Downloadable Decal Sheets - Help

[Tavus Wrack]

Sart of by saying hello and thank you for viewing or even replying to my post.

So as you may or may not be aware there are a few decal sheets one can download from here. Most have details about sheet size and that is about it.

So to questions and statements:

 

I can get printable Decal paper easy enough for my type of printer but -

 

Do I need anything else besides a decent pair of scissors or a craft knife?
~ All ready have decal softener and decal fixer and some matt varnish.

Thank you again in advance..

[Rik Lightstar]

I've done a few myself, the thing to watch out for I think would be the quality of the paper itself I went cheap and I could definitely tell the difference compared to the decals you get with kits

 

Rik

[NiceGuyAdi]

If you're printing to an inkjet printer you'll need an aerosol can of gloss varnish (or from an airbrush?) to fix the decals after printing, or the ink will run. Laserjet printers don't have this issue.

 

I fit a new blade to my hobby knife when I'm cutting decals to avoid nasty edges that will be visible after they're applied.

 

Printing with my inkjet I:

-print the sheet and leave for an hour or so for the ink to set properly

-apply a light mist of gloss to the sheet horizontally, leave for 15 minutes

-apply another light mist of gloss vertically, and leave for another 15 minutes

[Tavus Wrack]

Thank you for the info NiceGuyAdi.

I will be using a laser printer over an inkjet. But I think leaving the sheets for an hour or so maybe a good idea just in case.
I agree a nice sharp blade will make a ton of difference when cutting out.

I will ask why Gloss varnish over Matt varnish?

[NiceGuyAdi]

I actually can't remember for sure, but gloss varnish has a smoother surface than matt (hence the different appearance), so it probably makes the decal slide more easily.

 

That's also why a lot of people apply gloss varnish to the area before the decal; so it goes on smoothly and doesn't catch against the surface.