I have several Bianchi bikes from the 1980s and I noticed the "Bianchi" decals are applied to the tubes differently.
For the 1986 and 1987 models I can feel where the word "Bianchi is raised and you can tell these are some kind of vinyl or plastic decals.

But for my 1983 (or 84?) specialissima the tubes are smooth and you can't feel where the letters start and stop, but the letters do feel a bit different.

For higher end models were the model name and "Bianchi" labels painted on did they just do a much better job?

If I remember correctly in the few years past 87 some of the paint/decal quality wasn't up to par with the earlier models. The 88 Campione Italia was prone to paint cracking and flaking.

That might be all there is to it. But there are probably two other things going on.

First, the smoother decal probably has been clear coated over. On a very thin decal that will make the edges practically disappear. If you put several layers of clear and then sand it down, they will completely disappear.

The other part is the type of decal. You might be right about that, self-adhesive decals are thicker by virtue of the materials used. Other types like solvent-fix or water slide decals are basically a couple layers of ink, which is practically nothing. They are best clear coated, because they are so thin. Even dry-transfer decals are much thinner than self-adhesive. Better to clear coat them too.

Of course a painted-on stencil will be only as thick as paint. So that might be it too. I don't recall seeing Bianchis with stencils though. Rarely see that on Italian race bikes at all, except for some Wiliers and Legnanos.

I have noticed the exact same thing. The 84 specialissima I have the "Bianchi" is pretty much flat (could be due to more clear coat), But on the 87s each letter is raised above the frame giving quite a nice texture! Also the japanese ones in 87 did not have the raised lettering it's like one big sticker, where the others (italian) every letter looks like it's own decal. Probably pretty hard to replicate if you re painted the frame, I saw one on ebay once that someone attempted and all the letters were crooked.

Thanks to all. This is making a little more sense now.

skillasw, do you have any pictures of your 84 Specialissima? I have one too, but it is not Celeste and every year I think about getting it repainted and then change my mind.

I recently learned my bike was sold in Germany back in May of 2015. The pictures are still on the Internet. If you Google "White 80s Specialissima" and look for pics on the site Steel-Vintage you can see it. I bought it last year here in the US, but I don't know how it got here.

Hi, sorry just saw this now. I just finished building it up. I bought the frame with a few parts and sourced the rest, only things not to spec are the brake calipers ( NOS suntour cyclones), the pedals (mks), and the headset which is a new modern record one.Super record is super expensive, so I'll just wait until i find reasonably priced parts.

Can you see the numbers and letters stamped at top near the seat post just above the two seat stays? I think one side should have a number and the other should have a letter and number. The letter is the month the number is the last digit of the year...or like mine there is only a letter.

Yup! It say - 83 11, then on the other side - 843. On the bottom bracket it has - 59 for the size, then the letter -A and a star symbol, I don't know what that means.

Nice!! She's a beauty for sure! I think non-celeste specialissimas are rare, you don't see many. I always like the look of a white Bianchi. I have a 87 campione d'italia that is cream (off white) with red decals, it looks pretty sharp