How to Make Your Own Decals for 1/144 Scale Model Airplanes
Miniature 1/144 scale planes are becoming more and more popular as molding technology allows for greater accuracy each year. They are also typically rather small and as such, there is normally room somewhere on the shelf for them. If you want to jazz up your planes with unique markings, it is possible with a good quality printer, the right kind of paper and a good editing program. Scale is the only tricky part, but that can be managed with a little simple math.
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Things You'll Need
- Calculator
- Image editing program
- Printable water-slide decal paper
- Flat clear acrylic spray sealant
Instructions
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Creating Decals in 1/144 Scale
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1
Calculate proper scale by dividing the length and width of the markings by 144. For example, if an insignia on a the real airplane would be 1 meter across (100 cm) and 1.5 meters long (150 cm), then the scale version in centimeters would be .694 cm (rounded to 7 mm) wide and 1.04 cm (rounded to 1 cm) tall.
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2
Open a blank file in your image editing program and create or copy and paste your decal image into the file.
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3
Set the ruler function on the program to match your measurement system. In this case, you want a metric ruler.
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4
Select and reduce the image to the proper dimensions in the program. In the example above, that would mean the image would be scaled down to 7mm wide and 1 cm tall.
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5
Save and name the file.
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6
Paste the file into a regular printer sheet sized document or image file and save.
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7
Repeat this process for as many decals as you need and save this sheet as your master.
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8
Load the water slide decal sheets into your printer and print your master document directly onto the glossy side of the sheet.
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9
Spray acrylic sealant onto the decal sheet at a distance of about 8 inches from the surface in several even coats. Move your hand horizontally back and forth across the sheet and allow each coat to dry before repeating.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't bother trying to use inches and fractional measurements with a scale this small. Millimeters will be more useful in the long run.
It is best to allow your decal sheet to cure overnight before cutting it and putting the decals in water.
A laser printer may work better than an inkjet printer, but more importantly, make sure you have the right kind of water slide decal paper for your printer.
Spray the acrylic sealant in a well-ventilated area.
Resources
- Photo Credit airplane image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
