Vallejo metallic airbrushed colors- clear coat before decaling?

[LeesKeys]

For those of you who use the Vallejo Metallic airbrush colors, do you clear coat before applying decals? The surface is very smooth prior to a top coat.

 

[Pantherman]

For those of you who use the Vallejo Metallic airbrush colors, do you clear coat before applying decals? The surface is very smooth prior to a top coat.

I usually spray a light coat of vallejo gloss anyway before the decals. Pantherman

 

[wjbrandel]

I usually spray a light coat of vallejo gloss anyway before the decals. Pantherman

Same here, but I use mission models gloss

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Same here, but I use mission models gloss

Mission Models paints are great but….. they do scratch easily. My go-to clears are Testors.

 

[scalebuilderchad]

Decals pefrom best on a smooth, gloss finish. If the paint is gloss you can apply decals on the paint. If your paint has a matte finish, no matter how smooth, the decals will be harder to work with.

If I use a matte paint, I apply 1 coat of clear, then apply decals, and then apply more clear.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Decals pefrom best on a smooth, gloss finish. If the paint is gloss you can apply decals on the paint. If your paint has a matte finish, no matter how smooth, the decals will be harder to work with.

That's correct

If I use a matte paint, I apply 1 coat of clear, then apply decals, and then apply more clear.

When doing military subjects, (which is usually flat) I will shoot a coat of gloss clear, apply the decals, then shoot a coat of flat clear to seal it in.

If you have a gloss topcoat color, (autos/trucks, airliners, etc… there's no need for gloss clear prior to decaling. Shoot a coat of gloss clear after decaling.

 

[the Baron]

The gloss coat before applying decals is intended to provide a smooth surface, as free as possible from tiny pockets in the surface that would trap air and cause silvering. A rough surface, such as a matte coat of paint, has more of those tiny pockets. That's what gives that surface its matte look-those pockets scatter light instead of reflecting it back. That's really all that the gloss coat does, for decaling. It's not an absolute requirement-some modelers don't do it, usually because they consider the gloss coat one more layer on top of the surface detail. It really boils down to what works best for the individual modeler.

Having said that, I do apply a gloss coat, sometimes. Other times, I don't, like with my Maschinen Krieger models. And sometimes, I'll put some gloss medium just where the decal goes, especially if the decal is something like a stencil on a WWII aircraft, and I can't remove the clear film. I'm happy with the results I've gotten, in each case.