Decal Question

What does everyone use to make decals look 'painted on' and to fully seal them? I have recently purchased Microset and Microsol, and those are amazing but I was wondering if there was any other tips/tricks that people use or if there was a final sealer one uses to ensure the decals stay put/and look painted on? Thanks!

Microsoft and Microsol work well in getting decals to adhere and conform, in addition:

General theory is to trim the individual decal to the design (eliminating the spare carrier film), apply to a gloss surface and seal with whatever clear finish you are using for the model. It's safest to test both the pre decal gloss coat and the final seal with a spare decal . . . almost everyone suffers a bad reaction at some time.

Ensure that the gloss coat is dry before applying the decal and that the decal is dry before the final seal.

Painted insignia etc on real vehicles, sets and studio models were often chipped, weathered or multi shaded and if if your subject has such features then reflecting them on your model by treating/attacking the decal will help integrate the decal with the surrounding surface.

I tend to use Vallejo acrylic varnishes now applied by airbrush, but previously used spray cans without problems. Others may be braver than me but I try to stick to one manufacturer's products to avoid compatibility problems.

Masking and stencils are options in some cases.

If possible I like to apply decals without a gloss coat to cut down on the number of layers of stuff I'm spraying on the model. All you need to avoid decal silvering is a smooth surface, so I polish the basecoat (assuming it's flat paint) with micromesh. Then I use Microset to lay the decal on after trimming all clear film away. Microsol works great for getting the decal to really conform to the surface, and the Mr. Mark Softer stuff from Mr. Hobby is stronger if the Microsol doesn't do it, but test it first because it can eat some decals.

I then fade the decal slightly with misted over-sprays of thinned basecoat. I add Floquil Airbrush Medium to acrylic paint along with extra thinner so the glaze still has enough acrylic base to go on smoothly, but there's not a lot of pigment in it. This process knocks down the high contrast of the decal which is usually a giveaway at smaller scales. Further weathering, as mentioned in the previous post, such as chipping and sanding really help make the decal look like it's been painted on. I then seal everything with a matte or semi gloss varnish when the decals look right.

Here are a couple shots of my 1/72nd scale Fine Molds X-Wing showing the results of doing the decals this way. I've seen several comments about the decals in this kit saying they're too thick to use effectively, but I think they came out well and look painted on.

VFX Freak, your photos show great results from your techniques. I share your dislike for too many coats and have in the past limited glossing to decal areas, but oh, so much smarter just to polish those areas, thanks for the insight.

Thanks everyone for the input. VFX Freak, those decals on your X-wing look fantastic, most impressive. I am definitely going to write down those steps and try it out myself.

jusdrewit said:

Thanks everyone for the input. VFX Freak, those decals on your X-wing look fantastic, most impressive. I am definitely going to write down those steps and try it out myself.

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Thanks for the kind words and good luck!