Water slide decals not staying down

[Strassercaster]

Hello I have been building pedals for 2 months i have built over 10 already and have parts to build about 10 more ha ha. I spent over 20 hours doing artwork for a waterslide decal printed it clear coated it three times to be sure. So I printed a few soaked one for about 30 seconds. I tried to apply it and the outside edges rolled up. I tried another at 20 seconds same thing. How or what can I do to keep these down. The edges keep rolling up. Does micro sol or micro set work?? Any tips would be appreciatted/ I spent 10 on paper 110 on a printer and lots of time on artwork. Also now my main computer crashed and no matter how i size them the come out way bigger almosdt to the edge of my 4x6 sheets. I did unclick fit image icon. Thanks in advance . I got the fever ha ha . Oh and I tried doing a yellow border over a black pedal it was so trasparent you had to hold it an angle to even see it

[BrianS]

I have had success using isophoric alcohol. Get some on a Q-tip and rub it softly around the edges. I guess it kind of melts the decal onto the enclosure. If you are going to do this I would do some practice runs to see if it works for you. This is how I put mine on (ink jet decals):
1. Get a container large enough to hold your decal and put 1 drop of dishwashing liquid and put enough warm water in it to cover the decal. Put the decal in. If it starts to roll up turn it over on the other side and it should flatten out.
2. Wash enclosure with dishwashing liquid, rinse it but don't dry it.
3. With the enclosure wet I take a cotton ball and get some alcohol on it and put it on the top of the enclosure.
4. Get the decal and start from one end and slide it on the box and try to get it where you want it.
5. Get 2 pieces of paper towel, one to hold the decal in place and the other to smooth out the decal, start in the middle and work your way out.
6. Be careful and rub lightly. The decal will wrinkle/crease very easy with the alcohol. Just keep on working it until you get it smooth.
7. If the edges roll Up take a qtip with alcohol, rub it on and carefully use your finger or cotton ball to get them down.
I have had good success using this technique. Before I started using alcohol my decals didn't adhere well. This is mostly info I have gotten off the web from guys who build models.  Someone else might get on here and say I am crazy but this technique has worked for me. Just be careful if you do it.
Brian

[mgwhit]

Oh and I tried doing a yellow border over a black pedal it was so trasparent you had to hold it an angle to even see it

Colors other than black will always be somewhat translucent using inkjet or laser printing on waterslide decals.  As a result, you cannot effectively use light-colored artwork on a dark enclosure without moving to a more complicated printing system.

If you want to use colored artwork, your best bet is to use a white enclosure.  Other, light colors will work for enclosures, but the color of the enclosure will bleed through the waterslide printing, potentially changing the color of your artwork.  I have had good luck with silver and bare aluminum enclosures, too.

[AntKnee]

Here's what works best for me, and I get very good results, IMO. Printers and other factors will vary, so this may not work the same for everyone.

I use inket WHITE waterslide paper most of the time. Clear waterslide paper is great for pedals with a lighter finish, but darker finishes will call for a different course. White paper gives you much more options if you are not trying to see the base coat through the decal. This is the best options for printing a decal for a dark colored pedal. It also gives you the option to have white text if you have a solid colored background as part of the graphic on the decal. I often just match the color of the pedal in the background of my image, so when I put it on the decal, it blends with the base coat. Obviously this doesn't work with all finishes, like sparkle. A helpful hint I would give anyone using white waterslide paper is to color an edge or a border on your graphics as close to the color of the pedal as you can. If it is bare aluminum, just use a light grey. This will help if you don't cut a perfect edge on your decal because it will blend into the pedal better.

I vastly prefer the Papillio brand of waterslide decal paper. It works great with my inkjet. It takes the ink well and doesn't crackle or fade like some other papers I have tried. The Papillio white is almost opaque, even on a black pedal, so there is no fading. It also resists tearing and stretching. If you're using the Testors stuff, I never liked the way they came out, in clear or white. Your printer may have different results for you.

After I print my decal, I let it dry overnight. No rushing to clear coat, just wait overnight. The next day, I use Duplicolor Acrylic Clear coat, the kind at Pep Boys or an auto parts store. I tried a few different brands, and that one works for me. I put 4 light coats on, 10 minutes apart, then wait overnight for it to dry.

Next, I clean my enclosure surface with alcohol. Then I put very slightly soapy water on the surface while my decal soaks, completely submerged in warm water for about 10 to 15 seconds. I take it out and let it set on a paper towel a few more seconds. Then before attempting so slide it, I gently bend it back and then forth just to help break the decal free from the backing. I slide the edge slightly off the backing and place the decal in place, flat on the pedal. While holding it in place with one hand, I slide the backing out from under the decal. Then I use damp paper towels to center it in place and smooth it out. Once it in place don't mess with it, and wait overnight until your next step.

[Strassercaster]

I Thank you both very much for the tips. I will try this over the weekend and let you know. My enclosures are as smooth as glass this time. I bought some micro sol and if they roll up i will apply some to the edges.I think i left the decals in the wtaer for to long the first couple of trys that probably deluted the glue on the edges. Man I really hope that this works I literally have dozens of hours in the artwork. I think I am going with the same art work and I will repaint these other enclosures white.I will also but the white decal paper soon. I prefer darker colors over white. I did just polish a couple and the look fine. I am glad you said I can use black ink over silver because from now on that will be how i do them once these 5 other boxes i have artwork for are done. Thanks again I appreciate all of your time knowledge and wisdom.Any other tips will be appreciated ROCK OUT ROLL ON!!!

[Strassercaster]

Oh ya does anyone know why no matter how i print or the size of my images they are coming out way bigger now?? I am usually the guy people call to work on computers ect. I have little knowledge of printers though.

[peAk]

Also, just to add something that I use that helps with bubbles and is softer and more "flat" than using a paper towel, is one of these:

[blearyeyes]

Oh ya does anyone know why no matter how i print or the size of my images they are coming out way bigger now?? I am usually the guy people call to work on computers ect. I have little knowledge of printers though.

What program are you creating or printing them with?

[blearyeyes]

FYI this is the build report section of the Forum, This post would be better in the General Discussion or some other section.