Using an inkjet or laser printer, you can
transform any object with decal paper. All you need is a computer
program that can resize your image and some clear spray to seal
the image and finish off your work. All our decal papers are waterslide,
which means they slide off in water before being applied.
• Choose the right paper: 1) All inkjet printers will take
clear or white inkjet decal
paper; 2) Laser printers, most copiers
and Alps printers will take laser
decal paper. For curved surfaces there are some tip to wrap over
difficult surfaces, or flat. (We do not recommend wrapping white decal
paper over difficult surfaces. Instead, mask off the decal area and
paint white, then decal with clear paper.)
• For small jobs, it is best to cut your paper just before using
it into half or thirds, as long as your printer can print on a short
sheet. This saves deal paper. The decal paper may begin to curl and
can jam your printer, so BE SURE to uncurl your paper. A quick way
to do this is curl it in the opposite direction for about 10 seconds
just before putting into your printer.
• Open your graphics program and prepare the image however
you wish. For best results, do not resize, although you may crop.
When you print, that is when you will resize. Using a tape
or ruler, measure the exact dimensions for your decal. So use 1/8ths
or 1/16ths if possible.
• When your photo is ready, place the decal paper in your
printer, shiny side up. Clear laser paper may have a tissue overlay,
so take that off. When you press "Print" on your computer, you should
be able to print at a percentage. If you can't, then you must resize
your image to decal size now. To get the highest quality, though,
calculate the percent reduction in this way: Divide the width or
height of the decal area by the width or height of the image. (A
2-inch wide decal divided by a 6-inch wide image will be printed
at 33.3% reduction).
• Another selection on your print setting is quality. If this
is your first time, you will probably have to try it a few times.
Most decal paper can accept at least "Transparency" setting,
which is "medium" to "fine" or around 720-1,440
dpi (dots per square inch). Kustom Rides has tested all its papers
to accept "Photo"
quality, or "fine" to "superfine" or 2,880 dpi.
If you find that your ink is bleeding (color runs in inkjet printers),
there are some solutions:
a) Decrease the density or saturation of your print setting.
b) After the image is printed, VERY quickly spray just enough
clearcoat, like Krylon Crystal Clear, to seal the ink before it runs.
After the image is dry, spray some more clearcoat until the paper
has a gloss shine.
c) Turn off your printer and give it a rest. Temperature
can also affect how the ink lays down.
d) Try another sheet. Sometimes decal paper can be damaged
by the elements.
• With laser decal paper, your image is ready to use right
out of the printer. With inkjet paper, you will spray it before using
(about 1-hour to 1 day before).
We have found that almost any
clear spray will work to seal decal paper. If you plan to finish
your project with a varnish clearcoat, use that
also to spray your decal. If you are using an enamel clear
spray, that will work too, and same goes for acrylic, lacquer and urethane. Urethane is the best finishing
clearcoat of all, and we have used
it to clearcoat over acrylic, enamel, lacquer and varnish. Acrylic
does last longer than a year before cracking
indoors, so it's not a good finish. We use it only to spray the
decal after it's printed.
• Cut your decal so there is at least a half inch around
it. Then in a garage or ventillated area, hold it with pliers or
something and spray it once or twice so the decal has a wet shine.
Let dry and use within 24 hours preferably.
• If you will be wrapping your decal over difficult surfaces,
see below. Get a bowl of water out for dipping your decals. It can
be slightly cold to slightly warm. Cut decal first to its edges.
Have your surface ready and place the decal into the water. Don't
worry about it curling up at first. In 15-60 seconds, the decal will
be ready to take out. Remove it if you see any edges coming up.
• Align your decal over the object and carefully slide it
off. The easiest way is to slide the paper from underneath the decal.
If it is a large decal, have someone help you to smooth it out as
you pull the paper.
• Air may get under your decals, and this needs to be fixed, especially
with clear decal paper. Do your best to press every air bubble from
under the paper. For any that are left, you can poke a hole in them
with a pin and press out the air.
• If you have used white decal paper, you may wish to paint
in the edges before finishing up. If you have an airbrush, you can
use this to blend in a decal to its surroundings.
• The last part of any decaling job, whether using inkjet
or laser, is to cover the project with a clearcoat. This gives it
a nice shine and also protects the image. There are three methods
of clearcoating, but the most common one is with a spray can. It
is also the easiest. The other two are airbrushing and hand brushing.
First & Last Coats
• The is the last part of your project, so you want to be
careful. This is best done in the garage when it is not windy and
the temperature is between 65° F. and 110° F (18° to
43° C.) It is
best to start off with a light coat of clear. You want to avoid creating
drips. If you spray too much and get a "wave" or bead of
clear, it is possible to
recover: Spray some more clear on the area until it smoothes out
(you will have to move your object around until the clear hardens,
otherwise you may get a sag).
• Let dry between coats. You will be the judge of what is
enough. When spraying, if any dust or particle gets on the surface,
stop and use a toothpick to lift it out, then resume spraying.
