Making Decals for LEGO Train MOCs

[Tearloch33]

I am working on a complex modification to the BNSF GP-38. I'm adding PF (including putting the battery box and IR receiver in the actual body), as well as altering the roof, cab, back of body, and hood to be more realistic, and adding in steps on the front and back. Anyway, I have multiple needs to create decals for this project (covering battery box and IR reciever, adding pin stripes in a few locations). I have water slide decal paper, and have found several sites that list RGB colors that "match" the LEGO colors. Most of the sites use different RGB codes, and they match OK (atleast the yellow), but the orange and dark greens are off a bit. I was thinking about using my scanner on some tiles of the colors I need and using those as my color source.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Anyone know of a place to get adhesive sticker sheets that I can print on instead of water slides? Do you have a preference?

[JopieK]

In the moment we are a bit busy but we make stickers for LEGO (white and gold on transparent is also possible). Last week windroosje and I got married, new house etc. so summer vacation will come soon I hope...

[asleepatheswitch]

I have had success using label paper from Staples or Office Supply, there is probably a similar office supply store in Europe, I adjust the color based on how what printer I use. With patience, you can get quite close. I then run the stickers through a Zyron cold laminator and cut them out. Then I coat the edge with the closest color magic marker, peel the backer off and stick them on. They wear much better than water slide decals. If you don't have a cold laminator cover them with clear scotch tape. Good Luck!

[Duq]

Tried Amazon?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkjet-Creative-Stickers-Glossy-Sheets/dp/B001VSQUZ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305749304&sr=8-2

[Piranha]

Sounds great Although I have no experience or advice to offer, I can't wait to see the results

[legoboy3998]

I picked up some (somewhat glossy) sticker paper from a local hobby shop and use Microsoft Word to makeup my decals. You can see some examples on My Flickr. When I have a chance, I need to make new ones as I just rebuilt my three locos.

Hope that helps.

Sal

WFB, WI

[greg3]

Hi

I use printable stickers sheets from here and can highly recommend them...

Crafty Computer Paper

They also do lots of other printable products... printable water slide papers, dry rub transfers and fabrics (useful for sails/capes etc?)

[AussieJimbo]

Thanks for the link, greg3.

Heaps of interesting stuff there.

I've got some transparent sticky labels from Office Works to play with. It's a shame I can't do white printing.

As I understand it, commercial printers have a stirred titanium dioxide tank to deliver white ink (I think sparkly ink is delivered in the same way) and this isn't really practical for a domestic printer. Hopefully there is some new white inkjet ink technology in the pipeline that could give us white/specialty ink printing at home.

:classic:

Edited May 19, 2011 by AussieJimbo

[Tearloch33]

OK, so I finally got around to taking some pictures of my BNSF MOD. It is still incomplete, but I should have the final parts from BL later this week. Here is one pic showing the general arrangement of the PF set up.

I began working on the decals last night, and I am having a hard time matching the dark green and the orange colors. I have found various RGB codes on the internet, and none seem to be working out well. I have the yellow matched perfectly, so that is not the issue. I even scanned tiles of dark green and orange to try to match those colors, but even that method does not come out right. I may try to scan the LEGO provided dark green sticker for the hood of the BNSF train to see if that yeilds better results.

If any has successfully matched the dark green and orange LEGO colors on an inkjet printer, could you please provide the RGB code used.

[kyphur]

OK, so I finally got around to taking some pictures of my BNSF MOD.

Looks good, just one question:

Why not move the IR Receiver back 2 studs to fully enclose it in the 4-wide bulge?

[Tearloch]

Looks good, just one question:

Why not move the IR Receiver back 2 studs to fully enclose it in the 4-wide bulge?

The bulge is only on one side, and its not a full stud "bulge". The train is 4.5 studs wide there (uses 1x2 plate with 1 stud jumpers to move it out slightly).

[Beej]

If any has successfully matched the dark green and orange LEGO colors on an inkjet printer, could you please provide the RGB code used.

It's not so much the right RGB code you need, but the right RGB for your specific printer. You'll need to tweak the colour yourself to get the desired results - if the colour is too light, then you need to bring the values down. If it is too blue, then you need to reduce the blue, etc.

Nice mods to the BNSF so far.

[AussieJimbo]

I even scanned tiles of dark green and orange to try to match those colors, but even that method does not come out right.

Perhaps you could try scanning the printouts you made of the scanned tiles and check the RGB values.

This will give you a measurement of the colour error your printer is producing. Modify the reference RGB value accordingly and print again.

The colour error will likely be different depending on the colour you are printing so you would probably need to repeat the process for the green and orange tiles.

:classic:

Edited June 3, 2011 by AussieJimbo

[Tearloch]

Perhaps you could try scanning the printouts you made of the scanned tiles and check the RGB values.

This will give you a measurement of the colour error your printer is producing. Modify the reference RGB value accordingly and print again.

The colour error will likely be different depending on the colour you are printing so you would probably need to repeat the process for the green and orange tiles.

:classic:

That is an interesting suggestion. I will try that out. I will let you know if I have any success.

[mostlytechnic]

Ah, the joys of color management - every printer, scanner, camera, monitor handle color a little differently. Unless you wanna go full-on color managed workflow (requiring hundreds of $$$ of calibration equipment), I'd recommend trying the low-tech method, since you just have a couple colors to match.

Make a grid of various green blocks, all different shades, and print that. See which is closest, and then make a new grid of similar shades. Repeat until you're happy with the match.

One caution - you have to do all your test prints on the same paper you'll print the final one on! Otherwise the colors will change again when you use new paper. This is ESPECIALLY true if you're making a major change (like if you were printing your tests on cheap copy paper, and then using glossy sticker sheets for the final. No way those would match...)

[Tearloch33]

Ah, the joys of color management - every printer, scanner, camera, monitor handle color a little differently. Unless you wanna go full-on color managed workflow (requiring hundreds of $$$ of calibration equipment), I'd recommend trying the low-tech method, since you just have a couple colors to match.

Make a grid of various green blocks, all different shades, and print that. See which is closest, and then make a new grid of similar shades. Repeat until you're happy with the match.

One caution - you have to do all your test prints on the same paper you'll print the final one on! Otherwise the colors will change again when you use new paper. This is ESPECIALLY true if you're making a major change (like if you were printing your tests on cheap copy paper, and then using glossy sticker sheets for the final. No way those would match...)

Thanks for the tips. I did try out the grid method, and also have learn the type of paper lesson. I am going to try the method Aussie suggested to account for my printer/scanner characteristics, then will go back to the grid once I figure out the offset. Unfortunately, I only had 5 sheets of my decal paper, and 1 was already wasted on a previous attempt.

[Tearloch]

OK, so it is 6 months later, and I still have not found the will power or the time to complete this project. I hope to spend some time over the holidays trying to finish this up. But I wanted to check on thoughts on paper.

Right now, I have white and clear water slide decal paper. I plan to use the white in most cases since I am making "full cover" decals. I see that some use adhesive photo paper to make decals.

What are the pros and cons of using each type?

Has anyone found a better product to use? Something that is more plastic based (as opposed to paper based) that would be more like the factory LEGO stickers? I know JopieK has a store that does this, but I was looking for an "at home" solution.

I am looking at trying out a vinyl product here....anyone have any experience with this type of product?

Edited December 15, 2011 by Tearloch

[SavaTheAggie]

You know... building 8the wide would solve most of your problems.

I use photo sticker paper and an inkjet printer. I've got the colors to match pretty good, and the glue isn't permanent enough so that if I do a redesign or the sticker is damaged, replacing it is a non issue.

I find waterside to be far too delicate for trains. Static models are one thing, but trains move and fall off tables. Transporting them to shows also adds wear.

--Tony

[Tearloch]

You know... building 8the wide would solve most of your problems.

I use photo sticker paper and an inkjet printer. I've got the colors to match pretty good, and the glue isn't permanent enough so that if I do a redesign or the sticker is damaged, replacing it is a non issue.

I find waterside to be far too delicate for trains. Static models are one thing, but trains move and fall off tables. Transporting them to shows also adds wear.

--Tony

Tony:

Thanks. I have resisted going to 7 wide or 8 wide (for some reason). I haven't tried to use my waterslide decals yet, but remembering experiences from model cars/planes as a kid, I was wondering how long they would last. I did just order some vinyl adhesive paper for injets (from that link above). I think they will be a lot more durable. I hope I get them quickly, as I have the next 2 weeks off from work. The only issue I have with the vinyls is that it is only in white, which is fine for most uses (like the ones I need for the BNSF mod, but for my OTM Tracker MOC, I will have to use the clear water slides for the corporate logos (or do some very fancy X-acto work to cut around letters and logos....

[kyphur]

The only issue I have with the vinyls is that it is only in white, which is fine for most uses (like the ones I need for the BNSF mod, but for my OTM Tracker MOC, I will have to use the clear water slides for the corporate logos (or do some very fancy X-acto work to cut around letters and logos....

Actually, look into vinyl cutters, first you print your image them feed the image into the cutter's software and it will make the cuts for you!

[frogstudio]

Tony:

Thanks. I have resisted going to 7 wide or 8 wide (for some reason). I haven't tried to use my waterslide decals yet, but remembering experiences from model cars/planes as a kid, I was wondering how long they would last. I did just order some vinyl adhesive paper for injets (from that link above). I think they will be a lot more durable. I hope I get them quickly, as I have the next 2 weeks off from work. The only issue I have with the vinyls is that it is only in white, which is fine for most uses (like the ones I need for the BNSF mod, but for my OTM Tracker MOC, I will have to use the clear water slides for the corporate logos (or do some very fancy X-acto work to cut around letters and logos....

Hi,

I've used Papilo's white vinyl in tthe past, and let me warn you, its quite thick!!! Besides, if your inkjet printer doesn't use water resistant dyes, then it doesn't make much sense printing on vynil, since you won't be getting the advantage of it being water resistant (you'd be better off using common adhesive paper). For my decals, I draw them first in Illustrator and the take them to have them printed on white or clear vynil (you can even use metallic and white ink)to a print house near my home. If I can get that done correctly here in Argentina, my guess is you shouldn't have a problem having it done in the states (and if you can't have it done there, and are willing to pay the costs, I've got no problem in getting it printed for you, just send me a PM). The good thing about this methos is that the vynil used is really thin and that the inks used are solvent based, so they are water resistant. Basically they look pretty much the same as TLCs own stickers. You can check how they look in this MOC I posted a few months ago. MOC - PF Shunter . Cheers from down south!!!

[JopieK]

OK, so it is 6 months later, and I still have not found the will power or the time to complete this project. I hope to spend some time over the holidays trying to finish this up. But I wanted to check on thoughts on paper.

Right now, I have white and clear water slide decal paper. I plan to use the white in most cases since I am making "full cover" decals. I see that some use adhesive photo paper to make decals.

What are the pros and cons of using each type?

Has anyone found a better product to use? Something that is more plastic based (as opposed to paper based) that would be more like the factory LEGO stickers? I know JopieK has a store that does this, but I was looking for an "at home" solution.

I am looking at trying out a vinyl product here....anyone have any experience with this type of product?

Well, the largest problem is indeed to print on vinyl or polyester (transparent). You need to have very professional equipment to do so. We did that, buying up an older printing press. We use due sublimation techniques. They work reasonably well, but we still face challenges like mixing inks. E.g. the Maersk reproductions look nice, but the color isn't 100%. Of course we could invest in new equipment and we probably eventually will, but still, for printing white / silver / gold there aren't a lot of options. We did quite some research before starting ministickers.nl and this seemed to be the best option.

[Tearloch]

Hi,

I've used Papilo's white vinyl in tthe past, and let me warn you, its quite thick!!! Besides, if your inkjet printer doesn't use water resistant dyes, then it doesn't make much sense printing on vynil, since you won't be getting the advantage of it being water resistant (you'd be better off using common adhesive paper). For my decals, I draw them first in Illustrator and the take them to have them printed on white or clear vynil (you can even use metallic and white ink)to a print house near my home. If I can get that done correctly here in Argentina, my guess is you shouldn't have a problem having it done in the states (and if you can't have it done there, and are willing to pay the costs, I've got no problem in getting it printed for you, just send me a PM). The good thing about this methos is that the vynil used is really thin and that the inks used are solvent based, so they are water resistant. Basically they look pretty much the same as TLCs own stickers. You can check how they look in this MOC I posted a few months ago. MOC - PF Shunter . Cheers from down south!!!

Thanks. Papilo advertises that their vinyl is 3 mil (thickness), while other manufacturers I found were 4 mil or thicker. Judging off teh 3 mil plastic I have at home, I think it should work. Maybe they have upgraded the product? But we will see hopefully next week. And thanks for the heads up on the ink. It says the product works with pigment, solvent, or dye based inks, so I think my fancy HP will work. I hope that the UV protectant spray that goes with it will make it sufficient for use on an indoor LEGO train.

Your shunter looks great, and its nice to see someone else taking the same route to cover up the battery box. I also worried about offending the purists by use of decals...

Edited December 16, 2011 by Tearloch

[Shupp]

You know... building 8the wide would solve most of your problems.

I use photo sticker paper and an inkjet printer. I've got the colors to match pretty good, and the glue isn't permanent enough so that if I do a redesign or the sticker is damaged, replacing it is a non issue.

I find waterside to be far too delicate for trains. Static models are one thing, but trains move and fall off tables. Transporting them to shows also adds wear.

--Tony

I agree with Tony and others here. I don't bother with anything fancier than label paper and a printer. I don't have a very good printer myself, so I go to my local shop and run off my stuff there. I start with the CMYK values given on the peeron color chart for background colors and, sometimes with a little trial and error, get the color close enough for my tastes. Every printer will be a little different, so you just have to be patient. I design the stickers in Photoshop, making sure to keep the image dpi pretty high. For logos and graphics and tend to steal them from the internet when I can find a high-res enough version, and for lettering and shapes I design them myself. I prefer basic stickers because they go on very easily, and can be replaced just as easily. I've recently got into using contact paper for really thin stripes as well, but haven't tried any printing with it.

If you're building relatively large, you can also get away with o scale model train decals sometimes. At least I've heard of and seen others do it to pretty good effect.

[Tearloch]

OK, update time.....

I got the Papilo white vinyl sticker sheets. It did seem a bit thick at first, but that was mostly the paper backing. Once I peeled off the sticker, it is about the same (possibly slightly thinner) as regular (paper) sticker sheets.

The stuff is pretty cool...it is flexible if you need to bend a corner. It doesn't tear. It takes inkjet ink very well. I am impressed with it. I have my decals for the BNSF MOD getting coated with the clear coating right now...I hope to have it done tomorrow.....matching the colors is a whole other story.