Decal application may not be a problem for those who build “street” cars, but can make or break any race car model. No matter how good the basic finish is or how many well-executed details there are, wrinkled, misaligned, or “silvered” decals can transform a potential contest winner or “high point” of your collection into just another model. There are probably as many techniques for applying decals as there are modellers, but I’ll show you the ones that work for me.

The biggest 'secret' about decals is that they must be applied to a smooth, glossy surface; applying them over flat paint results in microscopic air bubbles under the decal film that reflect tiny pinpoints of light; this is called 'silvering'.

That's usually not a problem for car modellers, but if you must use flat paint, spray several coats of clear gloss over the flat, apply the decals to the glossy surface, and then spray on another coat of clear flat.

That's usually not a problem for You’ll need two (or better, three) decal solutions; a wetting agent and a solvent or decal softener. I like to have both a mild and a strong solvent, so I use Micro Set (MSSET) wetting agent, Micro Sol (MSSOL) mild solvent, and Solvaset (SS) strong solvent (photo 1). Most European decals are pretty “tough” and respond well to Solvaset, but many American decals and computer-printed decals can be destroyed by Solvaset. When in doubt, test a small decal that won’t be missed. I use a couple of simple mnemonics to remember which Micro solution is which; you “set” the decal in a puddle of Micro Set and soften (or dissolve) it with Micro Sol, or you first use the blue (cool) bottle and then the red (hot) one. You can make your own wetting agent with a drop or two of dish detergent in a bottle of water, but Micro Set has some other additives which seem to help.

Cut out the decal you will apply, leaving enough paper around the outside of the decal to hold it with a pair of tweezers, then dip it in warm water - heat makes the decal more pliable and seems to help “free up” the decal quicker. Do not “float” the decal; if it lifts off the backing paper while floating you’ll lose the glue at best or wind up with a little ball of ruined decal at worst. Set it on a piece of glass or other non-absorbent surface and brush some Micro Set onto the area where the decal will be applied; in photo 2 the tire on the right is “wet”.

Place the decal where it’s to go, and gently work it to the edge of the paper. Now hold the decal and pull the paper out from under it (Photo 3); this minimizes moving the decal on the surface and reduces the chances of wrinkling or tearing. This is especially important with decals like this tyre sidewall which is a “hollow” circle; if you try to push it off the paper it will simply crumple up.

I use a paint brush to hold small decals and a pencil eraser for larger one. Don’t use a knife point! Now gently move the decal to exactly where you want it, brushing more Micro Set under the decal if necessary to keep it wet. I use a paint brush dampened with Micro Set to smooth out wrinkles or “nudge” the decal as necessary. Once it’s exactly where you want it pat it down to remove water and wetting agent. I use an old cotton handkerchief that’s been washed many times (i.e. one my wife won’t let me use for other purposes) but some people use paper towels. Whatever you use, it must absorb water well and be lint-free! If you accidentally move the decal during this process, find an edge or corner you can lift slightly and “lift” the decal by brushing your wetting agent under the decal before trying to move it again, and repeat the positioning/drying process. Once it’s exactly where you want it and “patted down”, brush on the solvent (photo 4) and let the decal dry unless it needs to be worked over or down into some feature.

You may or may not want to apply a clear coat over decals on a body (more on this later) but I always brush a coat of semi-gloss clear over tire sidewall decals (photo 5).

This blends the sidewall decal into the tyre and also keeps it from drying out (especially important with vinyl tyres) and flaking off. Besides, it just looks better; the tyre on the left has been given a coat of semi-gloss clear while the one on the right is just getting a coat -note that the tread surface gets clear-coated too. I’ve used many different types of semi-gloss clear over the years and the best I’ve found to date is Model Master Acryl (GPM suggestion Micro Satin MSSATIN)

I apply decals to a body in the same way; dip the decal in warm water, brush on Micro Set on the body, position the decal and hold an edge in place (with an eraser in photo 6), and pull the paper out from under the decal.

If much of the body is covered by decals, plan on applying them in several sessions. In this case I put the decals on the nose and on one lower body panel and front fender. When those were dry, I put on the centre section and rear fender decals (Photo 6) and let them dry thoroughly before working on the other side. There’s nothing worse than getting decals applied neatly to one side of the body and then seeing one from the other side stuck to one of your fingers. Trust me, I know!

This model presented no problems of any kind, but sometimes you’ll have to apply decals over panel lines, louvres, bulges, or complex curves. I usually just stretch the decal over a panel line, wait till it’s dry, and then cut along the panel line with a sharp razor knife. Some Solvaset will make the cut edges droop down into the panel lines, especially if you “pat” the edges with a damp soft cloth (lint-free, of course). To “snug down” a decal over a curved surface, I get it located where I want it and then brush on a coat of Solvaset. After 15-30 seconds I begin to “pat” the decal with my damp (not wet!) handkerchief, encouraging it to conform to the surface. If necessary, I’ll apply a second helping of Solvaset and repeat the process. I’ve found that really stubborn decals can be softened by using a hair dryer on them, and then “patting” the decal down while it’s hot. The heat helps soften the decal, but be careful not to get the body too warm or to blow the decal completely off the model!

After the clear gloss has been polished out, the decals are literally part of the surface (photo 8).

There should be no “decal bumps” (remember the decal is 43 times thicker in real terms than on a real car) or differences in texture or gloss, and more importantly, the decal is protected from damage. If you accidentally get a smear of super-glue, or worse yet, a glue “fingerprint” (who, me?) on the body, it can be sanded off with the polishing kit without taking the decals off, too. I’ll admit that my model (photo 9) is smoother and more glossy than the real Ti-22 ever was on its best day, but it’s going to look just like this ten years from now. That probably wouldn’t be the case if the body were simply waxed, and if nothing at all was done they would probably be flaking off by then.

Decals can make or break a model. These techniques and a little practice should help you create miniatures that rival the best factory hand-built models.

Some of Wayne’s preferred products are not available in the UK and in these instances we have suggested alternatives.