Decals or stickers?

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jkviper

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I am getting ready to paint the first of a few Clear Quarterscale bodies. I plan on using Microsoft Powerpoint to create my lettering and logos.

Since I want to mount them on the inside of the body I will print a mirror image of them on either clear sticker or decal sheets. My question is, what would you recommend, stickers or decals. Also, would I need to coat the back of them with white paint if I am going to spray a medium blue color onto the body?

Thanks for your replies.
 
atom3624 said:
Decals is American for Stickers, as far as I've always known, as a Brit!

I prefer to get somebody to custom paint the body, and have NO stickers if possible.

Al.
Click to expand...

At least this is my definition:

Decal is a very thin and is soaked in water to release the backing glue and then applied. These would come in most small Car Models.

Sticker would be thicker clear plastic with some type of non permanent glue attached.
 
To be honest, I've no idea of finer defining than that.
We've had transfers, where the print is very fine, and released by soaking in water, then placed onto a plastic model, for example.
Decals, stickers personally - and I'm no specialist on this subject, just an opinion assumed over time - appear the same +/-.

To get the best out of a largescale body, I think it's best to get it painted professionally. It does sound 'snobbish' but if correctly applied and protected - Shoo Goo and tape - it's permanent.

I've read on several occasions people trying to hunt down stickers/decals for particular bodyshells, to no avail.

When you think how much one of these bodyshells costs - $100-200 unpainted + paint ($15-25) + decals ($30-80) you could be looking at a total of $250-300 !!!
A good 'decal replacement' paint job by Trenton, for example in USA, may cost you $100-150 which is +/- same as the paint + decals price.
Difference?
Decals are on the outside and WILL get damaged.
Paint - if with a transparent lexan bodyshell - is invariably on the inside and if correctly applied and protected will last as long as the bodyshell.
Al.
 
stickers

I use
'PAPILIO" google them and it will com up. I use the waterproof ink jet vinyl. They are very durable. Just use the decal part without the waterproof over laminate.
 
decals & stickers are different i thought?

i looked into this alot when i did my shell not long ago. Stickers are usually printed on a white paper background & are not mirrored so you cant stick them on the inside of a clear shell then paint/spray over them)

Decals are as explained above.. used on small models mostly & dipped in water then slide off etc.

Vinyl decals are usually printed on a clear surface & can be peeled off then stuck on the inside of a shell then painted/sprayed over (providing you get the mirrored type) so the image will still show from the outside, unlike stickers.

hope this helps :)
 
I think it probably depends what you want the end result to be, if this is for racing and you're going to be trading paint with other cars and perhaps barriers then it probably doesn't matter if you only use decals.

If you print them on clear reversed out so you can stick them on the inside they'll still show up but at speed on a track no one will notice. You'll be left with that sort of halo effect around the logo's where the clear is and it will affect the colour behind it, only slightly though.

If you go to a sign shop and ask them to make you up vinyls then it will be individual letters you stick on from the inside, if they cut you black vinyl in reverse it will still be black when you put it on.

However if you want a better finish as it's more for show I would go for the paint root, the painter can match colours for you and it will give a better job. Also at quater scale there should be nothing too small to paint.
 
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