Thinking about offering up some custom Decals.

[industrialphreak]

Okay Ladys and Gentlemen...

I am wondering if any of you guys would be interested in some custom Open Sourced produced decals for customizing your rides? Recently my Girlfriend has lit a fire under my kester to get the process rolling with coloring in some of my old sketches and offering them for sale as posters, decals, and or wall hangings. You can view my website as bellow and follow it to my deviant art page for some samples of my work. I have also included a sample of my work bellow.

 

[2door]

Indust,
I think there's a market for some tank, helmet, crankcase art. I have some ideas but I haven't perfected the method of making a durable decal. I've tried sticky printer paper, the transparent kind but my inkjet printer has limitations and the images are always a little translucent. I wanted a Norton motorcycle logo. I found a great one, copied it and using Photoshop got it looking like I wanted it to look but when I printed it on the decal paper and tried to apply it to my tank it looked like crap. The decal wouldn't conform to the compound curves and you could see the black tank through the gold lettering. What's the secret? Or am I asking for proprietary information?
Tom

 

[industrialphreak]

Indust,
I think there's a market for some tank, helmet, crankcase art. I have some ideas but I haven't perfected the method of making a durable decal. I've tried sticky printer paper, the transparent kind but my inkjet printer has limitations and the images are always a little translucent. I wanted a Norton motorcycle logo. I found a great one, copied it and using Photoshop got it looking like I wanted it to look but when I printed it on the decal paper and tried to apply it to my tank it looked like crap. The decal wouldn't conform to the compound curves and you could see the black tank through the gold lettering. What's the secret? Or am I asking for proprietary information?
Tom

Actually i was planning on getting enough orders to have it professionally printed up on vinyl. i believe the minimum order i found online was at least $150 plus a $65 setup fee to print. you had to order at least 200 prints i believe. Right now i have attempted a few inkjet prints and they have preaty much sucked comming from your standard walmart,kmart,bestbuy inkjet printers and papers.

 

[bikebum1975]

2door they make decal paper you can use on your home printer available in clear and in white it comes in clear and in whit for inkjets and color laser printer you can get it form any hobby shop or from baremetalfoil.com

Indsut sounds like a cool idea you should put your idea out there with the motorcycle's too

 

[industrialphreak]

lots'n'lots of projects. i recently had a interview with a customized motorcycle shop about 10 blocks away from my home, i have some airbrushing i need to get done sometime today to show the quality of my work before they bring me on as a grunt worker their. but hey at least its a foot in the door!

 

[2door]

2door they make decal paper you can use on your home printer available in clear and in white it comes in clear and in whit for inkjets and color laser printer you can get it form any hobby shop or from baremetalfoil.com

Indsut sounds like a cool idea you should put your idea out there with the motorcycle's too

Thanks,
I've tried several brands of decal paper from Office Depot, Office Max and others but the results are always less than desirable. The decal paper I've used is too stiff to conform to curves and the colors loose opacity when applied over a dark surface. I think when the weather warms a little I'll just make a stencil from the decal paper and airbrush the image on my tank.
Tom

 

[bikebum1975]

Thanks,
I've tried several brands of decal paper from Office Depot, Office Max and others but the results are always less than desirable. The decal paper I've used is too stiff to conform to curves and the colors loose opacity when applied over a dark surface. I think when the weather warms a little I'll just make a stencil from the decal paper and airbrush the image on my tank.
Tom

2door this company makes a water slide decal film it is more used for models but could work for what you are looking for. I personally haven't used it yet but have read good reviews of it for what you want to use it for if you have access to a color laser printer being outside that would be best for it. Plus the fact it would fade as an ink jet would Hope this helps you if you do try it and it works good let me know I would really be interested in your results. But as I said it is a specialty thing not what you are used d to
Jim

Experts-Choice® Decal Film - Bare-Metal Foil Co.

 

[2door]

2door this company makes a water slide decal film it is more used for models but could work for what you are looking for. I personally haven't used it yet but have read good reviews of it for what you want to use it for if you have access to a color laser printer being outside that would be best for it. Plus the fact it would fade as an ink jet would Hope this helps you if you do try it and it works good let me know I would really be interested in your results. But as I said it is a specialty thing not what you are used d to
Jim

Experts-Choice® Decal Film - Bare-Metal Foil Co.

Bum,
Thanks a bunch. I'm going to try a local artist supply store today and see if they carry anything like Experts-Choice. If not I'm going to order a couple of sheets from your link and see how it works. Reading the info, it appears that this is exactly what I've wanted. Could have used it years ago when I was building model cars...oh, wait, they didn't have inkjet printers back then...in fact, there were no computers... and radios had tubes

 

[bikebum1975]

Bum,
Thanks a bunch. I'm going to try a local artist supply store today and see if they carry anything like Experts-Choice. If not I'm going to order a couple of sheets from your link and see how it works. Reading the info, it appears that this is exactly what I've wanted. Could have used it years ago when I was building model cars...oh, wait, they didn't have inkjet printers back then...in fact, there were no computers... and radios had tubes

2door you'd be better off trying a good hobby shop if you have one locally. Not a problem glad I could help out let me know if it works out for you as I will be restoring /modifying an old Scwinn 10 speed I will also need to make up some graphics for it. Testors also amke a software kit to design up the graphics on your computer it will scale down the graphics to what you need. Again I haven't used it yet but it is cheap enough to try you might be able to find it at Walmart or same thing the hobby center. lo
looking forward to seeing your bike when finished drop me a PM to let me know how the stuff works for ya.

 

[bikebum1975]

2door Here is a company that also sells waterslide paper for assorted printers and copiers hope it helps ya
Jim

DecalPaper.com - Decals - Waterslide decal paper or inkjet,laser printers Alps & copiers

 

[2door]

2door Here is a company that also sells waterslide paper for assorted printers and copiers hope it helps ya
Jim

DecalPaper.com - Decals - Waterslide decal paper or inkjet,laser printers Alps & copiers

Thanks again, Jim.
Too cold to go out shopping today, 7degrees, but I'll get out this week. There are several good hobby and art supply stores in my area and if all else fails I have your 2 links to try. I'll keep you posted.
Tom

 

[bikebum1975]

Hey Tom
No problem glad to be of help