Technical ART, How to make your own 'Vintage' decals!

It's Tech week! Here is a nifty idea to beautify the firewall or dash of your Jalopy - or anything else, as you'll see here: water transfer decals!

(For the benefit of the readers, please wait till I'm finished posting EVERY STEP before replying - thanks)

 

The paper: many sources offer it. It's used for model building. This one is for inkjet printers.

 

The art: grabbed from the web. A distinctively Canadian icon.

 

Tweaking in Photoshop: Better definition will help us later on. Rotating till the text is straight.

 

In Illustrator: our image in the background. We'll use it to guide us while tracing.

 

Bezier curves: learning how to use bezier curves will give you a LOT of confidence while tracing.

 

Tracing: using a contrasting color to see where we are going with the lineart.

 

Flip: this design is almost symetrical. Flip it to finish the leaf.

 

Font: Close enough. Let's work on it.

 

Modify: Getting there...

 

Super: You see? It was there are along.

 

Finished: Voilà!

 

More: Lets give it some more color.

 

Shape: Adjusting the size of the decal to a familiar object's shape. It'll help a LOT later on.

 

Printing: A 99$ inkjet printer, NO fancy stuff here.

 

Cutting: You see? It's much simpler to make a nice cut this way.

 

The object: The tank on my 1948 Monark Whizzer could use some color.

 

Apply: Soak as per instructions, apply CAREFULLY! This paper is ultrathin.

 

Results: Looking good, right next to that N.O.S saddle!

There you go! My first TECH POST!

 

WOW! Unbeleivable.

 

very nice tech! I learned some photoshop too!

any problem with the ink running?

 

That's killer. I'm going to try that for sure. I was looking at "vintage" reproductions, and they look anything but authentic.

So do most hobby stores carry this inkjet decal paper? Or even someplace like Office Depot?

 

Whizzer.....that's cool. Can I buy a couple of those off of you? I have limited software on this old boat anchor of a computer so I can't make them. PM me.

 

Great post, thanks for taking the time...

 

Very Cool. A long time ago I reproduced the record tray numbers for my Wurlitzer in Photoshop, because the reproductions looked like crap. I have just been waiting to find out about this decal paper! I didn't know it existed for home printers!!

Is the decal paper clear? If so, how do you print in white ink? Or is the decal paper white and not clear?

 

That is really cool!
Great work on "cleaning" it up too! Wow..... I don't have the words to describe how cool this post really is! ! ! !

A question I would have is about the durability of it. Does that paper hold up well in sunlight and rain? Like if someone wanted a few on their windows or dash maybe?

Man, I can think of ALL SORTS of things to do with this stuff! ! !

JT.

 

I'm done! I'll be glad to answer any questions:

- 30roadster: these are NOT waterproof... A thin coat of Krylon Clear will help them resist smearing. They are fragile but, hey, why not change'em on a weekly basis to keep it fresh?

-Django: Do a Google on Decal paper, I order mine from Florida. 20$ a pack of 50 if I remember well?

-36couper: That'd be difficult for me these days. I'm already behind schedule with most of my clients... I HAD to take time for a tech post, tough...

Fellas, remember that this is a 'decorative' process and that you'll have to experiment with it. It is rewarding, though.

 

Elrod, I discovered that stuff when a buddy asked for artwork for his Vintage Wurlitzers (10¢ a play) !!! It IS available clear. If you need only a portion of white, you can cut a piece of white decal paper and place it underneath the CLEAR decal your doing. It is very thin paper, the 'bump' hardly shows.

 

This post is getting my vote!

It is by far the coolest tech post yet!

even if the subject is a Canadian Whizzer

Paul