Decal Question

[Pjohnson]

I purchased clear water slide decals a while back and have been disappointed with the result. The color of the decal tends to be lost in the color of the blank.

Are folks using the clear or white backing?

If you are not using the water slide is there a particular avery style you are using, or would any avery work?

Many thanks!

 

[firewhatfire]

I use clear. I only put them on light colored blanks. As white does not print anything that should have been will be clear.

 

[scottsheapens]

I've only done a couple of pens with decals, but I only use a white pen blank when I have done them. That shows up fairly well.

 

[larryc]

I have found that Holly wood makes a good background for decals. It's wood but very little grain to distract from the decal.

 

[wouldentu2?]

I use Maple a lot and if the decal is round I use white decal paper and cut it out with a die cutter from the paper store.

 

[Dalecamino]

Unfortunately, we only have two, to choose from. Clear & white as you already know this. Using clear on a colored blank, the decal color will be compromised. All you can do is choose your blank color and, make your choice which decal to use. Some guys have found a use for stickers (I think)

 

[Dick Mahany]

It depends. I tried both clear and white water slide papers. On my last attempt, I wound up using white because the US Naval seal that I was printing needed a fair amount of white background to show properly. It came out fine whereas the clear just didn't cut it in that instance. On the same pen, the name that I was personalizing, worked great on the clear!

One more example of how there are no "absolute" right ways to do anything. Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[sbwertz]

I did this one with a holographic sticker many years ago. It took a lot of layers of CA/BLO to cover the edges so you couldn't feel them, but the little girl I made it for loved it.