Decal paper question

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

I've searched the forum but have not found exactly the answer I'm looking for.

 

Clear vs White decal paper... now this is for RED Blood Angels stuff... Does the 'white' decal paper have white in the background behind the logo? For example, would a BA logo have white between the wings and the blood drop? If yes, are you supposed to just paint over the white? Also if I use the white is it more obvious that there is a decal there as opposed to say a hand painted logo?

 

Also there is quite a variety of decal papers... I assume I want Inkjet 'water-slide' decal paper right?

 

Unfortunately I can only get the paper online so I can't see it before I buy... but the retailer links were much appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Hemal]

I would only ever use clear and then paint on white details (unless you have an old printer wit a white tape-style output, you can't print white!!) as that gives max flexibility in terms of designs

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Well I think I've either asked my question poorly, or I didn't understand your answer.

See attached photos below: I'd like my decal to look like option A, but I am afraid that with 'white' decal paper it will look like option B, or am I totally off on this idea? If I use 'clear' decal paper will the decal show strongly enough?

Option A:

Option B:

Thanks!!

[Aqui]

I've never used decal paper, but I would have thought that the quality of option A will depend on your printer. If it's a good one (and in my own opinion at least a HP, Epson or Canon are good ones - I dare say that there are better) then quality won't be too much of an issue. I suppose you could use the white version and paint over the white with red (or whatever colour). It's going to be a personal preference thing. I'd choose option A, even if my printer wasn't quite up to scratch as I don't have the steady hands I used to :yes: .

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Well see, the thing is - I'm not even sure that 'white' decal paper will look like Option B. I am just speculating ...but that is generally my question (does it?!?), and the answer is ever elusive. :mellow:

[winterdyne]

White decal paper is white up to where you cut it. As such it'll only look like B if you cut it there. Exactly the same. Every time.

 

Clear decal paper (I've used through a laser printer) had quite a nice opaque black. I've seen inkjet-printed decals be similarly opaque so I guess it should look pretty much like A every time.

 

The only downside of home-printed decals on clear is the inability to print white, or lighter-than-base colours with any opacity. If you print red on clear with an inkjet it's kindof transparent. Black is usually pretty opaque.

 

There are printer solutions that'll print on waterslide decal paper in white (usually using 2 laser printers with white toner in the 'first pass printer'), but these cost a lot to set up. There's also the old ALPS range of printers, which can print white, but these are out of production and hard to get hold of, as well as being difficult to get consumables for.

 

Edit: Note also that full-colour printing only works on a white background. If you're not printing in a pure ink/toner colour expect any difference in 'lightness' to be translated as a stipple (more and more transparent if you're printing on white). This also applies to shades of grey. If you're preparing a decal, you really want it to be pure black and white, not greyscale.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Thanks Winterdyne...

 

I'm not sure I completely understood that last part. What is 'full color printing'?

 

I will be using primarily solid Red, Yellow and Green decals. I suppose I don't need any white at this point. - so it seems that clear (for inkjet) is the way to go.

[winterdyne]

Any colours other than your inks count as 'full colour'. Light colours will also be very translucent. As you're using pure red, yellow (both light) and green (not an ink colour) you're not going to get nice opaque decals. You need a white backing. If you have 'holes' or gaps in your decal (likely) you'll be needing an ALPS solution from the looks of it. There are a few places that do custom decal printing online on ALPS that are probably your best bet.

[GumbaFish]

Maybe I missed it but what color are you painting the armor? As mentioned lighter colors may not be opaque on clear decal paper and if you are putting them on a darker surface they won't appear very bright. It honestly isn't too hard to touch up the white bits, and if you want a bright red it will look better on white paper.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

This is for Blood Angels... so yeah RED lol. The decals I plan to use are all one-color solids... either Black, Green or Yellow.

[GumbaFish]

Well it wasn't exactly clear because from the first post it sounded like you wanted to print the blood angels logo, except for in red. If you want to do them in black, then why are you not just using the standard transfers from GW?

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Well it wasn't exactly clear because from the first post it sounded like you wanted to print the blood angels logo, except for in red. If you want to do them in black, then why are you not just using the standard transfers from GW?

 

Well, I also wanted the double yellow and double green 'blood' drops. But even the black BA logo here on B&C is MUCH nicer than the GW version. :lol:

[Hemal]

Double yellow/double green are probably better to paint on teh GW or otehr transfers - there is simply no reason to print in multiple colours - I'd almost always print black on transparnt and then paint teh decals myself anyway, and even go as far as bleing in the carrier filem to teh background to avoid the unslightly misted appearance (as well as applying decals to a gloss background..)

[chromedog]

Yes, White paper will give you option B.

 

If you want to do option A, then you need the clear film.

If you have a laser printer, then get the laser film (decal film comes in inkjet OR Laserprinter types. The inkjet one HAS to be varnished in order to be waterfast - otherwise the ink will wash off when you go to apply them. The laser film doesn't.)

 

I use the Star Wars "Empire" symbol on my SM army. As most of my vehicles are white anyway, I can get away with the white decal film.

Even on the few units I have that are in black, I use the white film because otherwise the symbol just wouldn't show up).