Sunnyscopa waterslide decals: white on black? on sand-texture?

MattG

Well-known member
Two questions for the Sunnyscopa film-free waterslide decals:
  • Has anyone tried using them on a sand-texture enclosure? I've been afraid to try, assuming they wouldn't adhere or transfer cleanly. Just wondering if anyone out there has more courage than me, and if so, what was the result?
  • Let's say I have a black enclosure, and I want my decal to be white (or maybe a light silver)... has anyone pulled this off? My laser printer is only black and white, so I certainly can't do this at home. I took a decal design (using nearly-white silver) and the waterslide paper to FedEx Office, assuming a color laser printer would be able to pull this off. I asked the clerk to do a test print on black paper, and the clerk told me it's a waste, as it wouldn't show up. I asked, what if my design was white? She claims it's impossible to print white. I figured it was worth a shot anyway, so I had it printed on the water slide paper... sure enough, it was no different than if I had printed it myself, and it didn't show at all on a black enclosure. What's the right approach here?
Thanks!
 
Yes it will show on sand textured enclosures just make sure during the first heat treatment you use the hair dryer a little longer instead of 10 min try 12 or 15 min.

As for the white toner you need to buy that and its not cheap its very expensive! And not all printers are compatible with the white toner cartridge's that are out there! Youre better off just printing in black and using lighter colors. Unless you have a color laser printer (even color laser printer need that white toner cartridge!) which you already stated its only black and white.
 
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I haven't used them on tayda's sand, but I did a no film test on a Gørva enclosure which has kind of a sand texture. I've also used the sunnyscopa foil decals extensively ( see here and Here) I also bought their white metallic film but I haven't tried it out yet
 
I kept hitting send too early. What I meant to say is that the foils are the only way I've found to get a decent design on a black enclosure with no film. I tried early on to put color decals on black and it didn't work at all
 
A surficant is a standard adhesion enhancer for waterslides. I like the MicroScale products - Micro-Set & Micro-Sol. Micro-Set is the start solution and Micro-Sol is for irregular surfaces. The trick is use warm (not hot) water when soaking the decals. Just before soaking the decal, use a small clean paint brush and apply the solution to the surface of the enclosure.

It's important to NOT freak out if /when the water slide starts to go all wrinkled as it is drying once it is properly positioned. The wrinkles will work themselves out. Worse-case scenario, soak & peel the waterslide off and start over.

Micro-Sol_Micro-Set.png
Amazon & SmallBear carries this stuff. For rough surfaces, the Micro-Sol is best.

EDIT: Oh! I looked closer at your OP and just realized that the Sunnyscopa film-free waterslide decals are different than the standard waterslides for which I am accustomed. I've never worked with their film-free stock, so I may well be off base with my response. I'm not sure if the surficant solutions would be useful for the film-free process. And based on Sunnyscopa's video for the film-free process, it seems that the film-free process is not suitable for grainy surfaces - unless you get the special type of film-free and special glue for porous surfaces/materials.

Now I want to try the film-free stuff myself.
 
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I am working on a decal for a black enclosure. No joy with the standard film free waterslide (failed trial photo attached). I’ll be using the metallic. I have the silver (example attached), gold, hologram, as well as the white, which I haven’t used yet, but I assume works the same as the other metallics.

I bought a cheap-ish laminator to use, but as someone else said, an iron would probably work — you don’t actually laminate anything, just transfer the toner from one medium to another.

Chris
 

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I am working on a decal for a black enclosure. No joy with the standard film free waterslide (failed trial photo attached). I’ll be using the metallic. I have the silver (example attached), gold, hologram, as well as the white, which I haven’t used yet, but I assume works the same as the other metallics.

I bought a cheap-ish laminator to use, but as someone else said, an iron would probably work — you don’t actually laminate anything, just transfer the toner from one medium to another.

Chris
You cannot print white unless you get white toner. Not all printers support the types of toner cartridges that are available. Also its very expensive like 500 bucks for 1 toner cartridge which is obscene.


EDIT: Im sorry i thought you were trying to print white i just saw the pics without reading :D
 
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