Water transfer decal questions

[tiqueman]

Im looking to find out what worked well and what didnt (brands) for the water slide decal sheets you can get for ink jet printers. Or is it just a waste? I read a brief description of one stating that you print out you graphic on this paper, coat it with 2 or 3 coats of Krylon clear, then 30 min to a hour later you cut it out, 45 seconds in water and slide it. Ive done thousands of decal applications on models, but never made my own.

So who knows what?

[JimClark]

Much better off getting the paper for laser printer
I bought mine from

http://www.micromark.com/

[sailr]

I gave up ink jet a few years ago. Too expensive for the ink and the cheap inks don't work. I bought a color Laser printer. They are only about $300. Ink Jet does do a little nicer quality of printing but at least now my prints don't 'run' when they get wet! Laser toner is expensive but it does last a LONG time!

With the laser decal paper you don't need to clear coat them until after you apply them to the boat. That is just to protect them. I guess you could clear coat them before putting them on if you're not going to clear over the boat.

I will look for my source for my laser paper. I bought some from Bel Decal and it destroyed the fuser section of my printer! It wrapped itself around the fuser roller and could NOT be removed without damage. It cost me close to $300 to fix the printer. DO NOT buy laser paper from them!

The other brand I use works beautifully. I'll get you the source. They have ink jet also.

[tiqueman]

So it sounds to me Ink jet isnt worth it? And I should buy a Laser printer instead, with laser decal paper? Well that stinks.... cant do that for a LONG time.

[JimClark]

You don't have to just design your decals and make them into a file and take the file anddecal paper to Kinkos they can print them for you and it is way cheap.

Jim

[tiqueman]

NICE, I didnt think about that. Good call Jim!

And from what Im reading, to transfer off laser decal paper, you do not have to clear it before you apply the decals? But, you can still clear it all once its on the boat, correct?