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Dry transfer lettering

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  • Member since
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  • From: west coast
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Dry transfer lettering
Posted by rrebell on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 10:24 AM

Was using u-tube and an ad popped up for a company called ALT-DTF. They call their stuff weedless decals but it is dry transfer lettering. Wonderd if it had hobby aplications as it seem quite cheap unless they need to do the artwork

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 10:28 AM

Can you post their website address?

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Southern California
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Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 1:49 PM

I find that dry transferes are good for complete images but for lettering I don't like them unless the letters or numbers are printed in the exact order which I need them because I can never get them to line up and have the proper spacing.

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
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  • From: Canada, eh?
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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 3:21 PM

I have literally hundreds of HO scale locos and rolling stock, along with structures, lettered with dry transfer lettering, the majority of it from now-long-gone  C-D-S.

Much of the artwork for mine was was done by my brother, then submitted to C-D-S...there were three or four batches, but after C-D-S folded, he also did the artwork for 50 sheets of decal lettering for me and a friend, the latter, who passed away just days before the decals arrived.

A few photos of the custom artwork done by my brother...

 

 

...and some of the lettering that was offered by C-D-S...

...and some of the custom decal work...

Wayne

 

 

  • Member since
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  • From: US
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Posted by rbturner on Thursday, March 30, 2023 11:33 AM

I struggle too with dry transfers. I have a large supply of CDS in TH&B and found that I got the best results when I applied the transfers to a scrap piece of decal film first. Then I could get the images to lay over irregularities on a car or loco using Solvaset.

Randy
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    September 2003
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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, March 30, 2023 11:53 AM

DTF = 'direct-to-film'.

The company referenced is here:

https://altdtf.com/?cmp_id=19646989375&adg_id=&kwd=&device=m

(which may be too device-specific an URL than necessary)

There are other companies 'in this space' and a quick googling of 'direct to film' will bring up URLs for them.  There is quite a bit of useful technical discussion on what these 'weedless decals' are, how to produce them, and what options are best for particular productions.

You will note the repeated comments about how 'desktop printers' can generate these...

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
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Posted by rrebell on Friday, March 31, 2023 9:10 AM

Overmod

DTF = 'direct-to-film'.

The company referenced is here:

https://altdtf.com/?cmp_id=19646989375&adg_id=&kwd=&device=m

(which may be too device-specific an URL than necessary)

There are other companies 'in this space' and a quick googling of 'direct to film' will bring up URLs for them.  There is quite a bit of useful technical discussion on what these 'weedless decals' are, how to produce them, and what options are best for particular productions.

You will note the repeated comments about how 'desktop printers' can generate these...

 

I was just surprised at how cheap these were, like it would be affordable to do whole car sides or at least sections so no spacing proublems.

  • Member since
    April 2023
  • 1 posts
Posted by bekean on Monday, April 10, 2023 10:39 PM

Overmod

DTF = 'direct-to-film'.

The company referenced is here:

https://altdtf.com/?cmp_id=19646989375&adg_id=&kwd=&device=m subway surfers

(which may be too device-specific an URL than necessary)

There are other companies 'in this space' and a quick googling of 'direct to film' will bring up URLs for them.  There is quite a bit of useful technical discussion on what these 'weedless decals' are, how to produce them, and what options are best for particular productions.

You will note the repeated comments about how 'desktop printers' can generate these...

 

Dry transfer lettering can be a quick and easy way to add professional-looking lettering and graphics to a project without the need for expensive equipment or artistic skills. However, it's important to note that the quality and durability of the transfer decals can vary depending on the brand and application method, so it's always a good idea to do a test run before using them on a project.

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