Decals

[Rob]

I've built some when I was a kid and a little more as an adult now I'm retired and joined this group here. I am enjoying the heck out of your guys's pictures and how you build so small and intricate. So my question is do you guys cut around the decal so it's just the word or color? Should I have cut out that little tiny clear Edge?

 

[Pantherman]

I've built some when I was a kid and a little more as an adult now I'm retired and joined this group here. I am enjoying the heck out of your guys's pictures and how you build so small and intricate. So my question is do you guys cut around the decal so it's just the word or color? Should I have cut out that little tiny clear Edge?

View attachment 117186

I use micro sol and set for decals and that usually helps to hide the edges. Really depends on the thickness of the decal. If it feels thick then probably best to cut as close as you can. Pantherman

 

[the Baron]

Second that. Like Pantherman, I'll cut as much of the clear carrier film away as I can. It's to reduce silvering as much as possible. You get air trapped under the film, in the tiny pits and pockets in the surface. That's why many modelers apply a gloss coat before decaling, to fill those little pits as much as possible. And as Pantherman mentions, setting solutions can help even more.

With stencils like the ones in your picture, I have even put a drop of a clear acrylic gloss where the stencil goes, to help eliminate silvering.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Looks like you applied the decal on flat coat. You’re better off applying gloss coat prior to decal sessions.

I don’t cut the edges on small/tiny decals. As someone mentioned, micro set and micro sol should help it. Make sure you spray another coat of clear coat - flat coat for military subjects - to seal in the decals.

Obviously, you haven’t done a decal session on an F-4 Phantom. Pure hell doing stencils on a Phantom. Ask me or anyone who knows. LOL….