What is the difference between white and clear decal paper?

[littleyoda99]

Just what the title says

What is the difference between white and clear decal paper?

Wanting to print some of my own decals, but unsure about the paper.

[Kylwell]

Clear is clear. Which means if you print something on it with tranperant inks (like most ink-jets) you'll get whatever color you're putting th edecals on bleeding through.

White decal paper is white and unless you want a big buncha white around your decal you have to trim very closely.

Clear as mud?

[caveslug]

Don't forget if you have any white in the decal image to be printed, you will need white decal paper. As home printers don't have white ink to print with.

[warcraft101]

So whats best to use for Starfleet symbols and stuff. I have an inkjet printer. Im trying to create my own custom Trek decals, lifeboats, and symbols and stuff.

Should I use white decal paper or clear?

Im trying to figure out what JT uses from Jt graphics

[warcraft101]

No one?

[MillenniumFalsehood]

It depends on what era. TOS decals would probably be best printed on white decal paper so the underlying colors don't bleed through. TMP and TNG era penant decals should be printed on clear paper as the penants on some ships fade into the background color, while the name and registry should be printed on clear as they usually have a red(?) line around the letters and numbers.

[CaptainHawk1]

Buy a bunch of clear but keep a few sheets of white around. Generally speaking you're going to want to use clear 99% of the time regardless of the era (in my opinion). The only thing that I could see using white for on Trek ships is the strongback decals on the refit becuase they show up very light when printed.

-Shawn

[LindaSmile]

Im trying to figure out what JT uses from Jt graphics

JT graphics uses an ALPS printer that can print white ink, so it's not a fair comparison. He doesn't use a standard ink jet printer. But his paper is clear.

Hope that helps,

Linda