1. Several years ago, someone (Donnie Dixon, I think) offered artwork for SOU steam decals, to be printed for personal use. Are these still available, and where can I find them?
2. Back when I printed them, the black-background, freight, decals "disappeared" when applied to a locomotive/tender. I had to paint white the areas where decals were to go in order for them to show up. I'm wondering if I used the wrong (clear) inkjet decal paper, or if there is a way to only print the numbers, letters, etc, and not the black background??
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Michael Dunnington
St. Louis, MO, area

On Feb 2, 2021, at 1:12 PM, michael DUNNINGTON <cvlwrnut@...> wrote:



Adrian:
Thanks for the info.  I've not yet heard from Mr. Dixon, but hoping he'll reach out to me.

I'm wondering if he'd be willing to allow HighBall Graphics to run some sets of the steam decals?  That sounds a whole lot easier than trying to find a functioning ALPS.  I just want a few sets for my personal use, but there might be other folks out there who'd buy them if available.

Thanks again,

Michael

On Monday, February 1, 2021, 03:09:19 PM CST, Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton <abridgemansutton@...> wrote:

Michael

I have the artwork if you still need it, but since Donnie has been
copied he'll probably sort you out very quickly.

Printing decals to work on black backgrounds normally requires you to
use a special printer that can lay down a perfectly registered opaque
white backing for the coloured inks . Inkjets and laser printers only
use transparent inks and rely on the white paper to show the colours -
if you apply them on a dark surface the decal will simply disappear.
If you know someone who has an old ALPS printer which is still in
working order, that is one way, but they are getting a bit thin on the
ground, being rather old technology and rather fragile to boot.  If
you are really into printing your own, there's quite a market in
refurbished ALPS printers in Japan, and a strong enthusiast community
but it's certainly not a hobby for the impecunious.

Companies like HighBall graphics can do custom runs in reasonably
small batches, which would still be a lot cheaper than finding,
recommissioning and learning to use an old ALPS.

HTH
Aidrian

> 1.  Several years ago, someone (Donnie Dixon, I think) offered artwork for SOU steam decals, to be printed for personal use.  Are these still available, and where can I find them?
> 2.  Back when I printed them, the black-background, freight, decals "disappeared" when applied to a locomotive/tender.  I had to paint white the areas where decals were to go in order for them to show up.  I'm wondering if I used the wrong (clear) inkjet decal paper, or if there is a way to only print the numbers, letters, etc, and not the black background??
> Thanks for any help you can offer.
> Michael Dunnington
> St. Louis, MO, area

>

On Feb 2, 2021, at 3:14 PM, cajordan2 <cajordan2@...> wrote:



Michael, 

If you do have some printed, I would definitely like to buy a few sets.

Chad

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: michael DUNNINGTON <cvlwrnut@...>

Date: 2/2/21 2:09 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: main@southernrailway.groups.io, main@SouthernRailway.groups.io

Subject: Re: [SouthernRailway] Steam Decal Artwork

Adrian:
Thanks for the info.  I've not yet heard from Mr. Dixon, but hoping he'll reach out to me.

I'm wondering if he'd be willing to allow HighBall Graphics to run some sets of the steam decals?  That sounds a whole lot easier than trying to find a functioning ALPS.  I just want a few sets for my personal use, but there might be other folks out there who'd buy them if available.

Thanks again,

Michael

On Monday, February 1, 2021, 03:09:19 PM CST, Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton <abridgemansutton@...> wrote:

Michael

I have the artwork if you still need it, but since Donnie has been
copied he'll probably sort you out very quickly.

Printing decals to work on black backgrounds normally requires you to
use a special printer that can lay down a perfectly registered opaque
white backing for the coloured inks . Inkjets and laser printers only
use transparent inks and rely on the white paper to show the colours -
if you apply them on a dark surface the decal will simply disappear.
If you know someone who has an old ALPS printer which is still in
working order, that is one way, but they are getting a bit thin on the
ground, being rather old technology and rather fragile to boot.  If
you are really into printing your own, there's quite a market in
refurbished ALPS printers in Japan, and a strong enthusiast community
but it's certainly not a hobby for the impecunious.

Companies like HighBall graphics can do custom runs in reasonably
small batches, which would still be a lot cheaper than finding,
recommissioning and learning to use an old ALPS.

HTH
Aidrian

> 1.  Several years ago, someone (Donnie Dixon, I think) offered artwork for SOU steam decals, to be printed for personal use.  Are these still available, and where can I find them?
> 2.  Back when I printed them, the black-background, freight, decals "disappeared" when applied to a locomotive/tender.  I had to paint white the areas where decals were to go in order for them to show up.  I'm wondering if I used the wrong (clear) inkjet decal paper, or if there is a way to only print the numbers, letters, etc, and not the black background??
> Thanks for any help you can offer.
> Michael Dunnington
> St. Louis, MO, area

>

On Feb 2, 2021, at 5:55 PM, michael DUNNINGTON <cvlwrnut@...> wrote:

Dave:

Is it possible for others of us to buy sets of those decals you’ve had printed by HighBall Graphics??

Michael 

On Feb 2, 2021, at 3:14 PM, cajordan2 <cajordan2@...> wrote:



Michael, 

If you do have some printed, I would definitely like to buy a few sets.

Chad

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: michael DUNNINGTON <cvlwrnut@...>

Date: 2/2/21 2:09 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: main@southernrailway.groups.io, main@SouthernRailway.groups.io

Subject: Re: [SouthernRailway] Steam Decal Artwork

Adrian:
Thanks for the info.  I've not yet heard from Mr. Dixon, but hoping he'll reach out to me.

I'm wondering if he'd be willing to allow HighBall Graphics to run some sets of the steam decals?  That sounds a whole lot easier than trying to find a functioning ALPS.  I just want a few sets for my personal use, but there might be other folks out there who'd buy them if available.

Thanks again,

Michael

On Monday, February 1, 2021, 03:09:19 PM CST, Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton <abridgemansutton@...> wrote:

Michael

I have the artwork if you still need it, but since Donnie has been
copied he'll probably sort you out very quickly.

Printing decals to work on black backgrounds normally requires you to
use a special printer that can lay down a perfectly registered opaque
white backing for the coloured inks . Inkjets and laser printers only
use transparent inks and rely on the white paper to show the colours -
if you apply them on a dark surface the decal will simply disappear.
If you know someone who has an old ALPS printer which is still in
working order, that is one way, but they are getting a bit thin on the
ground, being rather old technology and rather fragile to boot.  If
you are really into printing your own, there's quite a market in
refurbished ALPS printers in Japan, and a strong enthusiast community
but it's certainly not a hobby for the impecunious.

Companies like HighBall graphics can do custom runs in reasonably
small batches, which would still be a lot cheaper than finding,
recommissioning and learning to use an old ALPS.

HTH
Aidrian

> 1.  Several years ago, someone (Donnie Dixon, I think) offered artwork for SOU steam decals, to be printed for personal use.  Are these still available, and where can I find them?
> 2.  Back when I printed them, the black-background, freight, decals "disappeared" when applied to a locomotive/tender.  I had to paint white the areas where decals were to go in order for them to show up.  I'm wondering if I used the wrong (clear) inkjet decal paper, or if there is a way to only print the numbers, letters, etc, and not the black background??
> Thanks for any help you can offer.
> Michael Dunnington
> St. Louis, MO, area

>

On Feb 9, 2021, at 7:43 PM, George Courtney via groups.io <gsc3@...> wrote:

I don't know how accurate they are, but K-4 Decal's just released a set of decals for Southern Steam.

George Courtney

On Feb 10, 2021, at 2:30 PM, Doug Alexander <doug_alexander@...> wrote:

I got a couple of sets, and they look pretty good.  Not as sharp an edge as you'd get from an ALPS, but perhaps as good as silk-screening can be.  I really like the addition of Alco and Baldwin builder's plates, tho I'd have preferred more than they sent.
--
Doug Alexander
Atlanta