Printing transfers from MAI artwork

[Seahawk]

Has anyone any experience of printing transfers from the Richard Caruana artwork available from the Model Airplane (sic) International website? There have been some useful styles of codes and roundels.

Offhand I have the following questions so far:

- how do you print white subjects (represented as black on the artwork)?

- what happens when you print British roundels? Presumably you have the option of either having no white or printing on white film and having to trim very carefully around the edges (sounds tricky!)

- how good is the depth of colour? Eg, will my yellow codes still be yellow when applied over camouflage?

- how do you fix the images once printed? I'd be inclined to brush on Microscale liquid decal film but wouldn't that smudge the images? Is there some kind of spray fixative I could use?

Related subject: does anyone know a site where I can download letters and numerals in British WW2 code style? Since none of the manufacturers believes my plea that there's an urgent requirement for ident yellow codes in 1/72, looks like I'll have to produce my own.

Answers plus any other advice and tips gratefully received.

BTW I've asked MAI if they have any how-to guidance but I expect I'll get quicker answers from the helpful souls on BM.

TIA

Nick

[Robert]

Nick,

See here for a link to RAF fonts.

Robert

[Seahawk]

Nick,

See here for a link to RAF fonts.

Robert

Robert

Thanks, just what I'm looking for. Though afraid I'll need advice from someone computer-literate before I can manipulate this into something I can print onto a transfer sheet.

Nick

[Giorgio N]

Many of your questions can only be answered if you answer this one: what are you using to print the transfers ?

If you're using an ALPS printer, then you can print white and your colour will have a god depth. If you're using an inkjet then you can't print white and don't expect to print yellow and be able to stick this on a dark sea grey plane: the transfer will be translucent and will show very little on the dark paint. The same is true for most colours, with black and dark blue being the only ones to work fine on dark surfaces. In this case it's better to print on white decal paper, but then you have to cut away anything that must be transparent. On light surfaces (like a USN light gull grey) things are better, as long as your artwork is darker than the background. An alternative is to print on white paper the artwork and the background colour. In this way you don't have to cut around rounded edges. I did this to print the serial numbers on a msg over black canberra and the result was ok. Of course it's easy when the background is black, it's harder to match the camouflage colours... I've seen this done using a scanner with decent results

If you're using laser... I don't know as I only have a B/W laser printer and just use it for serial numbers.

If you're interested in printing serial numbers and other black artwork only then any inkjet or laser printer will do the job. Pesonally I don't use the Caruana numbers, as I prefer to have my own set of numbers that I can combine in my softwares. I used a lot some of the fonts that Robert posted though, and these are quite good.

Regarding fixing your artwork, this is compulsory if you use an inkjet printer, as the water will destroy the artwork. Microscale decal film is good, just leave the printedsheet to dry well before using this. I usually leave 24 hrs. and then give 2-3 light coats. There are spray products too: testors has one specifically for inkjet printed decals. I use a spray plastic bought in a DIY store, better do a test with these first to check it will not smudge the artwork.

If after these notes you're still interested in trying, the best advice is... keep trying ! The first attempts are always bad enough, it then gets better with more and more experience. Of course if something like the old ALPS return to the market, it would be great for modellers !

P.S. if you want yellow codes and can't print yellow, the computer can still help ! You can print the caruana letters on sticky paper and make masks to use with an airbrush !

[Paul @ Parkes682Decals]

Hi All

I do mine in two different ways in inkjet

1) Coloured inks on to clear decal

2) white inkjet on to clear decal

1) If you are doing artwork that is going on two a dark background,lighter colour's disappear when applied to a dark background only blue's and black's stay dark.

If you print on to white decal paper they don't,but you have to cut out the decal from the white decal sheet.This proves to be impossible with small items or lettering.

2)About 18 months ago,i developed a white inkjet printer so i can print white ink on to clear decal.

This helps because i can use this as a background decal,then place a coloured decal on top to the light colour show's up on a dark background.

Alps printers are now out of production and spares are very limited and service cover has stopped.So the only way to print white on to a clear decal is a white inkjet printer like the one i have.

I hope this clears up any answer's

As for J Carana's decals on clear decal they come very good,the white decals which are printed black come out white on my white inkjet printer as good as the coloured one's

Hope this clears up any answers

Paul

Parkes682Decals