reverse decals?

[tom mann]

I'm always on the lookout for innovative decal ideas.  Some of you might remember my z scale CNW ex-Rock decals from last year with the fading done in Photoshop at the artwork level: http://www.mannresearch.com/rr/ri/zscale_rockbox_02.jpg

Tonight, I thought of "reverse decals" in which the printing is done as a mirror image and placed artwork down on the model - decal film side up.  I believe that this would allow for some interesting finishing effects - replicating paint peeling being the big one.

What do you think?  Anyone tried this before?

[3rdrail]

Since the adhesive is on only one side of the decal film, what would keep the decal attached to the car side??

[tom mann]

I don't know about that....I've put decals on backwards (by accident) before and they stick pretty well...

[nscalesteve]

I don't know about that....I've put decals on backwards (by accident) before and they stick pretty well...

yes they "stick both ways" (hmmmm... ?) but the question is why would you do that ? just to bring them partially on and then remove the film or why ?

[engineshop]

Would you use the decal paper to get the peeling effect. I don't know if it is strong enough.

Of course this is not peeling more fading but I was working with this idea.



But it is not only for decals. This effect also could work on papermodels like the one from

http://www.scalescenes.com/

[TiVoPrince]

Glossy
topcoat.  Or, in Tom's case basecoat would be critical for good adhesion and application.   Agreed that some effects may reproduce better with this method...

[Nato]

  REVERSE Image Decals, wow! then every operator at an Op session would reciece a dental pick with a small mirror to read the car numbers and uncouple at the same time.Seriously though, your idea should work.I really like the faiding effect on the Coke Girl on brick work, guess I will have to try this when I get around to detailing and weathering buildings on the City part of my layout.                                          Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah.

[Pray59]

Reverse image decals for window glazing might be cool. Pretty easy with Corel, just highlight and mirror artwork. Good for mainstreet structures. There is a company called Papilio that sells a decal paper with no decal film on it. If you use an Alps, you can print your artwork on that paper and paint on a bit of liquid decal film over the wax ink, then you will have a super fragile and super thin decal, that is as thin as a layer of paint.

[inkaneer]

How about doing every car like that and calling the RR the daorliaR cixelsyD dna desufnoC.  [HINT: read it backwards]  Really, some of us may have way too much time on our hands.

[lv4142003]

Tom I don't understand what "reverse" decals mean? All the letters would be backwards as well as the words themselves? I thought you meant "faded" or "ghost" like. Someone just did a SP container and it looked like someone had peeled the lettering off, is that what you mean. Also a few years back there was an article in RMJ (I think) about doing faded Railbox cars. I never tried it, but if decals were available for that effect, I'd certainly buy them. Look at how popular the grafitti decals have become. <lv4142003>

[tom mann]

Tom I don't understand what "reverse" decals mean? All the letters would be backwards as well as the words themselves? I thought you meant "faded" or "ghost" like. Someone just did a SP container and it looked like someone had peeled the lettering off, is that what you mean. Also a few years back there was an article in RMJ (I think) about doing faded Railbox cars. I never tried it, but if decals were available for that effect, I'd certainly buy them. Look at how popular the grafitti decals have become. <lv4142003>

You print the decals in reverse and apply them printed side down so they appear correct.  I *think* this may open the door for easy peeling effects.

[Sokramiketes]

Tom I don't understand what "reverse" decals mean? All the letters would be backwards as well as the words themselves? I thought you meant "faded" or "ghost" like. Someone just did a SP container and it looked like someone had peeled the lettering off, is that what you mean. Also a few years back there was an article in RMJ (I think) about doing faded Railbox cars. I never tried it, but if decals were available for that effect, I'd certainly buy them. Look at how popular the grafitti decals have become. <lv4142003>

You print the decals in reverse and apply them printed side down so they appear correct.  I *think* this may open the door for easy peeling effects.

So instead of being able to scrape away the printed lettering... now you need to go through the decal film first, before you get to the lettering?

What am I missing, because that sounds like it would be harder, not easier...?

[lv4142003]

Tom is this what you meant by "reverse decals"? Joe Hueber <lv4142003>
http://www.pbase.com/dh30973/image/86990190

[sirenwerks]

That's what I thought Tom was thinking of, but then I got confused when I originally read the rest of the thread (but was afraid to speak up against the master) and left it alone. You wouldn't be able to use a decal as a mask, since the shape of the decal would be, well, squarish depending on how you cut it - the mask would be the same, not individual letters. Dry transfer would work, but is there a way to make your own dry transfers? The home made proto-paint-peeling-and-turning-into-a-1:1-mask look decal works tres nicely, as Joe's sample clearly shows. Nice work Joe.

[lv4142003]

Sirenwerks, That is not my model (I wish it were!) It was done by Bruce Eyler, whom I don't know (also wish I did) and was entered in the Western Proto Modeler 2007. If you go to the home page of that photo therer is a ton of fantastic modeling. Joe Hueber <lv4142003>