer for the decal sheet size....mine were A5, I think...the smaller one than A4??

Although, before hand, print onto ordinary paper to check you have the sizes right??

now, types of decal sheet?

well, the 'wet' type usually use water to looses the decal film from its backing sheet....just like the old waterslide decals.

There are also teh rub-on type, like lettraset?

for larger decals I'd suggest teh waterslide transfers..they are easier to manipulate and bed-down over details.

I also recommend a decal-softening fluid...I used an old bottle of Microsol....bought back in the days when I modelled US stuff..

This will allow the decal film to 'shrink' down over any details that will lie underneath.

anyway, they worked for me..I only used one decal sheet, so have several unused one's hiding away somewhere
[I wonder if they have a shelf life??]

QUOTE (Duztee @ 30 Dec 2007, 17:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am confused as to how to produce white lettering.
This is tricky. Printers don't do white - they assume your paper is already!! If it is white lettering on a background then use white decal paper and print as normal. To do white letters by themselves on clear decal paper though...not possible at home! Unless you can find white ink for your printer, then someone with specialist printers will charge you for it.

QUOTE Also the difference between 'wet slide' and 'dry rub' types of decal.
I'm not sure about the difference, but if you print your own wet slide decals then let the ink dry thoroughly and then spray with varnish to protect the ink from the water. This can make the decal less flexible and so Microsol etc. can be used to make the decal relax into details.

Dry rub might have to be printed backwards?? I'm not an expert on decals so I readily await correction! I'm about to do some myself for the first time and an interested to know what people say.

QUOTE Apparently they are called a 'dye-sublimation printer' and now available from many companies.

This is the same process you find in some of the post card sized (4 x 6 inch) printers which are targeted specifically at the digital photo market. The dye is in solid form and is carried on a transparent film. When the dye is required for printing, the heater elements in the print head switch on and the dye is converted directly from the solid state to the gaseous state. Some may recall their chemistry classes where this process is known as sublimation. The dye panels are usually just larger than the printable area with a set of three or four panels being stored successively on the film. Thus each print required either 18 or 24 inches of carrier film to pass over the print head.

The Alps printer (if I am thinking of the right one) was targeted at a different market and the dye was stored individually in separate cartridges. The film was about 1/6th of inch wide. This tape was used in much the same way as an old typewriter or Dymo labelling machine. A wide range of tapes are/were available including gold and silver as it is/was intendied for making greetings cards and things like that. There is a strong tradition in Japan of sending personalised greetings cards at New Year and other special occasions.

It would be a shame for us railway modellers if Alps have stopped making this printer model as I don't think there are any other print engines on the market which print with such thin strips or have such a wide range of dyes available.

David

QUOTE (dwb @ 31 Dec 2007, 08:15) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>This is the same process you find in some of the post card sized (4 x 6 inch) printers which are targeted specifically at the digital photo market. The dye is in solid form and is carried on a transparent film. When the dye is required for printing, the heater elements in the print head switch on and the dye is converted directly from the solid state to the gaseous state. Some may recall their chemistry classes where this process is known as sublimation. The dye panels are usually just larger than the printable area with a set of three or four panels being stored successively on the film. Thus each print required either 18 or 24 inches of carrier film to pass over the print head.

The Alps printer (if I am thinking of the right one) was targeted at a different market and the dye was stored individually in separate cartridges. The film was about 1/6th of inch wide. This tape was used in much the same way as an old typewriter or Dymo labelling machine. A wide range of tapes are/were available including gold and silver as it is/was intendied for making greetings cards and things like that. There is a strong tradition in Japan of sending personalised greetings cards at New Year and other special occasions.

It would be a shame for us railway modellers if Alps have stopped making this printer model as I don't think there are any other print engines on the market which print with such thin strips or have such a wide range of dyes available.

David

***Alps actually stopped making them some time ago unfortunately. Of the several models in the range, for some strange reason only two of them actually worked with the white cartridges, and these go for silly prices now on Ebay (the MD1000 and the MD5000).

Cartridges are also exxy.

I have the MD4000 series which doesn't acknowledge white, however the printer reads a barcode on the cartridge to decide what it is, so I "fool" it by adding the barcode off a black cartridge to the white cartridge, so it will print white for me. This has the advantage that I can simply type a name in black and print it white, which is much easier than working in the "negative".

Regards

Richard