Waterslide decals |
Standard and custom artworkWaterslide decals are a very traditional, convenient, and cost effective way of adding smaller intricate details to scale models. There is a small range of pre-designed decal sheets available from my online shop, but if you have need for something more specific for your model then Flightline Graphics should be able to assist.
Prices for a standard A4 or US Letter size sheet of waterslides starts from £15.00 upwards. Custom work and special one off artwork can cost more depending on origination times for the artwork. All artwork is originated in house.
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Waterslides of ME109-F All waterslides are supplied with a 3 view of the aircraft showing the normal locations for the markings.
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Maintenance markingsWhile it is preferred to use Paint Stencils for maintenance marks it is often not possible for reasons of scale and/or fine detail. Used correctly waterslides can give very good results.
Seen opposite are markings for a 1/5.33 Messerschmitt ME109-F which are supplied with a 3 view of the aircraft indicating the general positions for the markings. Some markings are supplied in more than one colour to accommodate different colour schemes you may have used. If you are painting an unusual scheme please let me know in advance so I can review the suitability of the decals.
Waterslides can be supplied to satisfy any scale required, so if your model is screaming out for these marks I should be able to assist provided I have the information. |
Nose art and motifs.Many aircraft were decorated with avatar's which were sometimes personal to the individual pilot or squadron, fighter group, or staffel. Where scale does not permit the use of paint masks waterslide can come to the rescue enabling fine details to be reproduced.
Artwork for these items can be retrieved from my library of digital artwork or originated in house. Standard markings will not be charged origination, however custom one off work will incur appropriate charges. |
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MKI Hawker Hurricane. Here we can see the mascot used by Lt. Ian R. Gleed of 87 Squadron. The artwork was originated from reference books and original photographs.
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Hamilton Standard Propeller Logo.A new propeller was painted with gloss black Klass-Kote before applying the waterslide. Before use it was given a satin clear-coat to seal the decal to the surface.
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Propeller marksWhether it's a static propeller or a working propeller waterslides can be used to add the manufacturers marks and other stencil markings.
Waterslides used for propeller labels are supplied with the label cut out so the edge of the decal is clean with no overlapping carrier. Full size aircraft use sticky vinyl decals to add their markings so it is perfectly acceptable for them to be applied in this way.
Working propellers must be protected with a clear coat to protect the decals from the engines fuel and from becoming dislodged when the propeller is running.
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What NOT to do!Good results with waterslides comes from good preparation. If you are going to use waterslides then please be sure to note the following:-
Waterslides are made from a very thin material which has artwork printed on top using a special printer. Areas that are not covered by colour need to form a perfect seal excluding all trapped air otherwise it will show up as a slight opaque casting.
For this reason you should not apply waterslides to matt or "flat" paint finishes. Always use high gloss paints ensuring a perfect smooth finish is achieved.
Micro-SOL® and Micro-SET® solutions can be used individually or in combination where needed. You should practice with these materials before using them! |
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Matt paint and waterslides don't work!You can see here the waterslide backing film is very opaque and clearly visible. Tiny air pockets on the surface of "flat" paints causes this effect. Gloss paints have a smooth surface and do not suffer with this problem.
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PricingStandard waterslide sets are the lowest cost because the artwork has been produced once and will be used many times helping to minimise the cost of origination. Such sheets are available from my Online shop.
Simple artwork that only takes a short time to produce and is likely to be required by other modellers will also be reasonably priced.
Artwork that is totally unique and can be classed as a one off which will require many hours for origination can be difficult to price, but I will always quote a fixed price for the artwork regardless of how long it takes. If you are able to produce artwork yourself for me to use it would help reduce the total cost greatly. Artwork needs to be in vector-graphic format to be of any use. File formats, .eps, Corel .cdr, and vectorised pdf files are preferred. Please contact me for details.
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Process usedWaterslides can be produced with inkjet and laser printers but the big disadvantage with these printers is the translucency of the inks used and the inability to produce white, silver, gold and reflective metallic.
Though out of production, Alps micro-dry printers have the ability to print all of these extra colours with a very high opacity (low transparency) helping to give a very realistic reproduction of the artwork with a 1200dpi print capability.
The process is relatively straight forward. Dry resin based inks are deposited separately onto the paper so there are several passes with the printer head to produce all of the colours needed.
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