Decal Sheet / was Dry Transfer Decals

[OhioAstromech]

Several years ago I spent 3 months designing a set of replacement decals for the AMT TOS Enterprise.
I intended to have them made into Dry Transfer Decals but at the time it would have cost me almost $1000 and I only needed one set not 100 sets.
Anyway, If any of you have the ability to make dry transfer decals and would like to give it a shot at producing these decals for a reasonable price I will be more than happy to send my files to you.
Here is what my decal set looks like:

Each image is about 171mb and are in .tiff format.

I have about 11 colors in all and each is separated into a registered image.
All files register to the image above.

 

[temponaut]

Nice work. :thumbsup

Did you ever get a single set made up for yourself and, if so, are you able to post photos of your completed model with your custom decals in place? I'd love to see it.

 

[OhioAstromech]

At $1000 to do a minimum run...No. :cry
I wish I could have.
I bought an AMT kit just for that purpose.

The main thing I am proud of about the set is that I corrected the letters on NCC-1701 to reflect the Smithsonian Enterprise.
Other than that I also included all the windows.

Sad thing is, Polar Lights made a new kit that is more detailed than the AMT even though it is smaller and it has everything on my decal set.

 

[temponaut]

<div class='quotetop'>(OhioAstromech @ Jun 25 2006, 10:33 PM) [snapback]1267760[/snapback]</div>

At $1000 to do a minimum run...No. :cry [/b]

:cry I thought maybe in the end you opted for an ALPS printer and decal sheet rather than the dry transfer process, and did a run of a single set.

So what became of that AMT kit? Still unbuilt? A few years ago I went out and bought a 22" AMT cutaway kit and all the necessary aftermarket parts to build it as a corrected, complete, lighted TOS Enterprise. But now that the MR is coming out, I may never build it. :confused

Great that you matched the Smithsonian lettering. The windows are a nice touch, too. :thumbsup

 

[OhioAstromech]

Well, to tell you the truth I ended up building it with the original decals.
It is setting now in my laundry room waiting for me to finish the Warp Engines.
Didn't know about ALPS printers.
The main reason for dry transfers was to give it the painted on look.

Oh and by the way...THIS IS MY 20th POST....
Now I just need to wait for another 85 days

 

[OhioAstromech]

Speaking of dry transfer decals though.
One of the main printers of dry transfer decals is Letraset.
They made mainly lettering for graphic artists and I thought "I wonder if they would tell me how they make thier dry transfers." (Company secrets and all)
I e-mailed them with my inquiry and got a reply.

The transfers are made by silk screen printing onto medium density polyethylene sheets 5 thousands of an inch thick. The inks used are formulated in house and are nitrocellulose based. The adhesive is coated all over after printing the indicia. It is formulated in house and is based on two synthetic rubber compounds dispersed in solvent.

I wonder if they would have told me more if I would have asked? :angel

 

[superjedi]

<div class='quotetop'>(OhioAstromech @ Jun 25 2006, 08:22 AM) [snapback]1267818[/snapback]</div>

Speaking of dry transfer decals though.
One of the main printers of dry transfer decals is Letraset.
The made mainly lettering for graphic artists and I thought "I wonder if they would tell me how they make thier dry transfers." (Company secrets and all)
I e-mailed them with my inquiry and got a reply.

The transfers are made by silk screen printing onto medium density polyethylene sheets 5 thousands of an inch thick. The inks used are formulated in house and are nitrocellulose based. The adhesive is coated all over after printing the indicia. It is formulated in house and is based on two synthetic rubber compounds dispersed in solvent.

I wonder if they would have told me more if I would have asked? :angel
[/b]

"I ship out tomorrow. We're bombing the fuel depot at Daiquiri at 0900. . . we're coming in from the north, below their radar."

"When will you be back?"

"I can't tell you that. It's classified."

:lol

Sorry. I saw Airplane. the other night, and your description just reminded me of that scene.

 

[temponaut]

<div class='quotetop'>(superjedi @ Jul 1 2006, 11:32 AM) [snapback]1271895[/snapback]</div>

I saw Airplane. the other night, and your description just reminded me of that scene.[/b]

:lol :thumbsup

 

[cobywan]

It's the fact that there are 11 colors that kills any hope for a reasonable cost for these. It's quite the challenge.

 

[OhioAstromech]

Yes, the number of colors is the problem because I have many of the windows a different shade of grey.
There is about 4 different shades all together.
Even if I cut it down to one the cost would have beed prohibative.

BIG DREAM DASHED ON THE JAGGED ROCKS OF REALITY.

 

[temponaut]

<div class='quotetop'>(OhioAstromech @ Jul 1 2006, 09:04 PM) [snapback]1272026[/snapback]</div>

BIG DREAM DASHED ON THE JAGGED ROCKS OF REALITY.[/b]

But it's great that you dream big.

Four different shades of grey for the windows. That's a very cool decal set. :thumbsup

 

[stonky]

Wow, I don't know where you got your quote, but $1000 seems incredibly high to me. I've had several custom dry transfer sheets made over the years and they cost well under $100 for each color. It was a while ago, but I think the company was called chromatec...

Check out this link:

http://www.allout-graphics.com/

You could even buy a kit that allows you to make them yourself using a UV light for far less sthan what you were quoted.

 

[cobywan]

<div class='quotetop'>(stonky @ Jul 1 2006, 01:56 PM) [snapback]1272051[/snapback]</div>

Wow, I don't know where you got your quote, but $1000 seems incredibly high to me. I've had several custom dry transfer sheets made over the years and they cost well under $100 for each color. It was a while ago, but I think the company was called chromatec...

Check out this link:

http://www.allout-graphics.com/

You could even buy a kit that allows you to make them yourself using a UV light for far less sthan what you were quoted.
[/b]

I need more info on that kit. We pay an arm-and-a-leg for our custom transfers too.

 

[OhioAstromech]

Is this the same type of system?
OptiColor

I thought about this technique but I was going for a silk screened Dry Transfer.

 

[OhioAstromech]

Here is a low rez image of the decal sheet in color.

Enjoy

If anyone wants to make this decal set I would gladly give them a copy of all the files.
All I ask is that they pay for shipping, I get recognition, and I get a set for free.
It would be cool if they were dry transfer but if they were water slide that would be fine.
The real images are all tiff files with no artifacts.

 

[stonky]

I've been searching for any information on the do-it-yourself chromatec kit that I use to have (13 years ago) but I can't seem to find anything. I found a lot of pricing though, all of it for less than the prices mentioned above, for example:

http://www.ambientgraphics.net/color_trans..._order_form.pdf

If you want to go the water slide decal route, you could always buy the special printer-safe decal paper with either clear or white film and do it yourself.

 

[OhioAstromech]

My dream was to have Dry Transfers made of this set.
I have already separtated all the colors on registered sheets and the only full color sheet is the one that I posted yesterday and it isn't high enough of a resolution to do it justice.
Letraset has a custom dry transfer service that would be able to do it at a cost of around $700 a sheet.
I have tried the printer safe water slide paper on another kit I built and had nothing but trouble with it.