Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Why is it that despite the fact they are a multi million dollar corporation with some of the most advanced modeling production machines, GW is still incapable of producing decent quality transfers? An avid modeler, I constantly use transfers and time and time again have run into the crappyness that is the GW transfer.

Overly brittle, poorly printed and difficult to 'blend' into a model via solvents, GW has no excuse when it's subordinate company, Forgeworld, produces high quality inexpensive sheets with none of the afore mentioned issues.

Even garage companies, such as griffon games, manage to produce good quality custom decal sheets without any of the problems of Games workshop's.

Seriously, GW, its time to get some quality control. This stuff might have been acceptable for a fledgling company, but with companies such as Tamiya and dragon out there, there is no way you can hide behind the mass production = less quality excuse.

Ginfritter of Armorcast does them, too.

http://armorcast.com/store/index.php?cPath=57

HF wrote:Why is it that despite the fact they are a multi million dollar corporation with some of the most advanced modeling production machines, GW is still incapable of producing decent quality transfers? ...

...

...

....

Because they are not. The quality of GW's plastic kits is slightly below the Frog aircraft kits launched in the UK in the late 50s -- which at the time were a kind of cheap and cheerful option to the more advanced Airfix kits. In terms of detail, price, ease of construction and moulding quality, GW kits are at least 50 years behind companies such as Tamiya.

The lack of detail can be forgiven because the kits are made for handling rather than display.

GW decals are made for toys that you handle, alot.

That stupid thick decal protective coating is for that reason.

Though I will say that the necron decals lack that thick coating, but thats the exception to GW's rule.

The newer decals I have noticed are even worse than the ones I have from the early nineties. I was looking at the brettonian decalsheet and you can see pixels on the fleur d'lis. quite noticeable. Shoddy work.

if you want decals, make your own or go to a place that will, because you definitely wont get them from GW.

To GW they are more kids stickers than actual decals, and it shows.

Yeah I agree with making your own. We have an article right here on dakka describe how to make your own transfers.

I've found that a thin coat of 'Ard Coat under and later over the decal with extend its life. But then you get a shiny look to the model. I don't mind, so it works for me.

You can put matte varnish on top of gloss.

The best way I've found to put decals on is a rather lengthy process bt it worked for my landspeeder which has 14 GW decals on it.

1. Gloss coat the area you want the decal to go. If you can, do the whole panel around the decal. Allow to dry.
2. Place decals in warm water until they are ready to come off the paper.
3. Place decal softening solution on the area where the decal goes. Make sure this is still wet when you get to the next step.
4. Place the decal onto the area slide it around if necessary. When you have it in the ideal place dab the extra water and decal solution off with a q-tip or paper towl. Wait about 20 minutes before the next step.
5. Put more decal solution on the decal try not to actually move the decal. Wait about 20 minutes before the next step.
6. Put setting solution over the decal, again try not to move the decal. Wait 1 hr before the next step.
7. Gloss coat the area again.
8. Dullcoat/flatten the whole model.