copying kit decals?

[blakebirk]

Hey all,
I just purchased an old model kit with old decals that are in tact but may not work well, is there a way to make a copy of an existing sheet of decals and have a decent quality?

thanks,

[Lloyd]

I would try indycals , he might just have it already, only better . . . . . .

[JamesB]

One that should be in our "FAQ" sections, if we had one!
No, no magical shortcut available. Reproducing straight from the old sheet, either with inkjet, laser or ALPS (the three basical levels) won't work because -a) You'll loose resolution, -b) the original is bad/in bad state

So someone has to redo the artwork, so depending on the complication it's feasible or not.

So, first and basical question: which decal set is it? there are spares availables of lots of things, but NO general rule...
Ed:

I would try indycals , he might just have it already, only better . . . . . .

yeah, that's it!

[Flemming]

Hi

Depends on the sheet. A lot of white characters for instance makes it difficult. Unless you have access to a very special (read: expensive) printer or an old Alps you are fucked.

If it is a sheet of coloured items you can scan it and print it on white decalsheet. But it won't be better than the original.

Best thing is to scan the kit decals and use the images to redraw them in say Adobe or Corel Draw - and THEN print them on clear or white decals sheet. But no matter how well you do it it will not be better than proper silk screen printed factory decals. All of this will cost a lot of money - software - pc - printer and so on where it might be much cheaper just to find another kit with a better set of decals.

Flemming

[gp-models]

Maybe you can use the decals, had the same problem sometime ago a nd i seald the decals with Tamiya clear 3 or 4 times to prefend them from cracking, worked well. Otherwise like said, the complete artwork has to be redone and printed, a lot of work depending on the decals you need, but if the artwork is done, there are several companies which offers printing.

[blakebirk]

Thanks for the replies, the kit is an old Protar 1/9 scale Yamaha yz500 grand prix bike so there is fairly complex artwork. I figured it wouldn't be easy but I'd ask anyway. the decals may be fine i'll just have to wait and see if they work when I build the kit in the future.

Thanks!

[Craggyisland]

Sometimes old decals can be surprisingly resilient. I've been building an original edition Tamiya Lotus 78 - must be nearly forty years old and the decals - although yellowed - worked perfectly.

[hquednau]

1) try a small decal from the sheet (ideally one you don't need for the build), to see if they are still OK
2) If they look OK, but have a fragile surface, consider spraying a clear overcoat before using.
3) Find someone who can make you a new set- google custom decals or similar.

[CK]

As Flemming suggested, the process is quite time consuming.

However, I would still suggest you to scan the whole decal sheet. Just in case if it does not work out, you still have all the graphics that you or someone may be able to work on later. So scan the decal in the highest resolution that you can.

[ModelTime]

Yes, scan the decals first no matter what. If you are handy with photoshop I've had pretty good results cleaning up the artwork and re-printing on white or clear film. If you get clever with color matching and willing to experiment you can do white letters on black backgrounds pretty easily, color backgrounds with some trial and error. I've even run the paper through an inkjet twice with perfect registration and great color saturation. Need to let try 24 hrs before clear coat/decal fix. Then another 24hrs before you start cutting up. Use a very sharp new blade, don't skimp on blades.

The good thing is you can do the trial and error over and over until you get it close. Touch up paint and clear coats work wonders once on the model.