Making your own decals is a great way to customize your layout, from structures, rolling stock, locomotives and  much much more.  Yes there are thousands of great decals commercially available but you will run into scenarios when you will need something custom.  I will show you that it isn’t a difficult process to complete and I guarantee you can find many locations on your layout that could use a sign.

What You Will Need

1. Inkjet printer
2. Clear or White printable water slide decal paper
3. Decal bonder
4. Decal setting solution
5. Gloss cote and Dull cote

Creating & Printing

To begin you need to create what you want for you model on your computer using any photo or graphic software that you are comfortable using or have access to.  You will want to fill an entire 8 1/2 x 11″ page so as not to waste the decal paper.  One thing I do is have at least two of each image, so if something happens to your first decal you have a back up if needed, this has saved me multiple times.  I will also make multiple sizes of the same image as well for other applications.  If you need some signs I would suggest going to the Free Downloads category and download many excellent  signs created for your use.

Once you have your page filled up and everything looks good then you print your decals.  Most blank decal paper is designed for use in an inkjet printer, I have seen some that will work in an laser printer or copy machine, but it is usually sold in bulk.  The paper I use is produced by Vitacal and my local hobby store sells it by the sheet for about $3, because of the cost that is a reason you want to make sure you fill the entire sheet when laying out the signs.  The paper is sold in a clear or a white, now many people don’t realize that most printers cant print white so you need to think about the signs you chose.  If you use clear you are limited to what colors the ink (black, cyan, magenta & yellow) can create with and so you cant print lighter colors.  On white paper you can have any color, but you will need to cut flush to the edge of the sign or image.  About the only thing you cant create is white text by its self unless you have a Alps printer and those are very difficult to find because they are not produced any more.  After you have printed the items DO NOT TOUCH them, cause the ink will smear.

Preparation & Setting

Now you have the items printed, we need to seal them to the page, if don’t do this all the items you printed will wash away as soon as they hit the water.  I use a decal bonder spray made by Testors and I give the page a good first coat, then after about 20 minutes I lay down a second coat, and let it cure for 24 hours, the first time I did this I only put down one coat and the ink ran a little when it hit the water.  Decals bond better to a glossy surface so I will spray some Gloss Cote on the surface that the decal will be going and let that dry.

Now we can finally slide on our decals, cut out your decals with an x-acto knife or decal scissors, try to keep close to the image you printed so there is less of a chance the film will be visible afterwards.  Place your decal into some warm water for only 30 seconds, pull out with blunt tweezers so you don’t damage the decal, then place approximately  where you want the decal and slide the film onto the model, you should be able to  slide the decal gently to the final resting place.  Once you are happy with the placement of the decal apply some decal setting solution to the entire surface, don’t touch the decal once it is on cause this can eat through the decal bonder and make the ink run.  If you have air bubbles go ahead and pop them with your knife.  To get the decals to rest fully into uneven such as the mortar lines in brick, you may need to do multiple coats after the first has dried.  When you are happy with the results then you can weather it if necessary and then seal your work in with Dull Cote to match the rest of the model.