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-   -   Making water slide decals (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=17622)

sawdustdad 12-07-2018 07:07 AM

Making water slide decals
 
What are you using to make your own water slide decals these days? What is your source for the paper?

15 years ago I was using a wax transfer printer on decal paper. Still have the printer but I need to run it with a Win98 laptop. (they never updated the driver for XP).

Been rocket-dormant since the early 2000s, looking to get active again... have inkjet and laser color printers, and the now OOP wax transfer printer with a limited supply of "ink" for it.

tbzep 12-07-2018 07:37 AM

I use an old HP 6940 printer with HP ink on Micromark decal paper. I still use the 6940 because I've had consistent results with the ink. I used Bel decal paper before switching to Micromark. It gave good results for a while, but I got a batch that gave me all kinds of trouble. The Micromark paper has been very consistent each time I've purchased it.

bernomatic 12-07-2018 11:14 AM

Have to check when I get home on the paper, but it doesn't have the film over the whole sheet. and I've been working on screen printing my own decals (almost any color I want, including metalics)

GlenP 12-07-2018 01:00 PM

1 Attachment(s)
I use the Testor's ink jet decal paper and print on a Canon color ink jet printer. You have to play with the print settings, I usually use a fine quality on photo paper setting. It comes in Clear and White sheets. Colors printed on clear look best on a white painted rocket, they are not totally opaque. Testors also has a decal bonder spray, but I just use a glossy clear laquer spray can to cover the paper after printing.

I like the free software InkScape for making my own decal artwork or copying from a poor quality scan, it lets you size things on screen to their as-printed size, i.e. a 1" square on screen will print 1" square on paper.

Decals work better on glossy paint. When you are done, you can overcoat with satin or matte, if you prefer that kind of sheen.

https://www.amazon.com/Testors-Deca...k/dp/B000BLI6QS

I just got a pack of clear sheets from Hobby Lobby with 40% off coupon.

Here is a sheet I just printed for a couple of scratch builds I am working on right now...

sawdustdad 12-07-2018 06:20 PM

Those decals look great.

sawdustdad 12-09-2018 08:40 PM

I just dug out my old ALPS MD1000 printer. I have about 20 ink cassettes as well. I tried to boot up an old IBM Thinkpad 770 (vintage 1999) with Win98 on it. Last time I used it the drivers had not been updated from Win95 as I recall. But it worked fine when I built a Orbital Sciences Taurus II scale model from scratch about 7 or 8 years ago.

It would not boot. 8^(

Went out to the interwebs and found a site with what looks like an updated driver set. Has instructions for Win7. I still have a Win7 machine, so that might work. Just need a USB to Parallel cable to hook the printer up. Heck, I think I might have one here somewhere...

Somebody is still selling the Alps printer cassettes--at $20/ea. Wow.

I still have some decal paper--stuff I bought from Tango Papa years ago. Everything in the house got jumbled up in a couple moves over the past 10 years.

Anybody still making decals on an ALPS printer?

bernomatic 12-09-2018 08:59 PM

Not being a computer geek, I'm not sure of all the particulars, but I believe there are some applications out there which will allow your computer to run as if it is an older version of Windows.

BARGeezer 12-10-2018 12:08 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by sawdustdad
I just dug out my old ALPS MD1000 printer. I have about 20 ink cassettes as well. I tried to boot up an old IBM Thinkpad 770 (vintage 1999) with Win98 on it. Last time I used it the drivers had not been updated from Win95 as I recall. But it worked fine when I built a Orbital Sciences Taurus II scale model from scratch about 7 or 8 years ago.

It would not boot. 8^(

Went out to the interwebs and found a site with what looks like an updated driver set. Has instructions for Win7. I still have a Win7 machine, so that might work. Just need a USB to Parallel cable to hook the printer up. Heck, I think I might have one here somewhere...

Somebody is still selling the Alps printer cassettes--at $20/ea. Wow.

I still have some decal paper--stuff I bought from Tango Papa years ago. Everything in the house got jumbled up in a couple moves over the past 10 years.

Anybody still making decals on an ALPS printer?


Gordy Agnello (Sandman) had been selling decals printed from his ALPS printers until it became too difficult to repair and maintain them. But if you have any questions about running the ALPS printers he would be the go to guy, I presume.

tbzep 12-10-2018 07:10 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by bernomatic
Not being a computer geek, I'm not sure of all the particulars, but I believe there are some applications out there which will allow your computer to run as if it is an older version of Windows.

It's actually built into Windows and is called "compatibility mode". It works to get some programs running, others it won't. Won't hurt to try, though.

If you are in Win7, right click the .exe file, choose properties, then choose the compatibility tab, then choose your compatibility mode. If it's an old 16 or 32 bit program, you should have choices as far back as Win95. If it's a fairly modern program, you will be limited to Server 2008, Vista, etc.

I think it's the same way for Win10, but I stay away from Win8/8.1 and Win10 as much as possible. They suck about as much as Vista...more in some ways. I don't recall how to get there on WinXP, but it's built into it too.

aeppel_cpm 12-10-2018 07:55 AM

I use the Papilio clear water slide paper for laser printers and an HP Color laser jet. The Papilio stock is tough, but still has some nice stretch to it. It takes a little experimentation to get the temperature right for good toner bonding. I just try different thickness.

I've played with white stock too - but not the Papilio. Let's see...Experts-Choice. I find it to be brittle. The white shatters and crumbles at the drop of a hat. It definitely wants a clear coat overspray -before- application. The Paplio does seem to require coating.

Good luck with the old printer. You might get the app to run under compatibility mode - but the drivers might refuse.


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