Classic & Vintage - NE1 made their own stickers/decals?

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optimator
11-10-07, 08:02 AM
I need a couple of these http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff314/carlrecurve/65071512_041d125150.jpg and am having the darnest time finding them. I finally decided to make them. I've read about doing it on sticker paper and then sealing it with clear coat.... I've also read about buying a decal making kit. Does anyone have ANY experience with any of these, or for that matter any other method? Thanks - O

bbattle
11-10-07, 08:35 AM
Do a search and you'll find a pretty recent thread on decals. There's a resident decal maker on this forum plus one down in Australia that has a good bit of stuff on eBay.

Regular inkjet printers won't work. The dyes will rapidly fade, even under clearcoat. You need archival dyes and the printer that uses them. They aren't cheap, certainly not worth buying for a couple of decals.
optimator
11-10-07, 03:46 PM
I've already bought a few things from the fellow in Australia, nice guy, good work, good prices, good service.... but he doesn't have these and doesn't intend to make any. I'll see if I can figure out who our resident decal maker is. If anyone knows I'd appreciate the help. Thanks - O

bbattle
11-10-07, 04:53 PM
I've already bought a few things from the fellow in Australia, nice guy, good work, good prices, good service.... but he doesn't have these and doesn't intend to make any. I'll see if I can figure out who our resident decal maker is. If anyone knows I'd appreciate the help. Thanks - O

Here's his Profile (http://bikeforums.net/member.php?u=87984)
55/Rad
11-10-07, 05:22 PM
Call your local high quality frame painter. They should have a relationship with a sign graphics shop that can reproduce the one you need if you have a good example.

I got Pinarello and Lemond decals made this way and they turned out perfect.

55/Rad
vpiuva
11-10-07, 06:28 PM
If you want to do your own, beldecal.com makes water-slide paper that I've used and had good luck with. The inks may not last as long as professional, but the major ink manufacturers have addressed this some and make longer lasting photo inks now. The decals I've made (on the bikes I still own) over the past 3 years still look good.

To do the white lettering you'll either need to:
1. put the decals over white paint, or
2. use the "white" decal paper they sell, and you'll have to trim the edges very carefully as any edges you leave will be white, too