lgrinnings
I live for the CABE
Howdy CABE folks! The following is a process my dad taught me as a kid by which you can make decals from printed paper including laser prints, inkjet prints, photocopies, magazine pages, etc. I haven't had any cause to try it until recently and I was delightfully surprised with the results. I would imagine that many of you know this trick, but I thought I'd share just in case. The results aren't as good as traditionally produced silkscreen waterslide decals, but good enough in a pinch. Patience is required as this is by no means the fastest way to make decals, but anyone can do it without fancy printers or decal papers.
Step 1) Get your artwork ready. In my case, I want to make a Delta triangle decal for a recently restored Delta prewar headlight. I've recreated the decal artwork using Adobe Illustrator on my Mac, but you don't need to be a designer to use a printout of a photo you've taken or found online. The trick is ensuring that it gets printed out at the correct size. I've got multiple on one page in case I screw up.
Step 2) Once you've printed out your artwork or you have your magazine page, apply roughly five coats of clear lacquer, giving ample time (30 min.) between coats to dry.
Step 3) Once your sheet is completely dry, cut out the area you plan to use, making sure to leave plenty of material around what will ultimately be your decal.
Step 4) Soak the cutout portion in warm water for about 1 minute.
Step 5) Remove the cutout from the water and place it face down on a clean hard surface like a table, counter, etc.
Step 6) Here's where the patience comes in. With your finger or using a pencil eraser, begin to lightly rub the paper behind the decal image so that the wet paper rolls up and can be brushed away. You may want to add a drip or two of water to to speed the process, but be careful to not tear the decal. Continue until no paper remains and you can see the artwork that is now fused to the backside of the clear lacquer.
Step 7) Once the paper backing has been removed use an Xacto or hobby knife to carefully cut the decal image from the larger cutout piece.
Step 8) To apply the decal, simply use a clear coat of lacquer where you intend to stick the decal, apply the decal, let dry and clear over it once more.
Again, this isn't the optimal means of creating decals, but it does work and can be a cost effective means of creating custom decals if you don't mind putting in the time. You can also experiment with ways to age your decal by staining it with a yellow/brown solution of water and food coloring (I'm going to give the staining a try and I'll let you know how it comes out). Anyhow, I thought I'd share. Be sure to let me know if you give this a try and what your results look like. Good luck and enjoy!
-Lester
Step 1) Get your artwork ready. In my case, I want to make a Delta triangle decal for a recently restored Delta prewar headlight. I've recreated the decal artwork using Adobe Illustrator on my Mac, but you don't need to be a designer to use a printout of a photo you've taken or found online. The trick is ensuring that it gets printed out at the correct size. I've got multiple on one page in case I screw up.
Step 2) Once you've printed out your artwork or you have your magazine page, apply roughly five coats of clear lacquer, giving ample time (30 min.) between coats to dry.
Step 3) Once your sheet is completely dry, cut out the area you plan to use, making sure to leave plenty of material around what will ultimately be your decal.
Step 4) Soak the cutout portion in warm water for about 1 minute.
Step 5) Remove the cutout from the water and place it face down on a clean hard surface like a table, counter, etc.
Step 6) Here's where the patience comes in. With your finger or using a pencil eraser, begin to lightly rub the paper behind the decal image so that the wet paper rolls up and can be brushed away. You may want to add a drip or two of water to to speed the process, but be careful to not tear the decal. Continue until no paper remains and you can see the artwork that is now fused to the backside of the clear lacquer.
Step 7) Once the paper backing has been removed use an Xacto or hobby knife to carefully cut the decal image from the larger cutout piece.
Step 8) To apply the decal, simply use a clear coat of lacquer where you intend to stick the decal, apply the decal, let dry and clear over it once more.
Again, this isn't the optimal means of creating decals, but it does work and can be a cost effective means of creating custom decals if you don't mind putting in the time. You can also experiment with ways to age your decal by staining it with a yellow/brown solution of water and food coloring (I'm going to give the staining a try and I'll let you know how it comes out). Anyhow, I thought I'd share. Be sure to let me know if you give this a try and what your results look like. Good luck and enjoy!
-Lester
