Steps for printing out decals

Davididit · Post by **Davididit** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:26 am

Hello all,
I haven’t seen this exact question asked, so if it has been let me apologize now. I’m thinking of trying to print out some of Arthur Pendragons great decals, and after reviewing all the threads for decals that I could find, still do not have a clear idea about the exact steps to take to print them out. I’m not too concerned about which paper, or which coating to use (but if you want to chime in on these I won’t complain, lol!) but the steps that you have found work best to get a good set of decals. For example, some have talked about an undercoat for the decals, and others have not, and that makes me kind of confused to the best steps to take. I have an Epson R220 6 color inkjet printer So what exact steps do you guys take?

Joseph Osborn · Post by **Joseph Osborn** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:50 pm

I haven't printed any inkjet decals in years, but the best approach is to follow the specific manufacturer's instructions to the letter. Inkjet decal paper varies between makers, but the basic process is to print the decal, spray one or more coats of fixative, and apply. There are a lot of variables within those basics, though. I've heard that Epsons do a good job for decals, but I have no direct experience with them. I've printed decals with a high-end (for the time) HP photo inkjet, but I was less than impressed with the results.

Davididit · Post by **Davididit** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:19 am

Thanks for the reply Joseph.. Just don't want to use up reams of decal paper trying to figure it all out, ya know? Again, thanks for the reply.

Joseph Osborn · Post by **Joseph Osborn** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:08 pm

Davididit wrote:Thanks for the reply Joseph.. Just don't want to use up reams of decal paper trying to figure it all out, ya know? Again, thanks for the reply.

In that case, start small and get a feel for how the process works. Do separate black and color tests so you can see how the ink reacts with the paper coating and the fixative spray. Do some small images and print them at the very top of the page, in a line across the page. This way you can cut that strip off the full page and still have an 8.5" wide page that can be run through the printer again for other decals.