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Draw decals are DIGITAL Silk not ALPS printed. Not sure how that differs from traditional silk printed decals. Quality is good. Nice printing, and much more durable then ALPS printed. I've had good luck with them but have heard that they can be trouble with compound curves.  Small price to pay for some unique subject matter.

 

SeAN

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Unfortunately not that good. The carrier film practically disappears using Setter and Softer but the ink on the sheets I used was so strong and thick that it would not lay into panellines, even when using boiling water or a hairdryer.

 

Best regards,
Thomas

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Hi James

 

I have had pretty good luck with using Draw Decals over the years. In fact, I am a big fan of Draw Decals because of their subjects and really good customer service. Sean is right, Draw Decals is using a really high end ink jet type printer that uses a different type of ink than the ones we usually see around the home. Draw Decals started out with using an Alps printer I believe but changed years ago.

 

While Draw Decals can take a bit more work to conform into panel lines, I have found the results more than worth it. For challenging areas, I'll use a soft cloth with very warm water to press the decal into tight places. The end results looks good. Here are two models I built in the last few years that used Draw Decals along with a third model (Carolina Panther A320) that are not Draw Decals but were printed on the exact same type of printer that Draw Decal uses. Looking at them on the shelf, you can't tell that the decals are not traditionally silk screen printed.

 

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Have fun modeling!

Mike

:cheers:

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The ink Draw uses is impervious to setting solutions. All it does is make the clear decal film conform to the model. Like Mike, I've had some success getting the printed parts to lay down by dipping a Q-tip in very hot, almost boiling water, and pressing them into place. It may not me hot enought to actually melt the ink, but it does soften it enough to be workable. It takes patience, but the results are usually pretty good. It is sometimes hard to blend fuselage cheatlines around the nose and tail, because the decals are thicker, so you get a seam where they meet. 

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Ben

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Hi Sierrascale

 

The printer is one of the high end ink jet printers that uses UV curable inks. I am in the UV curable ink and coatings business which is why I know the printers. Draw Decals keeps the brand and model they use as a trade secret so I am unable to give out this detail. Sorry!

Have fun modeling

Mike

:cheers:

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