I put this first in the other place as this forum does not have a generalised hints and tips section...0
Please note that this is a description of how I successfully made waterslide transfers (decals); it works for me despite its obvious limitations but it is NO WAY intended to be de-fact standard way of doing it!
This is the result of quite a bit of trial and error...
I use Paintshop Pro to make the nameplates; I'm sure it can be done in other bitmap editor packages, and Microsoft Publisher to print the nameplates onto waterslide transfer paper.
I start with a template file for the nameplate, which is an image file with a palette of 256 colours and it is 550 pixels wide by 174 pixels high. The actual height of the nameplate is 87 pixels; there is a white margin at the bottom; the reason for which I'll explain later.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal1.jpg&hash=5ddf09be152cafafb951b553bc5677292b6bf840)
Firstly, I make a copy of this template and work on the copy.
I zoom in by 3 or 4 times to make it easier to move objects around and create a new layer.
I select the text tool and choose Gill Sans MT 48pt bold; choose a colour and type the name.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal2.jpg&hash=4fd0c7e734eae78d95778b2a76851dad0d1763ed)
I then copy this object and paste two copies of it as two new layers. This gives me three objects that each contain identical copies of the name. Being each in its own layer means I can do things with one without affecting the others. Selecting one at a time I change the colour of the text. I now have three copies of the name in different colours.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal3.jpg&hash=7d07794298eb153a5de2eb0ab635415081e761a1)
These are moved over the background of the nameplate to provide the effect required. I offset the objects by two pixels horizontally and vertically. Note the background has some black lines that help with this alignment process. The stacking order of these layers can be changed to get the right effect, too.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal4.jpg&hash=df60f814b218753eca1c1eb05a837d42e3b67661)
When I'm happy with this, I flatten the image, which removes the layers; I then move the right-hand end of the image in to balance the left-hand end, remove the black lines and chop off the image to the correct width. It is then saved as a bitmap image.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal5.jpg&hash=da94a13c158eb03fca7169f51e65ce5b2b61c3a7)
I then start up Publisher and import the image into a page of nameplates. I have found the there is a limit to how small you can make images that are already small in Publisher; I found that if I made the originals just a bit bigger (hence the white margin!) I can reduce them a bit more. As you can see the nameplates come out at about 2.5mm high on the sheet.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fdecal%2Fdecal6.jpg&hash=38b63ce3f880f5fec69f09c7ff5d38ae278ec0b4)
Printing the decals
I bought my waterslide paper from craftycomputerpaper.
I started off with the inkjet paper
The problem with this is that you need to fix the ink to stop it running off during soaking in water. A couple of coats of acrylic spray varnish does the job. I'm not good with aerosol spraying, so it's not a process I'm particularly happy with.
I only did a few transfers to begin with, so made sure they were all at one end of the sheet; I cut off this section square, enabling me to reuse the sheet for more transfers later. (the printer isn't bothered how long the sheet of paper is)
I also found that the transparent background paper showed the dark blue of my locos through the nameplates, so I moved over to using white background transfer paper. This, of course has its own problems in that you need to cut round the transfer very carefully to prevent any white showing! I have limited myself to rectangular shapes so far.
I also had the opportunity to use a colour laser printer on the laser printer compatible transfer sheets. Because of the way the ink (toner) is put on the paper, it is not affected by water and so there's no need to varnish the transfers before soaking.
If you are a Mac user then Serif Affinity Designer is almost as powerful a vector drawing tool as Illustrator for a fraction of the price.
It costs
I use Serif Draw plus 4 - they are now at version x6 - and the cost is below 20
Quote from: hughn on February 14, 2016, 15:20
I also found that the transparent background paper showed the dark blue of my locos through the nameplates, so I moved over to using white background transfer paper. This, of course has its own problems in that you need to cut round the transfer very carefully to prevent any white showing! I have limited myself to rectangular shapes so far.
Have you tried printing a border around the transfer in a colour that is a reasonable match to the background? If it narrow then even if it is not a perfect match it won't show up too badly as the contrast between the border and background is low. Depending on the paint used and its effect on the transfer, it might even be possible to "tickle" the edge with paint to fade it in.
Serif make both products in fact. DrawPlus is for Windows and Affinity Designer for Mac.
I also use the Crafty white laser water slide material and had a lot of success with it.
The white material does mean you have to tickle in edges or delineate them in some way but it is only way to incorporate white in the design.
I've done stuff like this in Adobe Illustrator. Used Testor's Gloss Coat to fix the colors.
Mal.