Help Needed Working with LaserJet Waterslide Transfer Decals

[David Dunlop]

This is new territory for me and a long time has passed since I last worked with commercial model decals.

From what I have read, any Inkjet printed waterslide decals needs to be sealed before use, rf the ink will bleed. This does not appear to be the case with laser printed decals where toners are used, but some comments suggest sealing them anyway. What is the general experience with this?

Unlike the wartime decals I am replacing, where the inks/paints were built up on the surface of the clear film, I have to lay down pads of white reflective paint and the luminous over-paint on the surface of the item, and then lay the decal over top of this thin pad. There are a number of products for decal work you can apply over the decal to snug it down over the surface it has been applied to, but do they all work with laser printed waterslide decals, or should some be avoided?

Also, do these coatings serve to protect the decal from damage, or is a second coat of some form of protection recommended? With the wartime decals on wireless equipment, it was the coat of varnish applied to the front panels after the application of the decals that provided this protection.

Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.


David