The Imperial Shipyards
Imperial Creative Engineering => Custom Figures => Topic started by: Finley002 on September 04, 2018, 11:06:18 AM
-
Hey everyone. Been a while since I’ve posted, but in my last post (Hera Syndulla custom figure) I discussed my technique of using printed decals for eyes in lieu of hand painting them, especially for those with poor eyesight and/or not-so steady hands... so I’m posting a jpeg of the decal sheet I use in hopes that it will come in handy to other members. I simply buy “clear laser-print” decal sheets and bring the image on a USB thumb drive to Kinkos. Then I open the “8.5x11” paper drawer and place the decal sheet “face up.”
Now, if you read my other post, you’ll be aware that the decals can be VERY fragile. So be patient and take it slow. And as I stated; this is really more of a “sideways move” in that it’s still very time consuming and nerve racking, but the trade off is that you’re guaranteed that the pupils will consistently be evenly sized and centered ;)
But please bear in mind that no mater how sharp the image is on you thumb drive, at this scale, it all comes down to the quality of the printer. I use the "general public" walk-up printers at Kinkos. and even though the image is rather sharp when you look at it on your computer screen, when shrunk down to this scale, it has a somewhat "lenticular" rendering (example shown below). But trust me, it wont be noticeable to the naked eye. Only when you look at it with a powerful magnifier or zoom in on a photograph.
Edit; so it looks like the “full page” image of all the eyes doesn’t load as high definition even though the file isn't anywhere close to the maximum limit :( If you all would like, I could just upload individual images of the eyes and you could readjust the size via Photoshop or Microsoft Word... or you could PM me your email address and I could send you the actual full sized jpeg
-
More examples...
-
Thank you so much for adding this topic to the thread! FialaFernbrugg made me aware of these decal sheets the other day. The eyes you use look stunning! I just posted a review on TVC Dr. Aphra and I'm also amazed by the print of her eyes.
This is very interesting and I'll try to find such decal sheets and print some custom designs on them.
Thanks again for sharing this and your kind offer! Please, keep up the great work! Your customs look awesome!
- Philipp
-
Thank you Phillipp for the kind words :)
-
OK... so the workaround to higher resolution images is to split them up into a smaller selection of images. I'll leave it up to you guys to multiply the images and adjust the scale on you own computer, either in Photoshop or in some version of "Word." Of course, I would recommend playing around with scale by printing them out on REGULAR paper and then adjust accordingly, as opposed to "guessing" and then wasting a perfectly good sheet of decal paper...
-
Very nice. I do like the results you are getting with these!
Off to share your latest update.
-
Oh, and one last thing you guys; if you’re into the hobby of model making then you’re probably very familiar with “micro sol” and “micro set” for decals. But for those who DON’T know; This is practically ESSENTIAL when using these tiny decals on 4” figures. I use the “micro set” first, putting some directly onto the decal to loosen it from the paper (instead of just plain water). I also dab some into the eye sockets of the figures to better allow the decal to float around so you can position it just right. Once decal is wher you want it, push down on it with your detailing paintbrush to make sure it’s in place then use a section of paper towel to GENTLY soak up the remaining liquid. Let it air dry for a couple of minutes then go ahead and brush on a somewhat generous amount of “micro sol” onto the decal. Just set the figure aside until all the liquid has evaporated. Once completely dry, you can then add your Matt lacquer spray (or whatever you use) to really seal your work :)
Good luck, and may the Force be with you!
-
Great advice. Thanks for sharing. I can imagine getting the eyes just right being that small can be interesting sometimes.
-
Awesome work on the eye decals mate and it makes the figures look more realistic.
Ron
-
Thank you for sharing the eye decals with us.
It is such a clever idea and buts so much realism on every action figure.
-
Great work! This is very intriguing and I'd be interested to try these.