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Applying Dry Transfer Decals :

While not as good looking as Water Slide Decals, there are still quite a number of good reasons to use Dry Transfer Decals. You might not have the equivalent in Water Slide form is a good example.

Applying a Dry Transfer Decal is very easy. Remember back in school when they had those letters that could be rubbed on to things? Oh, it was just me then!

Well anyway, it's exactly the same thing and I'll demonstrate an easy way to add Dry Transfers to your model kit.

What you'll need :

  • The Dry Transfers that came with your kit.
  • Hobby Knife.
  • Tweezers or something with a hard edge (a coin is ideal).
  • Masking tape (Tamiya brand is best).
  • Your model.
What you'll need

Step 1 :

First up, grab your Dry Transfers and select the one you wish to apply to your model. Once you choose, cut it out carefully with your knife being aware not to cut too close or press hard near the actual transfer.

Step 1

Step 2 :

Remove the Transfer away from the rest of the sheet so you can work on it better.

Step 2

Step 3 :

Now grab your model and align the transfer to where you want it to be applied on your kit.

Step 3

Step 4 :

Now take your masking tape and tape the transfer into place. Make sure you tape at least two sides opposite to each other because if you don't and you slip during the application, it can move the transfer sheet and ruin the decal. Also tape around the edges and not over the center so you can actually see what the transfer is doing during the application.

Now take the tweezers (or hard edged object - a coin is perfect for this) and rub firmly over the printed part of the transfer. When you do this, you will notice the transfer coming away from the backing paper. Now keep on rubbing until you see that the transfer has completely come away from the backing paper. This is why you need to keep the printed part visible.

Step 4

Step 5 :

Take the tweezers and gently peel away one side of the masking tape and then gently flip back the transfer backing paper. If you notice any sections not applied properly, carefully put the backing paper back to where it was and rub over the area again until the transfer has completely come away.

Step 5

Step 6 :

And there you have it. Easy wasn't it?

Step 6

If you find that there are a few crinkles or the transfer hasn't attached itself to the model properly, take a soft cloth and gently, but firmly, rub the transfer again to try and work out the problem areas.

Water Slides are much better looking than the Dry Transfers, but when you don't have access to the correct Water Slides they are the next best thing.