Recommendation on decal printer (paid service)....

[sizemore]

Looking for a recommendation on decal printing service, color requirements are white and metallics. I used to use Helveticarr (Roland) but he's been long out of business.

Thanks,
The S.

[peteski]

I highly recommend John Hagen.  If you can't supply vector based artworks, he can create the artwork for you.  Uses Alps MicroDry printer which is capable of white and metallic colors.  Email him at sprinthag at yahoo dot com, and tell him Peteski sent you.

I recommended John to @sd45elect2000 about a year ago . Maybe he'll chime in as to whether he used John's services.

I never heard of Helveticarr, but I know some older Roland printer/cutters (like PC-12) used the same MicroDry technology that Alps printers use.

[sd45elect2000]

I highly recommend John Hagen.  If you can't supply vector based artworks, he can create the artwork for you.  Uses Alps MicroDry printer which is capable of white and metallic colors.  Email him at sprinthag at yahoo dot com, and tell him Peteski sent you.

I recommended John to @sd45elect2000 about a year ago . Maybe he'll chime in as to whether he used John's services.

I never heard of Helveticarr, but I know some older Roland printer/cutters (like PC-12) used the same MicroDry technology that Alps printers use.

Nothing yet...

[peteski]

Nothing yet...

Is that because you have not yet hired him (provided reference materials/artwork to him for the decals), or you have provided the info but John has not produced the decals yet?

[sizemore]

Thanks Pete. Helveticrr was a private business that many Railwire folks used for custom decals, the owner was named Roland.

The S.

[peteski]

Thanks Pete. Helveticrr was a private business that many Railwire folks used for custom decals, the owner was named Roland.

The S.

What a funny coincidence.
Do you know what printing technology Helveticarr used to print the decals? I searched the forum and found that Roland was using Alps MD-5000.

I also seen https://www.pdc.ca/rr/custom_decals/ mentioned on the forum. They can print white, but not sure about metallic colors.

[nkalanaga]

Highball will also do custom decals, but the artwork must be in vector format.  All I've ordered was white, but both sheets came back fine.

[peteski]

Highball will also do custom decals, but the artwork must be in vector format.  All I've ordered was white, but both sheets came back fine.

Highball used to use Alps printer, but they have since moved to another type pf printer which I don't think can print metallic inks. Only standard colors and white.

[sd45elect2000]

Is that because you have not yet hired him (provided reference materials/artwork to him for the decals), or you have provided the info but John has not produced the decals yet?

I think he's just quite busy, he does seem to be popular. it is interesting that the project I lined up is one that is dear to his heart, in fact unlike me, he remembers the electric railways around Milwaukee. I also sent him the model the decals will eventually be used for.

[peteski]

I think he's just quite busy, he does seem to be popular. it is interesting that the project I lined up is one that is dear to his heart, in fact unlike me, he remembers the electric railways around Milwaukee. I also sent him the model the decals will eventually be used for.

Thanks Randy! That is good to know.   Yes, when I design decals I like to have the model they will be applied to.  That way I can scan the model on my flatbed scanner, then import that scan into Corel Draw.  That way I can lock the scan in a lower layer ,and draw/size the artwork directly over that model scan.  This assures that the decals will  be correctly sized.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Have you looked at Circus City? I have some of their decals he did for the BN business cars, which use a gold leaf lettering, so gold metallic decal print

[nkalanaga]

The first time I contacted Highball, he said that they still had the old printer, and could print metallic, but since all I wanted was white, I didn't ask any further.