1:72 Clear Decal

Film with no image, but with many possibilities

This item deliberately holds no markings. It is two sheets of transparent decal film and what to do with them is up to the modeler. Most often they are used to print markings that could not be found in any set, or to cut small patches for spots where a finished decal has torn. The film also suits making the transparent faces of instrument panels and blanking off openings that are meant to look like glass.

What a home printer can and cannot do

Inkjet and laser machines work with four basic colors and do not print white. Everything meant to come out light on clear film therefore stays transparent and the base shows through it. The solution is either white film, or preparing the area under the character by spraying it a light color beforehand. A finished print also has to be fixed with a coat of varnish from a spray can, otherwise the dye dissolves during soaking and the character runs. Choose the highest print resolution you can, because lettering a few millimeters across gives away every coarse dot of the screen.

Handling the blank sheets

Store them flat and protect them from bending, because a crease prints itself into the film permanently. Do not touch the surface with your fingers before printing; grease at the point of contact will repel the ink. Cut a piece out with rounded corners, since a sharp corner is the first thing to lift during soaking. Draw the outline you want to cut on the back of the backing paper, because on the transparent side you will barely see it. The remainder of a sheet is still usable a year later if you leave it in its wrapper away from direct light.