waterslide decal tutorial?

[choklitlove]

i've been searching for one and can't find anything.  just so i can stop looking- can anyone point me toward one?  more specifically- for inkjet.


thanks guys!

[slawnugget]

http://buildyourownclone.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8896

that has some good info.

[choklitlove]

thanks, slawnugget.  there's some good info there.

to anyone that has done it before- i've seen some say that you need a clear coat on the decal itself before the water soak.  this seems logical... can anyone tell me a good step by step process so i can eliminate any error right off the bat?

thanks again guys.

[frequencycentral]

1.   Load the Inkjet water-slide, decal paper sheets into the printer and make sure that they are sitting straight in the feeder tray. If the sheets are not straight this may lead to ink blotches at the sides of the sheet, or images being printed at an angle.


2.   You can use the usual settings on your printer, as there are no special set-up requirements.


3.   Once printed leave the sheet for 30 minutes to dry flat.


4.   Spray with 4 thin coats of acrylic varnish. This will fix the water based, Inkjet ink to the decal sheet. Make sure that this step is followed closely otherwise the ink will bleed/come off in the next stage which involves water. Please also note that if the varnish is sprayed too thickly it can also cause problems, so try a test spray from the can on some old newspaper, to make sure that you are used to the amount of spray that the nozzle emits before use.


5.   Cut out the designs with a pair of scissors, or a craft knife. If you are using the clear decal sheets, then small borders around the image can sometimes be easier to work with and give a better finished effect.


6.   Put the image into a bowl of water for 30 seconds.


7.   Gently pick up the decal and feel between your finger tips. If the backing starts to slip away from the image and you can feel a sticky membrane between the decal and the backing, then your decal is ready to use. Make sure that you do not slip the image off of the backing completely.


8.   Carefully move the backing so that there is a very small lip of decal showing above the backing.


9.   Shake off any excess water.


10.   Apply the lip of decal to the desired surface.


11.   Gently and slowly move the backing away from the decal image, allowing the decal to stick to the desired surface. Any rapid or clumsy movements here can cause bubbling, or the decal to rip.


12.   Once the decal is placed on the surface it is possible to gently move it into place. Please remember that the decal is extremely fragile at this point.


13.   Once in place use a lint free cloth to dab off excess water and remove any air bubbles.


14.   Leave to dry for 24 hours.


15.   Varnish the surface for extra protection.

[frequencycentral]

That said, I'm not using waterslides at the moment. Right now I'm using inkjet photo paper. Loads cheaper and it doesn't wrinkle or stretch if you print loads of ink on it or have to pull it about to line it up.

Print it.

Spray varnish the front 3 times, the back twice.

Soak it in water.

Apply it to the enclosure.

Weight it down. Tissue first, then the enclosure base, then a couple of bricks.

After an hour or two spray varnish it 3 more times.

Works for me!