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Hi guys,

I'm building up my Task Force Astartes army which includes squads from several chapters, most of which are Ultramarine successors (Aurora chapter, Sons of Orar, etc etc). I really like the look decals have given my ultras and imperial fists so far and I want to keep the look going throughout the army. I'm not very good at free hand so definitely want to stick to the crisp (although time consuming) look of decals. Problem is, several chapters don't have readily available decal sheets (the successor chapters). Ebay is hit or miss and terribly expensive for, say, Aurora Chapter decals. I've seen decal paper being sold in stores and I have to ask- what do people think of it? Has anyone tried it? Pictures to show the end results? Are the results comparable to GW decals?

What are some best known practices and required tools/resources? I'm looking to make black and white decals. What is the process for setting up the sheet on the computer screen? Resolution, size etc?

Thanks!

I have a little experience with this stuff. Firstly the transfer paper comes in 2 styles;white and clear. Basically any part of your design that is not colour will be either filled in white or be left blank, leaving the underlying colour of the shoulder pad showing.
The transfer paper comes in 1 size;A4, but you do not need to fill all this if you don't want to;just reset the printing options before you print. Scan any design into your computer and it can become a transfer. Make a few test prints before you use the trans paper;you don't get many sheets if something goes wrong! Microscale Industries in the US make the chemicals which turn your design into a transfer, I believe that hobby shops should be able to supply you with them.

Try here:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/files/file/108-aurora-chapter-decal-sheets/

And I dare say that my homemade decals work better and sit much flatter than the GW decals.

The problem with making decals yourself is that if you're going to be putting them on anything other than a white background your results are going to be disappointing.

Decal paper is transparent. Ink is transparent (or perhaps translucent is more correct). Put it on a white background and all is fine as the white background is like printing on paper. Put it on red, green or black and your decals will be like colored filters. You may still be able to see them but the colors will be greatly affected.

BTW - Black ink is opaque so if you're just making black decals then you should be fine.

I used them on my Raptors and put a dot of white behind the decal. Then applied the decal and simply touched up the lines. It was a great deal easier than trying to freehand a hundred shoulder pads.