DECAL TYPES
EXPLAINED
Silk screened decals
Silk screened decals
are the type of decals that come with most commercial kits
- Airfix, Revell or Minicraft type. They are printed by a
professionnal printer.
Each subject is printed
on a varnish
layer, which slides off the carrier paper when it is soaked
in water.
They are the traditional waterslide decals we all know and
like : the decals of our early modelling memories.
Laser printed decals
As the name implies,
laser decals are printed with laser printers using toner and
not ink as in silk screening. For this reason the colours
white, silver or gold cannot be printed. They are the original
F-decals but the pioneer era is over and these decals are
now widely spread in many fields and forms.
The whole decal set
is printed on a blank decal page. The varnish
covers all the sheet. Compared to silk screened decals you
not only trim off the carrier paper but the varnish layer
as well.
Laser decals are very
transluscent and must be applied over white surfaces. When
you trim them off the sheet, colours look scaringly light
but, as you will find, once applied they look as good as regular
decals.
APPLYING THE DECALS
Silk screened decals
Just trim off the subject,
dip it into water and slide it on to the kit. These decals
are easy to use and require no particular precaution.
The can be coated with a clear coat before or after applying
them but this is by no means compulsory.
They support decal softening solutions.
Laser printed decals
Directions are basically
identical. Because they are not made industrialy they can
be or feel more fragile depending on decal paper consistency
(we use Microscale decal paper).
Clear coating is not necessary before application but if you
wish to do so you should use an airbrush and apply light coats.
Clear coating after application is fine and obviously up to
your taste.
Decal softening solutions are supported too.
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