Making Decals from Label Stock

[GP-9_Man11786]

I repainted a Bachmann N Scale USRA 0-6-0 last night and tried decaling it today, I've never been quite satisfied with using white decal paper to create white text on a black background. The ink always tends to crack and leave me with a million white spcecs.

Long story short, I tried making decals for this project and as usual, I had a million little white specs and the ink started flaking off during application (despite being coated with Dullcote. So I printed the decal on some Avery label stock and stuck them on. Here's the result:

Other than under very close inspection, the CFRR decal blends in nicely. What do you guys think?

[wetidlerjr]

Not bad! I might give that a try. 

[superbe]

GP-9_Man11786

 So I printed the decal on some Avery label stock and stuck them on. 

They look good to me so much so I'd like to try your idea, but I have a question.

I have Avery address decals and of course they are white. How did you print white numerals on the labels?

Thanks

Bob

[charlie9]

i used a metal straight edge and razor knife to cut narrow strips from a blank UPS label and used them to make thin white stripes for my black ICRR geeps and yard engines.

charlie

[BroadwayLion]

I tried this myself. I wanted a specific shade of gray for the background with full color logos. I printed the entire side of the car (on the smooth car) and the entire lengths above and below the windows on the older car. The decals are printed on a color laser printer: we do not have ink jet printers anymore.

Since I will only be running subway equipment on my layout, these cars will become a static display almost hidden under the layout and will represent Penn Station. The cars will be lit, there will be GG1s down there, but it will all be static.

ROAR

[GP-9_Man11786]

BroadwayLion

I tried this myself. I wanted a specific shade of gray for the background with full color logos. I printed the entire side of the car (on the smooth car) and the entire lengths above and below the windows on the older car. The decals are printed on a color laser printer: we do not have ink jet printers anymore.

Since I will only be running subway equipment on my layout, these cars will become a static display almost hidden under the layout and will represent Penn Station. The cars will be lit, there will be GG1s down there, but it will all be static.

ROAR

Those cars look awesome! You're making me homesick for New York!

[GP-9_Man11786]

superbe

GP-9_Man11786

 So I printed the decal on some Avery label stock and stuck them on. 

They look good to me so much so I'd like to try your idea, but I have a question.

I have Avery address decals and of course they are white. How did you print white numerals on the labels?

Thanks

Bob

To print white numerals, fire up Microsoft Word, make a text box and set the fill color to black and the text color to white. Your printer be it inkjet or laser, will print the background and leave the white areas black. 

[superbe]

GP-9_Man11786

To print white numerals, fire up Microsoft Word, make a text box and set the fill color to black and the text color to white. Your printer be it inkjet or laser, will print the background and leave the white areas black. 

I had trouble with Word creating a text box but was able to do it in Excel.

Thanks a whole lot as I will be using your technique quite a bit.

Bob

 

[cedarwoodron]

So, text box, then fill color set as all black, and font color white- correct? Do you do any trimming of the label? How do you size it, or do you try different font sizes and text box sizes until you get a good fit? Have you experimented with other font colors on the black backround? Cedarwoodron

[jeffrey-wimberly]

cedarwoodron

So, text box, then fill color set as all black, and font color white- correct? Do you do any trimming of the label? How do you size it, or do you try different font sizes and text box sizes until you get a good fit? Have you experimented with other font colors on the black backround? Cedarwoodron

Sounds like the same thing I do when printing mine on thin paper. I don't use label paper, rather I use something like tracing paper. The tracing paper is so thin I have to tack the corners to a sheet of regular paper so my printer doesn't tear it up. I set the background color to whatever color I need, same for the color of the letters/numbers/design. It usually works fairly well. I stick it down on the model or whatever with a very thin layer of white glue.

[GP-9_Man11786]

I should mention that only the CFRR decal on the sides of the cab were made using this technique. The tender number is a dry transfer. Label stock seems like it would only work with small decals as bigger ones would be more noticeable.

I haven't tried any other color combinations yet as last night was the first time I ever used technique.

[superbe]

GP-9_Man11786

I haven't tried any other color combinations yet as last night was the first time I ever used technique.

 

GP 9

The picture shows printing direct to the labels (1 1/3" X 4").  

 

As usual I rushed a bit and the words aren't quite level.

GP9....Thanks again for the tip.

 

Bob

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Those came out pretty good. Good match on the colors.

[superbe]

Just to let you know that there is a prototype example for the hot and cold water tanks and that the idea is not original with me here's a real life example

 

The tanks are at Marion, VA on I 81 North of Abington which is North of Bristol, VA / TN

Bob