Making white transfers

[Allerka]

I'm looking into making some transfers for my Chapter to help accelerate the process of painting my forces. Since I use custom symbols for literally everything, having a sheet or six of transfers would vastly accelerate things, compared to free-handing them. However, it might be a bit tricky to do the shoulderpad symbols.

 

For reference, here's an example of what my hand-painted Chapter symbol looks like:

 

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs44/f/2009/143/7/e/7ed3ad000b537771bef0f5fe1c624cda.jpg

 

And here's the "official" art version of it:

 

http://www.templargames.com/images/Heraldry%20-%20mini.jpg

 

If I make a transfer, I'd like to have a more elaborate olive/laurel branch set up. But, printing white transfers isn't exactly easy with a regular printer. Obviously I can't just print white transfers on clear paper and be done with it, I have to go with white paper. However, I'm not exactly sure how to actually make the symbol "appear" without having to resort to fancy cutting and/or painting around the edges anyway. I might be able to approximate the shade of green and basically print the whole symbol basically as a circle-shaped transfer, but given I've never been able to accurately reproduce it on a computer, that might be hard (though not necessarily impossible with enough experimentation). Then of course there's the matter of the squad markings on the other shoulderpad...

 

What do you all think?

[winterdyne]

That's easy as it's in an enclosed design - use white decal paper and cut the shield shape out - it's very simple.

 

If you want a very complex edge, and to apply a lighter colour to a dark surface there are 2 ways to approach it:

1) Print a white-backed decal. This means getting access to an ALPS printer, white-toner laser with a bloody accurate register (page alignment) or using a custom printing service.

2) Print a 2 stage decal - one laurel wreath just in black that you'll apply then paint over in white before applying a (fractionally expanded) colour version over the top. The translucent edge will soften the decal's appearance slightly (so it'll look a teensy bit blurry on a darker surface) but the bulk of the colour will be bright which should look OK.

[Hemal]

That's easy as it's in an enclosed design - use white decal paper and cut the shield shape out - it's very simple.

 

If you want a very complex edge, and to apply a lighter colour to a dark surface there are 2 ways to approach it:

1) Print a white-backed decal. This means getting access to an ALPS printer, white-toner laser with a bloody accurate register (page alignment) or using a custom printing service.

2) Print a 2 stage decal - one laurel wreath just in black that you'll apply then paint over in white before applying a (fractionally expanded) colour version over the top. The translucent edge will soften the decal's appearance slightly (so it'll look a teensy bit blurry on a darker surface) but the bulk of the colour will be bright which should look OK.

 

 

Good luck finding an ALPS printer let alone white toner (alternative is to silk-screen print the transfer onto transparent carrier paper)

[Obliterator]

The larger photocopy shops should have a copier that can print white, although you should specifically ask for it. There shouldn't be any problem with you bringing your own (decal) paper either. Saves you from investing in a specialised printer yourself <_<

 

Or you could leave the white parts transparent, and paint the area where you want the decal white before you apply it. A bit more hassle, but once properly applied and varnished, it won't show.

[winterdyne]

http://www.atttransfer.com/

 

These guys were selling white laser toner, which can be used to print white-backed waterslide decals. The register accuracy on samples I got was pretty good.

[Allerka]

That's easy as it's in an enclosed design - use white decal paper and cut the shield shape out - it's very simple.

Err, I probably should have been more specific. I'm not going to do the whole shield design on their shoulderpads (it wouldn't fit anyway), just the sword and laurel branches, like how it looks now. I just wanted to try decals so I could do more elaborate and symmetrical branches.

 

If a photocopy place can print white, that'd certainly take care of the issue. I suppose I can call the local FedEx/Kinko's and see.

[winterdyne]

General purpose printers (such as you find in most copy shops) cannot print white. You need to track down a decal printing service that uses ALPS machines. The model railroad scene is the place to look for that.

[Allerka]

General purpose printers (such as you find in most copy shops) cannot print white. You need to track down a decal printing service that uses ALPS machines. The model railroad scene is the place to look for that.

Gotcha. That should be interesting, given the model railroad "scene" as it were basically doesn't exist in the US. I can certainly ask at my local store, since they do miniatures in general, as opposed to just GW stuff, so they might know, plus I've only been in this area for a year, so I hardly know my way around.

[CarbonCopy]

I both make my own decals and work in the printing industry.

 

You will be hard pressed to find any local print shops who can print white as there are currently *NO* general-purpose printers that can print white from any manufacturer at any amount of money.

 

There three ways you can get a "white" decal, and you are not going to like them.

 

1) Design the chapter icon so that the "white" part is outlined by a thin black line. Print it onto normal "clear" decal paper. Before you apply the decal to the model, under-paint the area white. Then tidy up around the decal after it cures with the surrounding area.

 

2) Design the chapter icon so that the "white" part is outlined by a thin black line. Print it onto white decal paper. Before you apply the decal to the model, very carefully cut it out around the design as the entire background around the design is white as well. Apply as normal. Tidy up the decal with paint after it cures.

 

3) Go to a custom decal service. Most actually use an offset printing method that applies decal film with the process of printing the sheet. It is also incredibly expensive as you are essentially paying for a custom print run on something that normally produces HUNDREDS of prints in the span of a few minutes and would be expected to run a single design for days non-stop.

 

For the record, the Alps machines have been discontinued for nearly a decade. There is a reason you can find them for next to nothing on ebay - you simple cannot find reliable ink/parts sources for them! They are so poorly supported that even the 3rd party ink suppliers are abandoning them. I've research the Alps in detail, and they are simply not worth the money to support, even if the base unit is being given away.

 

I also make custom decals for my Iron Hands army. I use method one, as it is less expensive or less tedious that the other two methods.